Could video kiosks breathe life into European DVD rental sector?
After years of playing second fiddle to DVD retail, video rental could be set for a revival according to the latest research from media analysts Screen Digest. Strong growth in the online rental of DVDs and increasing demand for Blu-ray Disc rental is mitigating the relentless downward trend in traditional brick and mortar rental stores in both Europe and the US. But while European rental is still on a downward trajectory Screen Digest expects spending to decline by 11% this year and by an average of 6% annually 2010-2013 the company’s US research arm Adams Media Research (AMR), says US rental spending will be stable or even slightly up this year and will maintain its value out to 2013. A fundamental reason for this dramatic difference in outlook is the presence of a third area of growth specific to the US market: $1-a-night video rental kiosks. By the end of 2009, almost 25,500 of these recession-friendly automated rental points will have been installed around the US, the vast majorit
