Disc sales defied expectations to exceed £1bn in 2021

01 March 2022 - Press release

UK consumers bought more than 50m DVDs, CDs and other discs  

UK consumers again spent more than ONE BILLION POUNDS on discs featuring music and video and games in 2021, defying expectations amid the streaming revolution, according to the annual yearbook of digital entertainment and retail association ERA which is published today (Tuesday).

Sales of physical formats amounted to £1.05bn, down 18.5% on 2020, to comprise just 11% of the overall entertainment market, but in unit terms that still represented more than 50m discs sold.

Some segments bucked the trend with vinyl LPs continuing their growth, up 23.2% to £135.6m.

 

BRITAIN"S MOST POPULAR PHYSICAL ENTERTAINMENT FORMATS IN 2021 (£m)
Home console software	GAMES	507.8
DVD	VIDEO	150.5
CD	MUSIC	150.1
Vinyl LP	MUSIC	135.6
Blu-ray	VIDEO	85.7
4K UHD	VIDEO	23.6
Vinyl singles	MUSIC	3.3
PC software	GAMES	2.1

 

In volume terms there were 16m DVDs and 15.1m CDs sold, bringing the total of physical discs sold during the year to more than 50m.

ERA CEO Kim Bayley said, "Amid all the excitement about digital formats, it's easy to forget that physical is still a huge business. That £1bn total represents more than 50m individual buying decisions. While digital offers convenience, many people still value the quality and sense of ownership discs can offer."