Executive summary
- UK physical video generated approximately £148.9 million in 2025 across DVD, Blu-ray and 4K UHD.
- UK Blu-ray and 4K UHD sales value reached approximately £84.2 million, ahead of DVD by value.
- DVD still generated approximately £64.7 million in the UK, proving the format remains active.
- US consumer spending on DVD, Blu-ray and 4K UHD reached approximately $870 million in 2025.
- US 4K UHD Blu-ray spending grew by around 12% compared with 2024.
- The used disc market remains large but difficult to measure because sales are fragmented across marketplaces, retailers, charity shops and private collectors.
- The strongest future for physical media is not discs versus streaming. It is streaming, ownership and private digital libraries working together.
Physical media is smaller, but not small
It is easy to mistake decline for disappearance. The old mass-market DVD era is gone, but physical media still represents hundreds of millions in annual consumer spending across major markets. The audience has changed. Casual buyers have largely moved to streaming, while collectors, home cinema owners and film enthusiasts continue to value ownership, picture quality, sound quality, artwork, extras and long-term access.
The UK market in 2025
In the UK, physical video sales across DVD, Blu-ray and 4K UHD were reported at approximately £148.9 million in 2025. DVD still generated around £64.7 million, while Blu-ray, including 4K UHD, generated around £84.2 million. That matters because the premium end of the disc market now carries more value than standard DVD.
The US market in 2025
In the United States, consumer spending on DVD, Blu-ray and 4K UHD discs was reported at around $870 million in 2025. Overall physical disc spending was still down year on year, but the decline slowed compared with the sharper fall seen previously. Most importantly for collectors, 4K UHD Blu-ray returned to growth, with reported US sales up around 12% compared with 2024.
The honest data problem
Reliable global unit figures for new and used DVD, Blu-ray and 4K UHD sales combined are not publicly available. New retail sales are tracked by industry bodies and chart organisations, but the second-hand market is spread across eBay, Amazon Marketplace, charity shops, independent retailers, collector forums, Facebook Marketplace and private sales.
That means any precise worldwide new-plus-used unit total should be treated with caution. The safer conclusion is still powerful: physical media remains substantial, and the used market adds a large untracked layer of activity on top of official retail figures.
Why people are still buying discs
Collector reasons
Practical reasons
Physical media still has a clear identity. A good disc is not just a way to watch a film. For many collectors, it is an archive copy, a display piece, a reference-quality version and a permanent part of their library.
For some, it is also about certainty: favourite films remain available even when services change, licences expire, internet access fails or platforms suffer disruption.
Streaming is not the enemy
Streaming has transformed home entertainment and remains the most convenient way to discover new films and series. Physical media is not replacing streaming; it complements it.
Many collectors stream new content daily, then buy the films and shows they truly love for their permanent physical library. Not every title earns repeat viewing, but favourites often do.
Private digital libraries make ownership better
A well-managed disc collection becomes more useful when paired with modern digital storage. Many collectors want the confidence of owning the original disc, but the convenience of browsing and playing their library from a media server, NAS, Apple TV, Nvidia Shield, computer, tablet, USB drive or SSD.
Some collectors also keep discs wrapped, protected or carefully stored, knowing their digital library gives them instant access without repeated handling or wear and tear.
2025 titles and collector behaviour
In the UK, Wicked was reported as the biggest home entertainment title of 2025 across disc and digital sales and rentals, followed by major titles such as Gladiator II. Complete public annual charts for physical-only DVD, Blu-ray and 4K UHD titles are harder to obtain, but weekly UK DVD and Blu-ray charts continue to be published by the Official Charts Company.
The continuing demand for premium editions, restorations, steelbooks, 4K upgrades, director-approved transfers and releases with proper extras shows why physical media still has a strong and loyal audience.
Boutique labels and limited editions
Boutique labels are a major part of the modern physical media story. Companies such as Criterion Collection, Arrow Video, Second Sight Films, 88 Films and Eureka Entertainment continue to thrive through restorations, limited editions, premium packaging and specialist curation.
For collectors, these releases often represent the version they actually want to own: carefully produced, better presented and less disposable than a temporary streaming listing.
Internet access is still part of the story
Streaming assumes reliable, affordable broadband. Many homes, rural properties, second homes, cabins, boats, motorhomes, caravans and long-haul vehicles still face weak connectivity, poor mobile signal, expensive satellite options or congested networks. A private movie library does not need the internet once it has been prepared. It simply works.
The 2025 takeaway
Physical media is no longer the default way most people watch films, but it remains a serious market. The future is not discs versus streaming. The future is ownership, streaming and private digital libraries working together.
Sources and further reading
This report brings together publicly available data from industry and trade sources. Where full unit data is not publicly available, DIGIRAW has avoided unsupported estimates.
- British Association for Screen Entertainment (BASE)
- Digital Entertainment Group (US)
- Official Charts Company
- Entertainment Retailers Association reporting
- Circana
- Nielsen, historic data where applicable
- Annual retailer and distributor reporting
- Boutique label announcements
- Film Stories
- FlatpanelsHD
- What Hi-Fi