Home Media Magazine - April 6-12, 2008 - (Page 8)

NEWS BRIEFS I VETERAN SHUTTERS STORE RSE Video Discount Superstore, one of the oldest mom-and-pop video stores in the Midwest, is closing shop. The Milwaukee-area store had a liquidation sale April 1. Owned by Rod Eglash, a member of the Entertainment Merchants Association and its predecessor, the Video Software Dealers Association, since 1987 and president of the Wisconsin chapter of the organization’s indie group since 2000, is retiring, along with his wife, Helen. The family said they were proud of surviving 24 years in the business “against all odds,” with a Target store across the street and nearby Blockbusters and Hollywood Videos competing for business. – Chris Tribbey www.homemediamagazine.com Lionsgate Picks Up LeapFrog Franchise By Erik Gruenwedel SUPPLIER Lionsgate further expanded its share of the family entertainment market by inking a multiyear global distribution deal with LeapFrog Enterprises and rights holder/producer Chris D’Angelo for a series of direct-toDVD features and catalog titles. Financial terms of the pact, which does not include the Chinese market and begins in 2009, were not disclosed. The Santa Monica, Calif.-based mini-major last week signed a similar deal with HIT Entertainment to release a slate of new and classic children’s titles. “LeapFrog has been synonymous with education for parents and children since the company’s inception, and that educational message will be the focal point of all our releases,” I TRANS WORLD DISCOUNTS BLU-RAY TITLES Eager to make a statement in the burgeoning Blu-ray market, Trans World Entertainment Corp.’s subsidiary F.Y.E. is offering select new Blu-ray titles at prices more than 30% below competing retailers. Discounts depend on consumers being members of F.Y.E.’s Backstage Pass frequent buyer program and sending in for rebates. Notable titles include Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment’s Enchanted, which listed below $17 during its initial week of release, compared to $23 to $24 at Best Buy, Amazon and Wal-Mart. “Now that the format war is over, pricing and promotion will be one of the strategies we will use going forward,” said Barry Burmaster, director of marketing with Albany, N.Y.-based Trans World. – Erik Gruenwedel said Anne Parducci, EVP of marketing and family entertainment at Lionsgate. Currently distributed by Warner Home Video, LeapFrog’s five DVD releases have sold more than 4 million units. Rights to those titles expire during the course of the year. The deal does not include LeapFrog: A Tad of Christmas Cheer, which Porchlight Entertainment financed, co-produced and holds distribution rights to through 2017. The agreement expands from 9% to 15% Liongate’s market share in family entertainment and positions the studio among the top three catering to children’s fare, the studio reported. The studio’s family brands include “Clifford the Big Red Dog,” “The Care Bears,” “The Doodlebops” and “Bratz.” Borshell Upped To Image Prez Martin Greenwald still heads board By Erik Gruenwedel tions Co., headed by financier and SUPPLIER Image Entertainment producer David Bergstein. Inc. COO David Borshell has reThe unsuccessful deal resulted placed founder and CEO Martin in Wall Street turning its back on Greenwald as president Image and a precipitous of the Chatsworth, Castock price decline, with lif.-based distributor. one analyst calling out Borshell reports diGreenwald for overseerectly to the board led ing a “$50 million” loss by chairman Greenin shareholder value. wald. Image does not Image lost $2 million plan to seek a replacein the last quarter on ment CEO. revenue of more than David Borshell Borshell is not retain$27 million. ing the COO position, and a sucDespite the tumult, Borshell cessor has yet to be named. helped salvage Image’s distribuThe veteran executive joined Im- tion deal with T1 Holdings LLC age in 1984 and was SVP of sales, for new and catalog ThinkFilm marketing and operations from theatrical titles, including Sidney 1995 to 2000 until being named Lumet’s Before the Devil Knows COO. You’re Dead, which streets April Greenwald said Borshell helped 15 on DVD ($27.98) and Blu-ray Image establish its digital distri- ($35.98). bution subsidiary, Egami Media, “The past couple of years have its relationship with the Criterion been trying times for shareholdCollection and its international ers, customers, business partners business, among other accom- and employees alike,” Borshell plishments. said. “With this in mind, the “The time is right for me