UK statistics

UK Market Statistics
Music the surprise performer as video and games both falter
By Steve Redmond

The sudden and dramatic shrinkage of the UK’s entertainment
retailing estate at the beginning of 2009 meant all bets were off
as far as how the year would turn out. The demise of Woolworths
and Zavvi in short order surely meant a huge loss of business for
the video, games and music markets was on the cards. Particularly
given that the UK was in the midst of recession.
games industry 2009 felt like the morning after a particularly
good night before. The year-on-year figures are awash with
minus signs. If 2008 was a breakthrough year for mass-market
so-called casual gaming, 2009 marked a return to gaming’s
core market albeit with numbers which were still in most cases
ahead of 2007.

And yet 12 months later, viewing the market statistics for 2009, the For video 2009 was not a good year. Volume and value declines
abiding impression is of a market which has done remarkably well combined in a perfect storm which not even the growing
considering the circumstances. promotion given to Blu-ray was able to dispel.

Do not forget that 2008 had been a banner year for entertainment
retailing. Sales value hit £5.768bn driven by a once-in-a-decade
boom in games sales. Compared with that, 2009 could not help
but be down, so the final result of a 4.9% decline in volume to
472.9m units is actually rather creditable. What is more concerning
is the 8.5% decline in market value to £5.279bn, a result of very
strong price deflation which in particular affected video. After a
quite extraordinary 2008, it was not surprising that for many in the
The surprise performer of 2009 was music. Yes, the recorded
music industry is 10 years off its peak. Yes, the UK recorded
music market has declined 30% in value over the past five years.
And no, digital gives no sign yet that it can ever grow enough to
replace that lost value. But in 2009, the value of recorded music
sales dropped just 0.8%. Could it be that music’s decline is finally
flattening out? That’s a question which will be answered over
the next 12 months.

UK Entertainment Retailing Market £ millions 2007 2008 2009 % change 2009 versus 2008

Video (excludes music video) 2,292.5 2,361.7 2,111.0 -10.6

Music (includes music video) 1,379.3 1,324.4 1,313.7 -0.8
Games software (includes PC home software) 1,719.0 2,082.0 1,854.0 -11.0
Total units 5,390.80 5,768.10 5,278.70 -8.5

ERA Entertainment Monitor 2007 2008 2009 % change 2009 versus 2008
Market volumes millions of units
Video (excludes music video) 244.3 253.5 238.5 -5.9
Music (includes music video) 158.7 155.7 154.8 -0.6
Games software (includes PC home software) 76.0 88.0 79.6 -9.5
Total value 479.0 497.2 472.9 -4.5

Source: Recorded Music - Official Charts Company (OCC). Video – OCC/British Video Association.
18 Games – GfK Chart-Track/ELSPA
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UK statistics

Consumer spending on leisure

Spending value: £bn % change
2008 2009
Analysis by the Leisure Industries Research
Centre at Sheffield Hallam University Video, Games and Recorded Music 5.8 5.3 -8.5
suggests that the entertainment retailing
Entertainment Hardware, TV, PCs and other 16.3 14.3 -12.3
market performed worse than the overall
leisure market in 2009. The 8.5% decline Total home entertainment 22.1 19.6 -11.3
in video, games and recorded music sales
compares with a 4.7% decline in leisure Reading 7.6 7.2 -5.3
spending overall. House and garden 16.2 15.7 -3.1
Hobbies and pastimes 9.7 9.9 2.1
After a swing in favour of in-home leisure
IN THE HOME 55.5 52.4 -5.6
in 2008, in 2009 there was a slight swing
towards out of home pursuits where
Eating out 43.4 42.3 -2.5
alcohol and active sport proved the most
resilient areas of expenditure. Alcoholic drink 43.3 43.3 0.0
Eating and drinking 86.7 85.6 -1.3
In the in-home sector the best-
performing area was hobbies and Local entertaiment 6.4 6.2 -3.1
pastimes which achieved a 2.1% increase Gambling 9.9 8.6 -13.1
compared with the 5.6% overall decline.
Active Sport 11.8 11.8 0.0

Entertainment may well have been a Neighbourhood leisre 28.1 26.6 -5.3
victim in part of the sharp slowdown in
Sightseeing 1.3 1.3 0.0
entertainment hardware sales which
declined by 12.3%. Inevitably, since Holidays in UK 10.5 10.1 -3.8
these are all value figures, it is not Holidays overseas 36.8 32.3 -12.2
necessarily clear whether they indicate
Holdays and tourism 53.5 48.6 -9.2
any fundamental changes in the way UK
AWAY FROM HOME 168.3 160.8 -4.5
consumers are spending their time for
at least some of the movements will be
ALL LEISURE 223.8 213.2 -4.7
accounted for by price inflation
and deflation. SOURCE: Sheffield Hallam University

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 UK statistics
ENTERTAINMENT RETAILING

