News

EITO: Sales of Blu-ray players set to reach 4.6 million units in EU member states (11/8/2010)

* EITO forecast: sales set to double in the EU to 4.6 million units
* Unit prices will fall by a quarter across Europe
* Germany and the UK pegging level in sales

Sales of Blu-ray players in Europe are set to reach a new record high in 2010. Around 4.6 million units will be sold in EU member states, more than doubling the previous figure (+110%), according to the European Information Technology Observatory (EITO). It predicts that sales of Blu-ray players will rise by 49 per cent to 770 million euros. EITO believes that the upward trend will continue into 2011. “The Blu-ray disc is well on its way to replacing the DVD. Many consumers already have HD-capable flatscreen TVs and now want to reap the full benefits of the technology,” says EITO chairman Bruno Lamborghini. Blu-ray delivers stunningly sharp image at five times the resolution of a DVD.

Falling prices for the players continue to favour buyers in the EU. EITO’s research suggests that average prices will hover at around 166 euros in the EU in 2010, a fall of 29 per cent. While prices in Germany and France, at an average 170 euros, are slightly above the EU-wide figure, buyers in Italy and Spain pay a good deal less, with average price tags at the 150-euro level.

The largest sales markets in Europe are Germany and the UK, which together account for almost half of all sales in the union. In Germany, sales are set to double in 2010, up 105 per cent to 1.1 million units, worth around 183 million euros, a plus of 59 per cent. In the UK, sales have risen similarly to 1.1 million units, a jump of 87 per cent, netting 190 million euros (+57%). The French market follows with 700,000 units, and sales up 84 per cent to 119 million euros. EITO forecasts that sales will double in Italy, climbing 61 per cent to 42 million euros. The currently low figure in Spain, meanwhile, looks likely to rise by 89 per cent to 100,000 units. Sales there should increase by 18 percent to 15 million euros.

www.eito.com