According to Best Buy’s most recent quarterly sales statistics, released back in August of 2023, the sale of home entertainment media only accounts for about 9% of the company’s total revenue. In the grand scheme of things, ending the sale of physical media would not hamper it significantly.
In a clarification to Bloomberg, the Best Buy spokesperson noted that popular movie and TV media may temporarily return to store shelves during the holiday shopping season. The spokesperson also noted that physical video game sales will not be included in this discontinuation.
With Best Buy’s departure from the physical media scene, the remaining major distributors of DVDs, Blu-Rays, and Ultra HD discs are Walmart, Amazon, and Target. DVD rental service Redbox also still has a sturdy foothold in the industry thanks to its rental kiosks found in big box stores and supermarkets around the United States.
Of course, as streaming continues to dominate media, DVD manufacturers have also been scaling back their efforts. According to trade reports from The Digital Entertainment Group, overall sales of DVDs have been down by at least 28% compared to last year, and prominent DVD manufacturers like Ingram Entertainment have begun winding down their own processes as the money flow has slowed.