Thomas K. Arnold Archives - Page 3 of 7

Digital, Brick-and-Mortar Retailers Strike Back

There have been some pretty interesting developments on the retail front lately, on both the digital and the physical side. The Hollywood studios are finally realizing that not only is subscription streaming far from the goldmine they once thought it was, but it is also a completely unsustainable business model. As a result, they are … Continue reading “Digital, Brick-and-Mortar Retailers Strike Back”
Investing in Transactional Home Entertainment Is a Smart Business Move

The rise of streaming has been well-documented in the media, as has the concurrent decline of the transactional business. Disc sales are a fraction of what they once were. In 2006, consumers spent more on disc sales and rentals, $24.1 billion, than ever before — or since. Last year, according to estimates from DEG: The … Continue reading “Investing in Transactional Home Entertainment Is a Smart Business Move”
By Killing DVD Rentals, Netflix Is Sending an Elitist Message to Middle America

It’s never wise for an outsider to second guess a business decision. You’re simply not privy to all the factors that led to that decision, so the best you can do is offer a visceral reaction that speaks much more to your own emotions than to any sound business principles. With that caveat in mind, … Continue reading “By Killing DVD Rentals, Netflix Is Sending an Elitist Message to Middle America”
Hey, Everyone! Stop Dumping on Bob Chapek!

Would everybody please stop dumping on Bob Chapek? Ever since the surprise Sunday night announcement that Disney’s board, in a knee-jerk reaction to a bad quarter, had sacked Chapek from the CEO spot he had held since February 2020, the return of former CEO Bob Iger to his old job has been heralded as something … Continue reading “Hey, Everyone! Stop Dumping on Bob Chapek!”
Lessons From the Past

Ever since Media Play News launched in January 2018, our mission has been to look ahead and not only keep our readers up to date with the latest home entertainment news, trends and development, but also to anticipate what is to come. That’s why we report so generously on research and data analysis that tries … Continue reading “Lessons From the Past”
Has the Time Come for a Museum of Home Entertainment?

It’s been said that there’s no such thing as a bad idea. Challenging, maybe. Difficult to execute, perhaps. Needs a little tweaking — don’t they all? With these and other caveats in mind, let me share with you something I’ve been thinking about ever since I wrote that exhaustive two-part series on 25 years of … Continue reading “Has the Time Come for a Museum of Home Entertainment?”
40 Under 40, Class of 2022: Advice for the Next Generation

For this year’s 40 Under 40 issue, I reached out to some of home entertainment’s top executives and asked them what they’d like to say to our Class of 2022 honorees. “Career paths are rarely linear, and they almost never conform to pre-conceived plans. In my experience it is far more important to embrace … Continue reading “40 Under 40, Class of 2022: Advice for the Next Generation”
Rocking the Boat

The home entertainment business used to be fairly cohesive, with everyone — particularly the studios — pretty much in lockstep with one another. Under the watchful gaze of antitrust attorneys, studios during the VHS videocassette’s last hurrah agreed on a common street date, and then banded together to support a new format, DVD, and a … Continue reading “Rocking the Boat”
A World Without Retailers

Home entertainment retailing is on the ropes. The buzz phrase of the moment is “direct to consumer.” Streaming keeps gobbling up more and more consumer home entertainment dollars — more than 80%, according to the latest DEG numbers, for the first quarter of this year. And while transactional spending appears to be holding up, disc … Continue reading “A World Without Retailers”
Craig and the Camel May Be Gone, But Transactional Marketing Still Going Strong

For me, the pinnacle of marketing at the height of the DVD era was Craig Kornblau on a camel. It was the heyday of event marketing. DVD had become such a monstrous success that disc revenues were outpacing theatrical. DVD potential was even a factor in deciding whether to greenlight movies. No wonder, then, that … Continue reading “Craig and the Camel May Be Gone, But Transactional Marketing Still Going Strong”