Olsens slip in TV appearance before video
ABC airs The Challenge days before video premiere from Warner.
By Jennifer Netherby and Scott Hettrick -- Video Business, 11/14/2003
NOV. 14 | The "final video movie" starring Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen, The Challenge, received a scheduled last-second premiere in the Disney movie block on ABC on Saturday, just 10 days before the movie debuts in retail stores.
Retailers who were first alerted to the situation by VB considered it a potentially positive development.
Al Welch, owner of Video Village in Rockwall, Texas, said network airings of certain programs generally boost sales activity, which could help since the most recent Olsen twins movies on video haven't shown continuing growth in popularity.
A spokesperson at Best Buy concurred that, generally, TV exposure helps boost sales.
"It's great news for us and the business," said Warner Home Video senior VP of U.S. sales Jeff Baker, noting the growth of TV programs on DVD. He said consumers now look to collect DVDs of their favorite TV programs and enjoy the added-value bonus features.
Relative to non-theatrical releases, Baker said, "If I could have every product come out on TV a week before street date, I would be thrilled."
However, he added, Warner has not done this in the past and has nothing scheduled to premiere on TV before DVD in the future.
Sources said each of the recent DVD premiere movies of Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen have sold in excess of 1 million copies, with about 30 million selling overall.
Robert Thorne, CEO of the Olsen's DualStar company, said he was pleased with the $3 million license fee ABC paid to run the movie Saturday and refused to give the network a six-month window before video release, as happened in a similar TV debut of the Olsen's Switching Goals.
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