to hang entire Image team is dedicated up my cleats,” Greenwald said. to bringing Image back to growth Borshell has weathered a tumul- and profitability during the new tuous few years that included a fiscal year.” hostile takeover attempt by forSeparately, the company plans mer second-largest shareholder to hold a shareholder conference Lionsgate and the subsequent call this week to discuss future failed acquisition by BTP Acquisi- plans. SONY TO DISTRIBUTE ANCHOR BAY ABROAD By Chris Tribbey SUPPLIER Anchor Bay Entertainment’s library of films will find a broader worldwide audience, thanks to an agreement with Sony Pictures Home Entertainment. Sony Pictures will be the distribution and marketing arm for Anchor Bay’s films, TV and fitness product in Asia, Latin America and parts of Europe. The three-year agreement does not include the United States, Canada, Australia or the United Kingdom. “Sony Pictures Home Entertainment gives Anchor Bay unbeatable access to international territories where we haven’t previously had a strong presence,” said Anchor Bay Home Entertainment president Bill Clark. Matt Brown, Sony Pictures’ EVP of international, said: “Anchor Bay’s exciting catalog and reputation for quality titles makes their slate a great complement to Sony’s existing library.” Specific titles mentioned in the announcement include the “Hellboy” animated films; anime titles from Manga Entertainment, including “Ghost In the Shell” and the “Streetfighter” series; and the 26 “Masters of Horror” titles. Both Manga and Anchor Bay are owned by Starz Media. I RENTRAK ADDS CANADIAN VOD DATA Rentrak Corp. has added Canadianbased Rogers Cable Communications Inc. to its burgeoning North American video-on-demand (VOD) data tracking business. Portland, Ore.-based Rentrak said it tracks VOD usage data from 45 million set-top boxes from 25 cable and telecommunications operators. – Erik Gruenwedel TV DVD FIRST QUARTER RELEASE ACTIVITY NEW TITLES: 2005-2008 PEOPLE I BOYTER JOINS MGM TEAM MGM has hired Cale Boyter as EVP of production. Boyter is the ﬁrst senior hire of Mary Parent, chairperson of the worldwide motion picture group at MGM. Boyter most recently served as New Line’s EVP of development. – Ruby Cardenas I SHOUT! FACTORY PICKS UP HIGHTONE PRODUCT Shout! Factory has acquired the catalog of HighTone Records, an independent country music label founded in Oakland, Calif. Shout! Factory’s CEO said it will release material from the HighTone catalog beginning in August and will make titles available digitally. HighTone’s catalog includes such artists as Robert Cray, Dave Alvin, Buddy and Julie Miller, Joe Ely, Jimmie Dale Gilmore and Chris Smither. – Chris Tribbey Did the recent Hollywood writers strike benefit the DVD release market during the first quarter of 2008? It appears that the market for TV packaged media responded to the dearth of new network programming by upping the output of TV DVD titles during the first quarter of the year. Although still not back to the peak levels of 2005 and 2006, the opening stanza of 2008 saw a dramatic increase in TV DVD selections over the same period in 2007. There was a 22.6% increase in title output — 266 during the first three months of 2008, versus just 217 for the same period in 2007. — Ralph Tribbey 300 250 200 150 100 50 0 86 2005 79 2006 210 225 I Single-Disc I Multiple-Disc 51 2007 58 2008 I PERLISS, LEHMAN LEAVE RAZOR FOR MAGIC ÆPLAY Mitch Perliss and Ron Lehman, both formerly of Razor Digital Entertainment, have left the company to help direct Magic Play Entertainment, which formerly distributed titles through Razor Digital. Perliss is now senior business director of North American distribution at MagicPlay, while Lehman is director of sales. – Billy Gil I THIS WEEK’S RELEASE ACTIVITY FOR DVD Titles in Release Through Week Ended March 28, 2008 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Total Net DVD Titles Announced and/or In Release Through Sept. 30, 2008 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84,954+311 85,528+255 I THIS WEEK’S RELEASE ACTIVITY FOR BLU-RAY As of Week Ended March 28 . . .Released I THIS WEEK’S RELEASE ACTIVITY FOR HD DVD Scheduled As of Week Ended March 28 . . .Released 416 Scheduled 20 Home Media Magazine April 6–12, 2008 http://www.homemediamagazine.com

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Contents News TV DVD Cine Mercado Reviews Pipeline Research Top 20 DVD Sellers Top 20 Rentals and Top 10 Charts Just Announced

Home Media Magazine - April 6-12, 2008

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