Movie sales – including 4K Blu-ray – fell again last year, but if you’re going streaming only, you’re massively missing out

• Sales of discs, including 4K Blu-ray, fall for another year
• There was an overall decline of 23.4% year-over-year in 2024
• Subscription streaming services, such as Netflix, grew by 25.3%

Sales of 4K Blu-ray discs (our top format choice for testing the best TVs), Blu-ray discs and DVDs declined for another year in 2024, falling below $1 billion for the first time in the US. Digital movie sales also fell during that time, adding yet more woes for Hollywood studios.

As reported by FlatpanelsHD, the sale of physical media formats fell after a 23.4% year-over-year decline, which is a record low after a peak for physical media sales of $16 billion in 2005. The 4K Blu-ray format accounts for a growing portion of the declining disc sales, though it has seen its sales decrease every year since 2018. Digital movie sales, from places such as Apple TV, fell 10.2% from the previous year.