The overall contraction of the sector Principal Retailers Selling Music

continued in 2009 apart from a small 1%
2005 2006 2007 2008 2009
increase in the number of video outlets.
This means both music and video have Specialist chains* 529 647 350 1,033 273
each lost around 1,000 outlets each over
Multiples** 1,392 1,384 1,373 1,321 1,786
the past five years, with games losing
around 750. Supermarkets*** 2,966 2,746 2,895 2,528 2,316
Independents 734 578 408 305 269
The UK has historically enjoyed one of the Total 5,621 5,355 5,026 5,187 4,644
broadest selections of retail distribution
* Excludes Borders after their closure at the end of 2009. ** includes WH Smith, Marks &
for entertainment in the world. The bad
Spencer, Wilkinson, Peacocks and Matalan. *** excludes Waitrose who withdrew from
news for suppliers of DVD, games and
audio and video in 2009. Source: Millward Brown, Official Charts Company
video is that fewer stores means fewer
opportunities for consumers to buy
Principal Retailers Selling Video
their products.
2005 2006 2007 2008 2009
The strong correlation between
Specialist chains 1,431 1,412 1,059 1,033 904
distribution and sales can be seen from
the fact that music, the weakest of the Multiples 1,392 1,384 1,373 1,321 1,786
three markets, has the smallest number Supermarkets 2,966 2,746 2,895 2,528 2,316
of outlets at 4,644. Independents 251 288 259 203 175
Total 6,040 5,830 5,586 5,085 5,181
The past year again saw a decline in
the number of independent stores, SOURCE: Millward Brown, Official Charts Company
down to just 269, according to the strict
Principal Retailers Selling Games
criteria used by chart compiler Millward
Brown which sets minimum weekly 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009
sales quantities to define chart eligibility.
Music/Video Specialists 1,295 1,412 1,103 1,037 911
A looser definition employed by the
ERA-backed www.indierecordshop.org Game & Software Specialists 1,083 990 1,070 1,042 1,002
suggests there could be another 50 Electrical/Hardware Chains 1,139 1,137 1,118 1,085 1,062
in total. General Multiples 1,996 2,041 2,075 2,100 1,315
Supermarkets 1,710 1,939 2,019 2,045 2,180
Others (estimate) 300 300 300 300 300
Total 7,523 7,819 7,685 7,609 6,770
SOURCE: GfK Chart-Track

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UK statistics
SECTOR MARKET SHARES
Marketshare figures from TNS Video market share by retail sector
Worldpanel Entertainment show
Volume Value
continuing gains for internet retailers
and supermarkets across all three 2008 2009 2008 2009
categories. Total Music/Video Specialist 20.9 19.9 24.6 22.7
Computer Specialist 0.5 0.9 0.5 0.8
It became apparent in the run-up Generalist 11.0 2.4 9.9 2.5
to Christmas 2009 that internet
Grocers 34.8 41.8 30.2 35.7
retailers and grocers had been the
biggest beneficiaries of the demise Mail Order 1.3 1.1 2.2 1.8
of Woolworths. Internet retailing now Internet 27.0 29.7 29.5 33.8
accounts for around 30% of video, Other 4.4 4.1 3.1 2.6
games and music sales. In the case of
Total Market 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0
video, supermarkets now account for
over 40% of the volume in the market.
Games market share by retail sector
What is noticeable in some cases is Volume Value
the disparity between the volume and 2008 2009 2008 2009
value shares of different retail sectors. Total Music/Video Specialist 7.2 6.5 8.2 7.6
Computer Specialist 36.1 34.5 35.0 33.9
In video for instance grocers have
a bigger volume than value share, Generalist 17.8 10.7 18.8 11.2
indicating their over-representation Grocers 9.4 16.3 10.1 17.7
in price-sensitive chart product. By Mail Order 1.2 1.4 1.6 1.9
contrast internet retailers in video
Internet 26.4 28.8 24.6 26.1
have a higher value than volume share
Other 2.0 1.9 1.7 1.6
reflecting their strength in less price-
sensitive deep catalogue product. Total Market 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0

CD Albums market share by retail sector

Volume Value
2008 2009 2008 2009
Total Music/Video Specialist 36.9 38.0 40.2 39.5
Computer Specialist 0.2 0.4 0.1 0.3
Generalist 12.1 1.3 10.2 0.9
Grocers 25.2 27.8 26.1 29.3
Mail Order 0.8 0.2 1.1 0.3
Internet 21.9 29.6 20.1 27.8
Other 2.9 2.6 2.2 1.9
Total Market 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 21
SOURCE: TNS Worldpanel Entertainment.
 UK statistics
AVERAGE RETAIL PRICES
CD Albums

While the OCC and GfK Chart-Track 2007 2008 2009

both provide price information based Total Music/Video Specialist £9.13 £8.83 £8.32
on actual sales data, TNS Worldpanel Generalist £8.18 £6.86 £5.23
Entertainment is the only source
Grocers £8.74 £8.38 £8.42
compiling long-term consistent pricing
data across video, games and music. Mail Order £9.70 £10.96 £11.94
While being based on consumer recall, it Internet £7.90 £7.43 £7.51
can never be as accurate as sales data, it Other £7.01 £6.29 £5.83
is a useful reference as to trends
Total Market £8.65 £8.10 £7.99
over time.

