Topics soars with Over Blu-ray sales
By Susanne Ault -- Video Business, 5/15/2008
MAY 15 | PBS’ Over series is flying high on Blu-ray Disc.
The five-title series, featuring aerial footage of U.S. regions set to classical music, was produced a decade ago—in high-definition—by Seattle station KCTS to run on various PBS stations. Indie supplier Topics Entertainment began releasing the series on VHS and DVD in the late ’90s, before bringing it to Blu-ray in March, when it bowed exclusively at Costco.
The company has sold through 40,000 units of Over California and Over America at Costco alone, since the titles’ Blu-ray release exclusively at the retailer on March 15.
By early April, Target had caught wind of Costco’s strength with the series and began testing Over America in 100 of its stores, according to Topics. Since last month, Topics has now fielded orders for Over California and Over America from Amazon.com, Best Buy, Fry’s Electronics and others.
To date, Over America, probably the most mainstream title of the series with name narrator Tom Skerritt, has shipped 100,000 units to retailers.
Over America also is considered valuable because of its sweeping views of New York’s Twin Towers prior to their destruction. None of the other four high-def titles feature any dialog.
Over California has shipped 50,000 copies to retailers to date. Regional electronics chain Fry’s has stocked the title in all of its stores.
Topics will next street Over Alaska in the state’s Costco stores on June 10.
“There was good foresight that these titles were shot in high-definition,” Topics president Greg James said, “even though no one had anything to play them on for 10 years.”
As Blu-ray is still a young format, James admits surprise that Over America and Over California are being embraced to such a degree. Over America’s sell-through rate rivals many catalog Blu-ray feature film releases, if not a few new movie releases as well.
“We were nervous when the titles started coming out, because gosh, there aren’t that many Blu-ray players out there,” said James. “But we’re happy that it seems to be taking off.”
Consumers are treating the Over titles as though they are a theatrical Blu-ray release because the content is well-suited to the format, adds James. Plus, the titles are priced attractively at $19.95 SRP, which is $20 less than the average new release Blu-ray title.
“These are great productions that can really help people show off the quality of their flat screens,” said James. “These things are [themed] like Planet Earth and have great picture quality.”
The company hopes to be promoting all five Over titles on Blu-ray to retailers during the Entertainment Merchants Assn. Home Media Expo, running June 24-26 at the Palms Hotel in Las Vegas.
