Prospective DVD & Blu-Ray Dates

[Westeros]

We’ve all been waiting for the first signs of the Game of Thrones first season DVD & Blu-Ray box set… and it seems to have arrived with strong suggestions that the discs will role out in at least several countries in March 2012, approximately 1 month before the premiere of season 2 of the series. First off, in the UK, the British Video Association notes a March 19 date for the release over there (UK Preoder: DVD, Blu-Ray). And France appears to be even luckier, with Warner Brothers France indicating a March 7th date—quick work!

What does this mean for the US? It really does seem that the ides of March, give or take a week, are what we should be looking at for the release of the DVD and Blu-Ray sets (US Preorder: DVD, Blu-Ray). We can be sure that there’ll be a lot of extras on the sets, including some audition tapes for actors, behind-the-scenes footage never seen before, and episode commentaries—and from what we’ve heard, that may just be the start!

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[A1ANDY]

Yeh, finally a date. I'll be able to watch the show without needing sky. :bang:

[ICE CROW]

almost a full year, before releasing the Blu-Rays Thats Bull. I understand why their doing it, this way Blu-rays going on sale right before Season 2 premiere will rekindle any interest that may have dwindled since the end of season 1.

[Gillio]

So cynical.......so young ;)

[boojam]

HBO did release THE PACIFIC , shown in 2010, before Christmas of 2010.

HBO's John Adams was released the same in DVD, 2008, as it was shown on TV.

Gee you know that was only 8 episodes but HBO spent 100 million on it, it was super excellent.

Never have found exact numbers but GOT seems to have gotten 50-60 million... sure would like to see that upped.

Anyway looks as if I won't get giving copies of the DVD as Christmas presents until 2012. sniff.

[waaimasjien]

The 'France appears to be even luckier' links to a private video. Is the video up anywhere else?

Release dates as expected though. I don't mind, I'll do a rewatch right before S2 kicks off.

[JagLover]

almost a full year, before releasing the Blu-Rays Thats Bull. I understand why their doing it, this way Blu-rays going on sale right before Season 2 premiere will rekindle any interest that may have dwindled since the end of season 1.

I would suggest that the foregone revenue from a pre-Christmas release date will far exceed any benefit from raising interest in GOT just before the next season comes out. Bear in mind that the only way for many in the UK to watch GOT legally is to buy the Blu Ray/DVD as the channel it is shown on is not even available to all those who use pay-TV. The next time the industry complains about illegal downloads I will think of ludicrously late release dates such as this one.

[boojam]

I would suggest that the foregone revenue from a pre-Christmas release date will far exceed any benefit from raising interest in GOT just before the next season comes out. Bear in mind that the only way for many in the UK to watch GOT legally is to buy the Blu Ray/DVD as the channel it is shown on is not even available to all those who use pay-TV. The next time the industry complains about illegal downloads I will think of ludicrously late release dates such as this one.

Yeah that puzzles me too. I don't know what HBO's biz model for DVD's is.

Never have found the hard data, but the story has been for a long time that HBO's ROME dvd sales caught HBO flat footed. More people bought the DVDs than subscribers who watched the show. (Some over lap there , because I know I watched the series on the tube and bought both boxed sets.) Have heard that was true for Dead Wood too.

Have always been curious about foreign sales since HBO is , as far as I know, not available world wide.

So expanded revenues for HBO must come from DVD sales.

I have to wonder what HBO thinks of the movie phenomena that some big release films bomb here , yet international box office many times trumps domestic release.

I sometimes wonder if HBO thinks this stuff through.

[Warlock Vetolgar]

Damn, I was hoping to have the DVD in my hands for Christmas. I wish I knew what HBO is thinking about when it sets these release dates. I suppose miniseries like The Pacific and John Adams are gonna sell no matter what, but GOT's potential buyers aren't as numerous, so they'd rather time the release with the premiere of Season 2.

[Brienne the Beauty]

Damn, I was hoping to have the DVD in my hands for Christmas. I wish I knew what HBO is thinking about when it sets these release dates. I suppose miniseries like The Pacific and John Adams are gonna sell no matter what, but GOT's potential buyers aren't as numerous, so they'd rather time the release with the premiere of Season 2.

I doubt that GOT's buyers are less numerous. Fantasy is a moneyspinner these days, because geeks like to spend money. It would also make a great present for a geeky relative.

[Werthead]

Yup, HBO holding back on the release dates for the Rome DVD releases meant that by the time the DVD sales could be counted, it was not enough to save the series.

In a way, this is good because it means that HBO will have to have renewed a third season of GoT long before they can really assess the impact of Season 1 DVD sales. On the other hand, it's fricking retarded because they will lose out on a lot of sales to illegal torrents from people annoyed at having to wait a full year for the DVD. As mentioned, this is particularly silly in countries like the UK where GoT has picked up lots of coverage but likely the majority of prospective viewers still haven't seen it as they don't want/can't afford Sky.

[Ran]

I strongly doubt there are many lost sales due to the wait. If you're getting a boxed set, it's for the convenience of having it on your shelf and for the extras, neither of which pirates have gotten through their piracy. Pirates will surely get the extras once the Blu-Ray is out, of course, but... those pirates were never going to buy anyways, right?