The data shows a decline in prices across

all three sectors.
DVD
In games pricing was down on the year, 2007 2008 2009
but virtually identical to the level seen
Total Music/Video Specialist £10.47 £10.24 £9.30
in 2007.
Computer Specialist £6.65 £7.53 £7.04
For both music and video the story is Generalist £8.86 £7.81 £8.44
of continuing long-term decline. While Grocers £8.16 £7.55 £6.97
video pricing recovered somewhat in
Mail Order £14.40 £15.05 £13.63
the second half of 2009, OCC numbers
suggest for much of the year the average Internet £10.21 £9.54 £9.27
DVD was cheaper than the average Other £6.80 £6.08 £5.27
CD album. Total Market £9.32 £8.71 £8.16

One thing is clear: from a consumer

perspective entertainment has never
Video Games
offered such great value for money.
2007 2008 2009
Total Music/Video Specialist £24.19 £26.08 £25.00
Computer Specialist £21.13 £22.31 £20.96
Generalist £22.46 £24.27 £22.44
Grocers £21.67 £24.60 £23.23
Mail Order £26.79 £30.83 £29.61
Internet £19.64 £21.48 £19.29
Other £17.25 £20.12 £18.45
Total Market £21.29 £22.99 £21.34

22 SOURCE: TNS Worldpanel Entertainment

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UK statistics
VIDEO SALES

Video retained its leadership position in the Video Retail Sales (units millions)
entertainment market in 2009, but took a 2007 2008 2009 % change
hit in terms both of volume – down 5.6% 2009 v 2008
- and more worryingly of value – down DVD 248.1 252.9 234.6 -7.3
10.1%. This came despite the value benefits Blu Ray 0.8 3.7 8.4 123.0
of growing sales of Blu-ray discs (average HD-DVD 0.3 0.8 0.1 -89.9
selling price £16.84) compared with DVD
UMD 0.4 0.4 0.4 -11.7
(average selling price £8.62).
VHS 0.1 0.0 0.1 114.5
249.7 257.9 243.5 -5.6
Blu-ray grew its share of the video market
from 1.4% in volume terms to 3.4%, but its
share in value terms reached 6.5%. Video Retail Sales (£ millions)
2007 2008 2009 % change
While some may be sceptical of the longer- 2009 v 2008
term prospects for Blu-ray as a mass market DVD 2,327.6 2,333.0 2,022.8 -13.3
product, the video industry has little choice Blu Ray 15.8 69.6 140.8 102.3
but to plough ahead: Blu-ray currently HD-DVD 5.7 5.8 0.5 -91.3
looks like the only viable alternative to UMD 3.5 2.7 2.1 -20.9
declining margins in the video business.
VHS 0.4 0.2 0.8 226.5
2,353.0 2,411.3 2,166.9 -10.1
One surprising result from the video
industry in 2009 was an unexpected SOURCE: Official Charts Company
upturn in sales of VHS cassettes up from
44,377 sales in 2008 to 95,201 in 2009,
Top 10 Video 2009
though this is unlikely to turn into a long-
term trend. TITLE CORP.GROUP SALES
1 Harry Potter & The Half Blood Prince Warner Home Video 2,193,700
2009 did not have a blockbuster on the
2 Quantum of Solace 20th Century Fox 2,040,229
scale of 2008’s Mamma Mia, but two titles –
led by the year’s biggest seller Harry Potter 3 Twilight E1 Entertainment 1,815,543
& the Half Blood Prince – sold more than 4 Slumdog Millionaire 20th Century Fox 1,383,838
2m units and 12 sold more than 1m. 5 Transformers - Revenge of the Fallen Paramount 1,362,020
6 Michael Mcintyre - Hello Wembley Universal Pictures 1,286,863
There was a striking contrast between the
fortunes of new releases versus catalogue 7 Madagascar - Escape 2 Africa Paramount 1,223,805
titles on video. New release titles were 8 Angels & Demons Sony Pictures 1,153,425
down 11.9% in volume (13.4% in value) 9 High School Musical 3 - Senior Year Walt Disney Studios 1,084,911
while catalogue was down just 3.3% (8.1%
10 Ice Age 3 - Dawn of the Dinosaurs 20th Century Fox 1,074,651
in value). While some argued that the new
release schedule was weaker than usual, a SOURCE: Official Charts Company, British Video Association
more potent factor was likely the number
of multi-buy offers available on catalogue. 23
 UK statistics

VIDEO SALES BLU-RAY

ERA has argued strongly for more coordination between suppliers and retailers in the promotion of the
Blu-ray format. The argument is compelling. The DVD format is now more than 10 years old and DVD prices
seem to be tracking an inexorable path downwards – to around £8.60 in 2009.

Blu-ray prices are also coming down from around £18.50 to £16.80 in 2009. However they are still around
twice the price of DVDs.

