DVD Reaches 75% Share of Home Video Rental Market, Lions Gate Punishes the Competition

DVD Reaches 75% Share of Home Video Rental Market, Lions Gate
Punishes the Competition 


PORTLAND, Ore., Sept. 16  /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- U.S. video rental spending
for the week-ending 9/12/04 tipped the DVD market share for the first time to
75%, according to Rentrak's Home Video Essentials.

Consumer spending on DVD rentals reached $98.7 million on a volume of 31.7
million DVD units turned -- compared to $32.6 million on VHS. Business
intelligence from Home Video Essentials showed a (+) 20% growth in the DVD
share from the same week last year (week-ending 9/14/03).

"With the installed base of DVD consoles/computer drives at 76 million
households,* coupled with DVD's exceptional picture, and unbounded interest in
home theatre -- this year-over-year growth is of little surprise," said Brad
Hackley, VP of Business Development.

Based on Marvel's comic book hero, The Punisher, the John Travolta action film
punished the competition -- staving off a fierce slate of major opposition from
the Tom Hanks-starrer The Ladykillers, the Snoop Dogg-featured Soul Plane, and
last week's dramatic debut of Mel Gibson's The Passion.

Artisan's The Punisher debuted as the #1 DVD, the #1 VHS, the #1 video overall,
the #1 Action video, and the #1 R-rated video for the week.

   Top 10 Renting Videos (Combined DVD/VHS) for the Week Ending 9/12/04

  This   Last                                            Wks
   Wk     Wk     Title                      Studio       Out
   1     NEW     The Punisher               Artisan       1
   2     NEW     The Ladykillers            Walt Disney   1
   3     NEW     Soul Plane                 MGM           1
   4      2      Twisted                    Paramount     2
   5      1      The Passion Of The Christ  FOX           2
   6     NEW     Jersey Girl                Miramax       1
   7      3      Taking Lives               Warner        4
   8      4      Girl Next Door             FOX           3
   9      5      Godsend                    Lions Gate    4
   10     7      Hidalgo                    Touchstone    6

  * Centris Research/Santa Monica



Top 10 rental charts are based on preliminary data. Ranking are subject to
change upon receipt of additional data. Up-to-date information on video and
videogame rentals are available on Home Video Essentials. Home Video Essentials
is a product of Rentrak Corporation.

  For more information, contact:

   Sallie Olmsted
   Rogers & Cowan
   310-201-8824
   

DATASOURCE: Rentrak Corporation



CONTACT:  Sallie Olmsted of Rogers & Cowan, [phone], or

, for Rentrak Corporation



Web site:  http://www.rentrak.com/ 

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