Anyone who wanted to pirate it already did so approximately a day after the show aired, so a few extra months isn't really making a massive difference. And evidence suggests that people who pirate now (and like something) are likelier to actually buy it, anyways.

I do think HBO should have made an effort to break from their usual pattern and at least try to get the first season out by the holidays, but I'm pretty sure their tried-and-true model works very well for them.

[Warlock Vetolgar]

I doubt that GOT's buyers are less numerous. Fantasy is a moneyspinner these days, because geeks like to spend money. It would also make a great present for a geeky relative.

We are not a cult following, certainly, but the reason why I used The Pacific and John Adams as examples is that, for the average viewer and DVD shopper, a miniseries about WWII in the Pacific or about the life of a founding father may seem to have more merit than a fantasy-themed show. In that context, it makes sense for HBO to rush the release of those products for the Christmas period. I don't like, mind you, but that's the most logical explanation I can think of. (Not that logic is obligated to figure into anything) Plus, fanboys being what they are, they probably will buy the DVDs whenever they are released, whereas the average shopper, the neutral shopper, if you will, is likelier to make purchases during the holiday season.

[Padraig]

You can't really compare those series. HBO normally releases the DVD just before the next season of a show. If there isn't another season then it's no surprise that different rules apply.

[Warlock Vetolgar]

Well, I've been doing a little research and rather than bore you with the numbers, I'll just say that HBO's DVD release dates seem to have no rhyme or reason to them. Kinda like figuring out if the Stardates on Star Trek mean anything (they don't).

[headtrip_honey]

::whimper::

I was also hoping for a near Xmas release date. I still haven't seen the show.

[ICE CROW]

::whimper::

I was also hoping for a near Xmas release date. I still haven't seen the show.

Blasphemy you say. Have you really never seen the show. Holy smokes, What evil lead to this happening ?

[headtrip_honey]

Blasphemy you say. Have you really never seen the show. Holy smokes, What evil lead to this happening ?

I'd never even heard of the series til the show came out, but I'm one of those masochists who refuses to watch a show until she's read the books. And I procrastinated reading the first book because I'm a stubborn idiot who doesn't want to read things just because others like them (all my friends had been raving).

So by the time I finished the first book, the show was over. And I don't have HBO to even watch it OnDemand or something.

[ICE CROW]

We are not a cult following, certainly, but the reason why I used The Pacific and John Adams as examples is that, for the average viewer and DVD shopper, a miniseries about WWII in the Pacific or about the life of a founding father may seem to have more merit than a fantasy-themed show. In that context, it makes sense for HBO to rush the release of those products for the Christmas period. I don't like, mind you, but that's the most logical explanation I can think of. (Not that logic is obligated to figure into anything) Plus, fanboys being what they are, they probably will buy the DVDs whenever they are released, whereas the average shopper, the neutral shopper, if you will, is likelier to make purchases during the holiday season.

I could agree with this, if everything around the show and book series, hadn't become a worldwide phenomenon. And yes it has, almost every new outlet and entainment show has done stories about the series. ADWD sales and all the hoopla surrounding that was huge. Also how the show has had so many celebrities and other televison shows celebrating it. With mentions in their show (Big Bang Theory), to celerities sing the serie's praise. Nathan Fillion, has gone so far as to say several times he would love to do something on the show.

This series had a cult following, which what helped to get the show made. Since the show, it is huge, for that reason alone, HBO knows they would make a ton of money at the Holidays. I feel though, that think releasing and reintroducing us to what made us love the series right before season 2 starts, will help viewership.

Its late here, i stopped caring about grammar half way through.

[Warlock Vetolgar]

I could agree with this, if everything around the show and book series, hadn't become a worldwide phenomenon. And yes it has, almost every new outlet and entainment show has done stories about the series. ADWD sales and all the hoopla surrounding that was huge. Also how the show has had so many celebrities and other televison shows celebrating it. With mentions in their show (Big Bang Theory), to celerities sing the serie's praise. Nathan Fillion, has gone so far as to say several times he would love to do something on the show.

This series had a cult following, which what helped to get the show made. Since the show, it is huge, for that reason alone, HBO knows they would make a ton of money at the Holidays. I feel though, that think releasing and reintroducing us to what made us love the series right before season 2 starts, will help viewership.

Its late here, i stopped caring about grammar half way through.

I know what you mean, and I agree to an extent. But if it's worldwide phenomena we are speaking of, let's not forget that Elvis Presley was also one when he was active, yet I'm pretty sure some members of the older generation wouldn't have bought his records over, say, Frank Sinatra's. What I meant in my original post is that people's biases may get in the way of partaking in worldwide phenomena, but other products are more...acceptable, shall we say, to more "refined" palates. I can imagine giving The Pacific to watch to my grandfather , but never Game of Thrones.

Point is moot, anyway. HBO releases its DVDs whenever they feel like it and that's it. The Sopranos was their all-time hit and they still released the DVDs six, seven months after the season aired. Anyway, I just wanted to make sure I got my original point across.