The higher technical quality of Blu-ray is not in doubt. The key challenge is to persuade customers that the
benefits of Blu-ray justify the premium.

Some progress has certainly been made over the past 12 months. Sales of over 100,000 units of a Blu-
ray title are now regularly achieved. But as demonstrated in the chart below the market still shows a
pronounced male skew.

Blu-ray’s Biggest Hits 2009

Position in Title Total unit Company Blu-Ray % of sales
Top 100 sales unit sales on Blu ray
1 25 Terminator - 633,621 Sony Pictures 158,648 25.0
Salvation
2 11 Star Trek 1,041,389 Paramount 227,347 21.8
3 32 Inglourious Basterds 546,602 Universal Pictures 117,993 21.6
4 38 Watchmen 530,880 Paramount 101,604 19.1
5 68 Wall-E 378,142 Walt Disney Studios 65,791 17.4
6 39 X-Men Origins - 528,203 20th Century Fox 85,425 16.2
Wolverine
7 76 Knowing 361,909 E1 Entertainment 57,438 15.9
8 81 Snow White And 348,270 Walt Disney Studios 53,994 15.5
The Seven Dwarfs
9 12 The Dark Knight 1,026,679 Warner Home Video 158,570 15.4
10 5 Transformers - 1,362,020 Paramount 209,847 15.4
Revenge of the
Fallen
Source: Official Charts Company
Chart ranks Top 100 video titles of 2009 by highest percentage share of sales taken by Blu-ray.

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GAMES Overview Games & Leisure Software 2007 2008 2009 % change
(£ millions) 2009 v 2008
After an extraordinary 2008 in which games Console software 1,407 1,788 1,587 -11.2
seem destined to overtake even the video Console hardware 1,282 1,399 1,089 -22.2
market, the cyclical nature of the sector PC leisure and home 308 288 262 -9.0
caught up with it in 2009 and over £500m
Total 2,997 3,475 2,938 -15.5
in sales simply disappeared, most of it from
SOURCE: GfK Chart-Track
the console hardware business. Simply put,
having bought one or more consoles in 2008,
consumers did not need to buy another. Games & Leisure Software Sales 2007 2008 2009 % change
(units millions) 2009 v 2008
And since sales of new hardware inevitably Console Software
drive sales of software, then sales of software Sony Playstation 2 (PS2) 14.2 5.7 1.9 -66.7
suffered too. Sony Playstation 3 (PS3) 4.2 10.4 12.3 18.3
Sony PSP 5.6 4.1 2.9 -29.3
None of this should detract, however, from Nintendo DS 14.9 19.1 15.2 -20.4
the games industry’s achievement in taking Microsoft Xbox 360 9.8 14.9 16.9 13.4
the business truly mainstream. And there
Nintendo Wii 7.9 20.1 18.9 -6.0
could be no greater example of that than
Total Console Software 58.2 74.3 68.1 -8.3
the success of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare
2 which in early November 2009 generated a PC Software
massive £67.4m of sales in its very first week – PC CD Rom - Games 12.2 8.5 6.4 -24.7
more than the value of the combined music PC CD Rom - Home office/Educ/ 5.4 5.0 5.0 0
and video markets that week. Numbers on Child/Ref/Utility
this scale were big enough for it to eclipse Total PC Software 17.7 13.5 11.4 -15.6
even FIFA 10, the latest edition of the
traditionally market-leading franchise. Overall Total Software Units 76.0 88.0 79.6 -9.5
SOURCE: GfK Chart-Track
A significant casualty of the changing face
of the games market and the highly evolved
technology of games consoles is the sharp
decline in sales of games for the PC. In 2009
sales of PC games declined nearly 25% in
volume to 6.4 million – little more half the
level seen as recently as 2007.

25
 UK statistics

GAMES Games & Leisure Software Sales 2007 2008 2009 % difference
(value £millions) 2009 v 2008
It was a particularly tough year in the Console Software
handhelds market with sharp declines in Sony Playstation 2 (PS2) 263 92 26 -71.7
software sales both for the Sony PSP (down Sony Playstation 3 (PS3) 156 334 354 6.0
29.3% in unit sales) and the Nintendo DS
Sony PSP 111 70 46 -34.3
(down 20.4%), but software for the bigger
Nintendo DS 314 366 276 -24.6
static consoles did better – no doubt helped
Microsoft Xbox 360 320 443 476 7.4
by Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 – with
Nintendo Wii 227 481 409 -15.0
Xbox 360 software unit sales up 13.4% and
Total Console Software 1,407 1,788 1,587 -11.2
those for Sony’s PS3 up 18.3%
PC Software
After a sharp 6% decline in the number
PC CD Rom - Games 145 117 93 -20.5
of new titles released in 2008 compared
PC CD Rom - Home office/Educ/Child/ 164 171 169 -1.2
with 2007, in 2009 the release schedule
Ref/Utility
registered a small increase. Far more
Total PC Software 308 288 262 -9.0
important in the games market, however, is
the quality of releases - and the platform’s
Total Other Software 4 6 5 -16.7
life cycle.
Overall Total Software Value 1,719 2,082 1,854 -11.0

