Bolt Sunday release causes street date breaks

Stores follow after Wal-Mart puts DVD, Blu-ray on shelves on Friday

By Jennifer Netherby -- Video Business, 3/26/2009

MARCH 26 | Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment’s attempt to give Blu-ray Disc a two-day head start on store shelves with Bolt ended up causing retail confusion when a number of stores broke street date and started selling both versions of the animated hit early.

The Bolt Blu-ray version was supposed to street Sunday, March 22, two days ahead of the standard DVD release, which was set for the more typical Tuesday release on March 24. The dual-release strategy was meant to give consumers another incentive to buy Blu, sources said.

Instead, many retailers put both versions out Friday, March 20.

Retail and distribution sources said problems started Friday morning when Wal-Mart began selling both the Blu-ray and standard DVD versions in its stores. Retailers and distributors reportedly overwhelmed the studio’s street date hotline, set up to take reports of early sales.

By early afternoon, Disney reportedly gave distributors and some retailers the go-ahead to also start selling and renting both discs early. Various retailers said they got calls or e-mails from VPD and WaxWorks Friday afternoon to put out both versions.

A Disney spokeswoman declined to comment, saying the studio doesn’t comment on stories about retail.

A Wal-Mart spokeswoman confirmed that the mass merchant put both versions of the film out Friday, but didn’t immediately respond to a follow-up question asking whether the chain had been given the go-ahead by Disney.

Other retailers seemed as frustrated with Disney for the confusing release strategy as with retailers who broke street date.

“I don’t care who broke it,” said Mark Steiner, video buyer with Seattle’s Scarecrow Video. “Whoever does it, does it, and all the little guys gotta proceed as planned.”

Steiner and others said they would prefer the studios stick to Tuesday releases.

Todd Zaganiacz, president of the National Entertainment Buying Group, said it was “no big surprise” the street date was broken, adding that violations are “continually getting worse” as studios release films on days other than Tuesday.

Studios faced similar release problems in December when they streeted films on off days. One of the biggest problems was with Anchor Bay Entertainment’s Traitor. Wal-Mart, Target and Best Buy all broke street on that title, angering many smaller retailers who hadn’t yet received their shipments of the disc and couldn’t put it out until days later.

This time, most retailers at least had Bolt units on hand, which they scrambled to put out on shelves.

Redbox VP of marketing Gary Lancina said in a statement to VB that the DVD kiosk company was able to get discs out to its kiosks on Friday after getting confirmation from Disney that the date was being bumped up.

“We were thrilled to offer this wonderful family film in time for the weekend rush,” he said.

It’s unclear how widespread the violations were or how many retailers bumped up the release.

“We were not told we [could] make either version available” early, a Borders spokeswoman said. The chain held to the Sunday street date for the Blu-ray and Tuesday for the DVD. “So far sales are in line with our expectations,” she said.

Retailers are already dreading what will happen in another week, when Disney tries the strategy again for Adam Sandler family comedy Bedtime Stories. The Blu-ray is set to street April 5, followed by the standard DVD on April 7.

One distribution source, concerned about the lack of control over street date violations, said some retailers are starting to think it’s “better to ask forgiveness than permission” in regard to putting movies out early.

DVDEmpire general product manager Allan Lee said that although he appreciates Disney’s efforts to give customers another reason to switch to Blu-ray, “I hardly think a two-day window is enough of an incentive for anyone to upgrade to Blu-ray. It just ends up frustrating retailers and, more than likely, confusing customers.”

Danny King contributed.