Universal to distribute Paramount discs outside US

Paramount hammers another nail in disc media's coffin

by Steve Withers
Movies & TV Shows News

29

Universal to distribute Paramount discs outside US
It was announced at the end of last week that Paramount Pictures has agreed to let Universal Pictures Home Entertainment distribute its DVD and Blu-ray discs in markets outside the US.
The five year deal will being here in the UK on the 1st of July and as part of the agreement Paramount will make an annual payment to Universal for their services. Whilst this is a surprise, it's worth noting that outside of the US Paramount and Universal already distribute their films in the cinema via joint venture UIP (United International Pictures). Apparently the new home video deal could benefit each company to the tune of $20million a year thanks to economies of scale.

The arrangement “will create an important opportunity for us to strengthen our international distribution business during this transformative time in the home entertainment space,” said Paramount vice chairman Rob Moore. Universal Pictures chief distribution officer Peter Levinsohn said the additional scale will offer “meaningful benefits.” The deal follows a restructuring within Universal Pictures Home Entertainment that is designed to capitalise on the growing importance of international markets.
It's no secret that disc sales have been in decline but what does this mean for the embryonic UHD Blu-ray format?
The big question is, what does this mean for the embryonic UHD Blu-ray format? It's been obvious for some time that the level of disc sales is declining and that the studios are placing greater emphasis on downloads and streaming. The reasons are obvious, streaming and downloads mean the studios retain greater control and cut costs, which is why they often make new titles available for download a few weeks prior to the disc release.

However with the industry on the verge of agreeing a new set of standards for UHD, we now have the potential to deliver a picture at home that matches the one we see at the cinema. But to really deliver the full benefit of these standards we need a disc-based format, the studios can't rely entirely on the internet as a delivery platform. Clearly the manufacturers are happy to support UHD Blu-ray when it launches at the end of this year but to really succeed it will need the full support of the studios.

Source: Deadline
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