SOURCE: GfK Chart-Track/ELSPA

UK Games Software: Number of New Releases By Year UK Console Hardware Market

Number of Titles
Units 2007 2008 2009 % change
1832 1843 1742 1777 (millions)
1683 1626 1639 Handheld 3.36 3.65 2.72 -25.5
1569
Static 4.13 5.37 4.15 -22.7
Total 7.49 9.02 6.87 -23.8

Value (£ millions)
Handheld 353 365 320 -12.3
Static 929 1034 769 -25.6
Total 1282 1399 1089 -22.2
2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 SOURCE: GfK Chart-Track/ELSPA
26
SOURCE: GfK Chart-Track/ELSPA
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UK statistics

The battle of the consoles: software sales by platform (million units) GAMES
2007 2008 2009 % change
Nintendo retained its crown as marketing-
Sony Playstation 1/2/3 18.4 16.1 14.2 -11.8 leading manufacturer in 2009 with
Microsoft Xbox/360 10.4 14.9 16.9 13.4 software for its platforms again outselling
Nintendo Gamecube/Wii 8.0 20.1 18.9 -6.0 those for Sony and Microsoft platforms
Total 36.8 51.1 50.0 -2.2 combined. Good news for Microsoft,
however: it was the only one of the three
The battle of the handhelds: software sales by platform (million units) leading brands to see an increase in
2007 2008 2009 % change software sales over 2008. With Nintendo’s
current platforms having peaked and with
Nintendo GBA/DS 15.8 19.1 15.2 -20.4
Sony’s PS3 likely close to its peak, 2010
Sony PSP GBA/DS 5.6 4.1 2.9 -29.3
could well be a challenging year for the
Total 21.4 23.2 18.1 -22.0
games market.

The battle of the brands: software sales by brand (million units)

2007 2008 2009 % change

Microsoft 10.4 14.9 16.9 13.4

Nintendo 23.8 39.2 34.1 -13.0
Sony 24.0 20.2 17.1 -15.3

Top 10 Games 2009

TITLE PUBLISHER
1 Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 Activision Blizzard
2 FIFA 10 Electronic Arts
3 Wii Sports Resort Nintendo
4 Wii FIT Nintendo
5 Wii FIT PLUS Nintendo
6 Assassin’s Creed II Ubisoft
7 Mario Kart Wii Nintendo
8 Mario & Sonic at Olympic Winter Sega
Games
9 Call of Duty: World at War Activision Blizzard
10 FIFA 09 Electronic Arts

SOURCE: GfK Chart-Track

27
 UK statistics
MUSIC

The recorded music sector has become

Retail Sales of Music (units millions)
so accustomed to bad news that good
2007 2008 2009 % change
news comes as something of a shock. But 2009 v
2008
of entertainment retailing’s three product
sectors music had by far the best time of Singles
it in 2009. Physical 8.6 4.9 3.1 -36.3
Digital* 78.0 110.3 149.7 35.7
With unit sales down just 0.5% and the Total 86.6 115.1 152.7 32.7
value of sales down only 0.8%, this was a Albums
sharp contrast with video (down 5.6% in
Physical** 138.4 129.5 118.5 -8.5
units and 10.1% in value) and with games
(down 9.5% and 11% respectively). Digital 6.2 10.3 16.1 56.1
Total 144.7 139.8 134.6 -3.7
What made the difference in 2009 was Music Video
continuing strong growth in digital sales All formats 5.4 4.4 5.0 14.1
and a surprise rebound in sales for music
Total album 158.7 155.7 154.8 -0.5
video led for the second year running by
equivalents***
a live Take That concert set, but one which
sold just under 500,000 units, three times * Combines single track and bundle sales. ** Up-weighted from OCC
as much as last year’s Beautiful World Live. numbers to reflect 100% of market. *** 10 tracks or singles = one album
= one music video. Source: Official Charts Company (OCC)
Digital’s upward trajectory (see page 30)
means it now accounts for over 18% of
value in the music market. And having Retail Sales of Music (value £millions)
reached a new height of £119.1m in 2009, 2007* 2008 2009 % change
2009 v
the albums market looks set to achieve its 2008
long-awaited milestone of outstripping Singles
the digital singles market early in 2010.
Physical 22.4 13.2 9.5 -28.5
Digital** 62.1 87.7 119.3 35.9
Total 84.5 101.0 128.7 27.5
Albums
Physical*** 1184.4 1097.6 1010.0 -8.0
Digital 49.9 76.3 119.1 56.1
Total 1234.3 1173.9 1129.1 -3.8
Music Video
All formats 60.5 49.6 55.9 12.8
Total 1379.3 1324.4 1313.7 -0.8
* 2007 Based on era estimates. 2008 And 2009 based on occ value data
** Combines single track and bundle sales. *** Up-weighted from occ
28 numbers to reflect 100% of market. SOURCE: Official Charts Company
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Top 10 Albums 2009 Top 10 Music Videos 2009

