You know, if I were getting free movies on DVD in the Sunday LA Times, I might think twice about buying the things on my own, too.

British newspapers are now giving away free as many DVDs as are being purchased in stores, revealing a stealth contributing factor to the decline of Hollywood’s cash cow format.
ADVERTISEMENT

The cover-mounted DVD giveaways, which have included “Prizzi’s Honor” and “Donnie Darko,” devalue the format in the eyes of consumers, one-quarter of whom said they would have bought the same title if they had seen it in shops for a reasonable price, according to a report released on Thursday.

In the first quarter of 2006, about 54 million DVDs were given away to British consumers who bought newspapers and magazines, about the same number as were sold by retailers over the same span, market research firm Screen Digest said, using data supplied by TNS and Ipsos.

Read the rest.

Spread the word!