Gran Torino takes top VOD spot
DIGITAL: Eastwood movie bests Twilight in video-on-demand rentals this year
By Jennifer Netherby -- Video Business, 10/26/2009
OCT. 26 | DIGITAL: Leave it to Clint Eastwood to stamp out vampires. Eastwood’s Gran Torino has bested Twilight to become the top-renting video-on-demand movie this year, according to Warner Home Video and Rentrak.
Gran Torino generated $30 million in consumer VOD spending.
Worldwide, Gran Torino has generated $30 million in consumer VOD spending across cable and satellite providers through roughly 6 million transactions. That doesn’t include rentals through iTunes, Amazon Video On Demand, Xbox 360 or other digital platforms.
Eastwood directed and stars in the critically acclaimed film about a cranky war vet who battles a neighborhood gang.
Summit Home Entertainment hasn’t disclosed VOD rental numbers for Twilight, but the film was the top VOD rental for the first six months of the year, and the studio has said it has done more than 14 million transactions on all rental formats.
Gran Torino debuted on DVD and VOD day-and-date June 9 and has since spent four weeks as the top VOD rental. It also sped to the top of the Blu-ray Disc charts, where it ranks as the No. 2 rental year-to-date, according to Rentrak. On DVD, the film ranks as the No. 6 top rental year-to-date.
Warner said it has sold 3 million DVD and Blu-ray Discs of the film in the U.S.
The studio attributed the film’s rental success to its strong story, though Warner also said it is an example of how its day-and-date DVD/VOD release strategy complements digital and packaged formats. Warner has released most of its films on VOD and DVD/Blu-ray on the same day this year.
Summit’s Twilight also debuted day-and-date on VOD and DVD/Blu-ray. The movie also was strong on sell-through, ranking as the No. 1 DVD seller in the first quarter ended March 29 despite bowing on disc on March 21.
Warner Bros. Digital Distribution senior VP Andy Mellett said Gran Torino, a key day-and-date DVD/VOD release this year, exceeded the studio’s expectations on VOD.