TITLE ARTIST CORP.GROUP sales Title Artist Corp. Group Sales
1 I Dreamed a Dream Susan Boyle Sony Music 1,632,732 1 The Circus - Live Take That Universal Music 497,857
2 The Fame Lady Gaga Universal 1,388,847 2 Moonwalker Michael Warner Home 266,267
Music Jackson Video
3 Crazy Love Michael Buble Warner Music 1,197,421 3 The Final Reunion Cliff Richard & 2Entertain 188,904
4 The End Black Eyed Peas Universal 1,090,211 The Shadows
Music 4 Live from the Royal Killers Universal Music 72,956
Albert Hall
5 Only By The Night Kings of Leon Sony Music 1,078,555
5 An Evening With - Il Divo Sony Music 70,655
6 Now That's What I Various Artists EMI/Universal 1,003,404
Live in Barcelona
Call Music 74 Music
6 Live in Bucharest - Michael Sony Music 62,622
7 JLS JLS Sony Music 969,792 The Dangerous Tour Jackson
8 I Am Sasha Fierce Beyonce Sony Music 821,957 7 Live in London George Sony Music 52,429
9 Sunny Side Up Paolu Nutini Warner Music 810,459 Michael
10 It's Not Me It's You Lily Allen EMI Music 779,400 8 High School Musical Cast Walt Disney 50,879
- The Concert Recording Studios
9 Hope & Praise Daniel Demon Music 49,269
Source: Official Charts Company. Sales totals as per OCC panel. O'Donnell Group
10 Number Ones Michael Sony Music 47,689
Jackson

Source: Official Charts Company. Sales totals as per OCC panel.

Top 10 Singles 2009
TITLE ARTIST CORP. GROUP SALES
In singles – a market now 98% digital – the undoubted stars were
1 Poker Face Lady Gaga Universal Music 882,059
Lady Gaga who boasted the biggest and third biggest singles of the
2 I Gotta Feeling Black Eyed Peas Universal Music 848,648
year and her record company Universal, the company behind seven
3 Just Dance Lady Gaga Universal Music 767,558 of the Top 10 singles.
4 Fight For This Cheryl Cole Universal Music 745,738
Love Reflecting the strong 35% growth in unit sales in the market, 12
5 The Climb Joe Mcelderry Sony Music 716,358 singles sold more than 500,000 units in 2009 compared with just
6 In For The Kill La Roux Universal Music 670,390 three the previous year.
7 Boom Boom Black Eyed Peas Universal Music 616,980
Pow In albums reality TV phenomenon Susan Boyle scored the biggest
8 Killing in the Rage Against The Sony Music 608,077 first week sales for a debut album (410,000) and then went on to sell
Name Machine 1.63m units by the end of the year to become the biggest album of
9 Bad Boys Alexandra Burke Sony Music 576,019 2009. Six albums sold over 1m copies, the same number as in 2008.
feat. Flo Rida
10 Meet Me Black Eyed Peas Universal Music 567,948 But in a reflection of the tough times faced by the compilations
Halfway market – down 17.4% in value terms compared with just 0.3% for
artist albums – just one compilation made it into the Top 10 Albums
Source: Official Charts Company. Sales totals as per OCC panel. of the Year compared with three the previous year. 29

 UK statistics
Digital
The growth of UK download sales (millions units)
More than 10 years after the launch of the 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 % change
2009 v 2008
original Napster illegal filesharing service in
Single tracks and 5.8 26.4 53.1 78.0 110.3 149.7 35.7
the US and over five years since the launch of
bundles
iTunes in the UK, the UK recorded music market
Album downloads 0 0 2.8 6.2 10.3 16.1 56.1
is still essentially about physical formats: more
than 80% of sales value was created by physical Source: Official Charts Company
formats in 2009.
The growth of download sales (£ millions)
And yet the growth of digital seems inexora- 238.4
Value of download sales
ble. In 2009 the growth of singles and albums 18.1%
% of music market
downloads slowed only very slightly on the 164
previous year. Single track and bundle sales 12.4%
112
grew by 35.7% compared with 41.5% in 2008. In 8.1%
65
albums growth was 56.2% compared with 65%
4%
the previous year. 21.6
5.7
1.2%
0.3%
It is not immediately apparent what is driv-
ing that growth. The number of household 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009
broadband connections grew at a relatively Source: Official Charts Company
modest 5.1% to 18.5m, according to data from
Futuresource Consulting. The installed base of
MP3 players grew by just 2.6%. Probably more Broadband households reach 18.5m
relevant was a sharp 30% increase in average
2007 2008 2009
achieved download speeds which inevitably
makes the process of downloading easier. Broadband Household Connnections* (m) 15.6 17.6 18.5
Typical average achieved download speed (mbps) 3 3.6 4.7
It seems unlikely that marketing activity was Household Penetration 61.0% 68% 71%
an important factor. While there have been a
Digital single (track and bundle) sales (millions units) 78 110.3 149.7
number of new services launching, marketing
Single track download sales per broadband 5.0 6.3 8.1
has been relatively modest.
household (notional)

