» Supernatural on DVD Options

[TWoP Barnes]

This thread is for DVD discussion. Please don't use spoiler tags on DVD discussion. Spoiler tags are for information that spoils for upcoming episodes.

This post has been edited by TWoP Barnes: Sep 6, 2007 @ 1:18 pm.

[Stupid Colt]

Well since I did this last year, now that we have data for the first week of sales of season 4. Here we go a look at the DVD sales history of Supernatural.

Season one opened in 14th place sold 101 thousand units generating 3.404 million dollars and by its 2nd week had sold 150 thousand units and generated 5.265 million dollars in revenue. After that it fell off the top 30.

Season two opened in 15th place sold 56,000 units and generated 2.12 million viewers. And never showed back up on the top 30 list.

Season three opened in 6th place sold 105,000 units and generated sales of 4.2 million (enough if sources are accurate to pay for the full costs of 4 of the 16 episodes produced last year and this is just us sales). It stayed on the sales list for three weeks before dropping of the list. The last bit of data we had was 190,073 units sold and 7,410,946 in total sales.

Now of course all shows do continue to sell after this, and I am sure it continued to generated revenue (just like I assume all of the seasons have), but the bulk of ones revenue for most releases are in the first month.

Now with season four first week, we have 238,081 units sold (already a record for us), and 8,670,910 in revenue generated. If we can judge this by previous season we might stay on this list until we get to 300,000 units sold.

Current first week results for other CW shows.

Smallville 206,341 units sold, and thenuimbers did update this result, the had it initially lower (and the first time since Supernatural started that Smallville wasn't the first week best seller out of any shows on the CW (or for that first year UPN or WB).

One Tree Hill 123,005, units sold
Gossip Girls 104,289 units sold
90210 Didn't make the top 30 selling less then 30,000 units.

And how did these shows do last year.
Smallville 212,511 units sold
One Tree Hill 106,164 units sold
Gossip Girls 95,997 units sold.

What amazes me is not only every show up this year (amazing in and of itself), but with more ways for fans to buy legal copies of these shows and seasons, you would think the DVD sales would get lower.

And with Supernatural having two years of such huge growth, it shows that they have increased (over the last two years) their fan base that is willing to lay down cold hard cash for the product.

Also something to consider, while we have never been given a sold budget per episode, I would doubt that its higher then 1.5 million, and could be as low as 1 million (though this is opinion, I don't have any sources). If true that means off of season 4 the profit of the DVD sales from just the US should be able to pay (for say the first month of sales) between 4 to 10 episodes of this coming season. Thats just the US.

[grand sophy]

Thanks, Stupid Colt. Maybe the extra DVD income can go into the music budget! (crosses fingers)

[Stupid Colt]

Not typically how the business works. Its more like look you have barely any budget and we can still make money off of you, awesome. That means even more money for us, you'll be fine.

One thing to remember the show doesn't make a profit off of its network run on the CW. So the studio truly depends on other factors to keep the show on the air. Of course, how much Warners makes after internet sales (not much), DVD sales (quite a bit more, overseas broadcast and overseas dvd sales, then possible syndication after it goes off the air. By that time Warners should have made a pretty penny.

[grand sophy]

UK fans have a chance to win one of five copies of Supernatural Season 4: Part 2.

[Anya]

Looks like I'll be waiting for Season 5 on DVD instead of getting it on iTunes. An HD season on iTunes is $59.99?! Too rich for my blood.

[bluezinnia]

If you are a fan of iTunes on Facebook, you can get "Four Fall TV Favorites" for free, and one of them is Sympathy for the Devil.

[Anya]

Thanks for the tip, bluezinnia! *off to become an iTunes fan on FB*

[morrigan2575]

According to Home Media, SPN S4 remained in the Top 20, it came in at #15 for week ending 9/13. Although it doesn't give units sold or revenue information. That's pretty good.

[shelmfair]

UK fans have a chance to win one of five copies of Supernatural Season 4: Part 2

...which I just got today (bought, not won) only to discover there's no gag reel on there (not on part 1 either). Very annoying and also mystifying....anybody out there know what the story is because I can't understand why we haven't got it this time? We got S2 and S3. Are they saving the gag reel for the Complete S4 release in November or what? I'm not a happy bunny.

[morrigan2575]

Not sure, but I know the gag reel is on the complete S4 DVD's here in the US. Sorry about that, but I'm sure it's up on Youtube by now.

[michelangelo]

Wow, good job StupidColt. Those are impressive numbers for Supernatural season 4 DVDs. So basically, we kicked ass with Season 4.

This post has been edited by michelangelo: Sep 21, 2009 @ 7:32 pm.

[Percysowner]

TV By the Numbers posts the DVD sales ending Sept 13. Supernatural is at #4 following The Office, Fringe (both first week sales and Heroes, in its second week. We are absolutely pounding Smallville which is the only other CW show in the one reported. So far we have sold over 11 million DVD's in 2 weeks, versus under 10 million DVD's for Smallville in 3 weeks. The salvation for Supernatural may well be in after market sales.

[morrigan2575]

According to The-Numbers.com, in it's second week, SPN S4 came at #12 selling a total (over 2 weeks) of 302,168 units with revenue of $11,212,879. Comparatively SV S8 in its second week ranked #22 and sold 263,456 with revenue of $9,613,509.

In its 3rd week in DVD release, SV dropped to #30 selling a total of 293,080 for $10,694,489 in revenue.

So after 2 weeks in release SPN S4 has sold 9,088 more DVD's and earned $518,390 more than SV. Given that SV is ranked #30 it will probably drop off the list next week but SPN has a good shot of making it 1-2 more weeks in the top 30.

That’s pretty impressive for our little cult show.

This post has been edited by morrigan2575: Sep 22, 2009 @ 8:48 am.

[Shelter]

FYI - Amazon.com has Season 3 Blu-Ray on sale for $27.99. That's the cheapest I've ever seen it on blu-ray. I paid at least $15 more, and Best Buy is listing it for $64.99.

But it's so worth it - Episodes from S3 like A Very Supernatural X-Mas and Dream A Little Dream really pop on blu-ray. (OK, I'm going to stop before I sound like a plant from Amazon. I just love me my show on blu-ray!)

This post has been edited by Shelter: Sep 22, 2009 @ 9:07 am.

[grand sophy]

A fan analyses current and projected Season 4 DVD and Blu-ray sales (and rants a little about Dawn Ostroff).