The most likely explanation is that it is the in- Source: Futuresource Consulting
herent characteristics of downloading – range,
24-7 hour opening, convenience and the ability
UK boasts nearly 20m MP3 players
to cherrypick albums and thus save money are
the most important elements. 2007 2008 2009

Total MP3 Player Installed Base (m) 17.4 19.1 19.6

The challenge for retailers hoping to make
Personal Penetration 29% 31% 32%
an impression in a market dominated by one
Digital single (track and bundle) sales (millions units) 78 110.3 149.7
major player – iTunes – is how to take those
characteristics and make them their own. Single track download sales per MP3 player 4.5 5.8 7.6
(notional)
30 Source: Futuresource Consulting, Official Charts Company
e ra y earbook 20 10

UK statistics
The Entertainment Chart is ERA’s project
The Entertainment Chart 2009
to map the success of individual titles sold
Overall Sector Position in Title Artist Company 2009 sales
through entertainment retailers. It combines position sector chart total
sales data from the Official Charts Company on 1 Game 1 Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 Activision Blizzard 2,926,637
video and music sales and from GfK Chart-Track 2 Video 1 Harry Potter & The Half Blood Prince Warner Home Video 2,193,700
on sales of computer games. In each case the 3 Game 2 FIFA 10 Electronic Arts 2,155,697
data is grossed up to reflect sales right across 4 Video 2 Quantum of Solace 20th Century Fox 2,040,229
the market, rather than the more commonly 5 Video 3 Twilight E1 Entertainment 1,815,543
used “panel” sale. 6 Album 1 I Dreamed a Dream Susan Boyle Sony Music 1,714,369
7 Game 3 Wii Sports Resort Nintendo 1,488,797
The Top 40 chart on this page based on unit 8 Album 2 The Fame Lady Gaga Universal Music 1,458,289
sales is extracted from a fuller Entertainment 9 Video 4 Slumdog Millionaire 20th Century Fox 1,383,838
Chart report which will be published separately. 10 Video 5 Transformers - Revenge of the Fallen Paramount 1,362,020
11 Video 6 Michael McIntyre - Hello Wembley Universal Pictures 1,286,863
The Top 40 titles in 2009 accounted for sales of 12 Album 3 Crazy Love Michael Buble Warner Music 1,257,292
47.5m units – or just over 10% of the total UK 13 Game 4 Wii Fit Nintendo 1,246,461
entertainment market. 14 Video 7 Madagascar - Escape 2 Africa Paramount 1,223,805
15 Video 8 Angels & Demons Sony Pictures 1,153,425
The best-seller of the year in 2009 was a game 16 Album 4 The End Black Eyed Peas Universal Music 1,144,722
– Activision Blizzard’s phenomenal success, Call 17 Album 5 Only By The Night Kings of Leon Sony Music 1,132,483
of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 which with sales of 18 Video 9 High School Musical 3 - Senior Year Walt Disney 1,084,911
2.93m outsold the second-placed Harry Potter 19 Video 10 Ice Age 3 - Dawn of The Dinosaurs 20th Century Fox 1,074,651
& The Half Blood Price by a third. 20 Album 6 Now That's What I Call Music 74 Various Artists EMI/Universal 1,053,574
21 Video 11 Star Trek 11 Paramount 1,041,389
Harry Potter may have been the biggest-selling 22 Video 12 The Dark Knight Warner Home Video 1,026,679
video of 2009, but it fell far short of 2008’s 23 Album 7 JLS JLS Sony Music 1,018,282
winner, Mamma Mia – The Movie which not 24 Video 13 Merry Madagascar Paramount 985,494
only sold over 5m units in 2008, but sold 25 Game 5 Wii Fit Plus Nintendo 968,282
another 882,000 in 2009. 26 Game 6 Assassin's Creed II Ubisoft 920,910
27 Game 7 Mario Kart Wii Nintendo 917,863
While games took the honours in 2009 with 28 Video 14 Mamma Mia - The Movie Universal Pictures 882,503
two of the top three best-selling titles, video 29 Album 8 I am Sasha Fierce Beyonce Sony Music 863,055
again dominated overall with 18 of the Top 40 30 Album 9 Sunny Side Up Paolo Nutini Warner Music 850,982
titles, ahead of music on 12 and games on 10. 31 Video 15 Taken 20th Century Fox 846,496
32 Video 16 Marley & Me 20th Century Fox 841,599
Mario & Sonic at Olympic Winter
The top three music titles were all solo artists 33 Game 8 Sega 825,027
Games
and represent a wide variety of artists from 34 Album 10 It's Not Me It's You Lily Allen EMI Music 818,370
reality show star Susan Boyle to electro- 35 Album 11 Now That's What I Call Music 73 Various Artists EMI/Universal 792,421
pop fashion icon Lady Gaga and Canadian 36 Album 12 Reality Killed the Video Star Robbie Williams EMI Music 790,487
standards singer Michael Buble. 37 Game 9 Call of Duty: World at War Activision Blizzard 769,726
38 Video 17 Hancock Sony Pictures 740,833
The Entertainment Chart displays the UK 39 Video 18 The Hangover Warner Home Video 725,176
public’s tastes in entertainment in all of its 40 Game 10 FIFA 09 Electronic Arts 713,314
baffling variety. This is what the mainstream Source: ERA analysis of OCC and GfKChart-Track Data.
looked like in 2009.
TOTAL 47,536,193 31
Sales figures grossed up to whole market estimate
 Ireland statistics
Irish Market Statistics
Entertainment Market

Irish Entertainment Market - units (m) A slight 3.6% decline in volume was
magnified by price deflation into a near-
2007 2008 2009 % change
20% decline in the value of the Irish
entertainment market in 2009. Most
affected was video, with a 1% increase in
Physical singles 0.87 0.55 0.29 -47.3
volume translating into a 20.7% decrease
Digital tracks 3.74 4.83 5.64 16.8 in value.
Total singles 4.61 5.38 5.93 10.2
Buoyant sales of digital tracks and digital
Physical albums 9.31 8.09 6.93 -14.3 albums – although at growth rates well
Digital albums 0.32 0.51 0.66 29.4 below those seen in the UK – were unable
to prevent a further decline in the value of
Total albums 9.63 8.6 7.59 -11.7 the music market.

Video (DVD/UMD/VHS/BR/HD) 12.67 13.65 13.79 1.0 Video now accounts for 42% of the Irish
entertainment market by value, with
Entertainment Software 3.68 4.17 4.02 -3.6 games on 31% and music on 26%.

Total entertainment units* 26.4 27.0 26.0 -3.6 Altogether the Irish entertainment market
Source: Gfk Chart-Track. * Volume based on 10 singles = one album = lost €84m in value compared with the
one dvd = one game previous year.

Irish Entertainment Market - (value € millions)

2007 2008 2009 % change

Physical singles 3.6 2.1 1.1 -48.6

Digital tracks 4.6 5.4 6.2 14.8
Total singles 8.2 7.5 7.3 -3.2 Games music
Entertainment €99.7m
Physical albums 135.4 110.3 85.8 -22.2 Software
€120.7m
Digital albums 3.2 5.1 6.6 29.9
Total albums 138.6 115.4 92.4 -19.9 Video
€152.6m
Video (DVD/UMD/VHS/BR/HD) 200.3 192.4 152.6 -20.7

Entertainment Software 125.5 141.6 120.7 -14.8

TOTAL €373.0m
Total Market 472.6 457.0 373.0 -18.4
32
Source: GfK Chart-Track
e ra y earbook 20 10

Ireland statistics

In the face of such figures there was an inevitable but in

Principal Irish Entertainment Retailers
some ways surprisingly small 3% contraction in the number
2008 2009 of entertainment outlets. Hardest hit were specialists with
supermarkets actually registering an increase in the number of
Music & Video Specialists 294 261
outlets stocking music.
Game & Software Specialists 103 103
Electrical/Hardware Chains 29 30 The biggest-selling DVD of 2009 in Ireland was teen vampire
General Multiples 87 87 movie Twilight, one of only two DVDs – together with High
School Musical 3 – Senior Year – also to feature in the UK Top
Supermarkets 251 260
10 listings.
Others (estimate) 100 100
The Top 10 albums of the year by Irish artists were inevitably
Total 864 841 headed by U2’s 12th studio album, No Line on the Horizon.
Most of the names in the list are familiar to international
Source: GfK Chart-Track
audiences, but it also included comedian and impressionist
Mario Rosenstock and Co Kildare rock band Bell X1.

Top 10 DVDs 2009 Top 10 Albums by Irish Artists 2009

TITLE company TITLE ARTIST LABEL
1 Twilight E1 Entertainment 1 No Line On The U2 Mercury
Horizon
2 The Hangover Warner Home Video
2 Where We Are Westlife Syco Music
3 In Bruges Universal Video
3 The Script Script RCA
4 The Van 20th Century Fox
4 Love Tattoo Imelda May UCJ
5 High School Music Walt Disney
3 - Senior Year 5 Up To Now Snow Patrol Fiction/Polydor
6 The Dark Knight Warner Home Video 6 Gift Grub 10 Mario Rosenstock EMI
7 Alvin & the 20th Century Fox 7 Listen Christy Moore Columbia
Chipmunks
8 Blue Lights On The Bell X1 Belly Up
8 The Notebook Entertainment in Runway
Video 9 To Win Just Once - Saw Doctors Universal Ireland
9 Mamma Mia - The Universal Video The Best of
Movie 10 Songs For My Ronan Keating Polydor
10 Taken 20th Century Fox Mother

Source: GfK Chart-Track Source: GfK Chart-Track

33