James R | On 29, May 2015

As the entertainment industry adjusts to the world of VOD, the question remains of how best to use it: should distributors release movies online on the same day they hit cinemas? Should they go straight to Netflix, which is increasingly buying up feature films for simultaneous, global release?

With studios still avoiding testing the day-and-date waters with larger releases – they are traditionally the territory of smaller, indie or arthouse titles – one thing that has become a widespread tradition is the release of movies on digital platforms up to several weeks before their DVD release (a window known as early EST – electronic sell-through).

Are early home entertainment releases actually popular? According to one pay-per-view service, yes. Wuaki.tv says they have made up over 40 per cent of its sales in the quarter.

The site, which has grown substantially in the past year, thanks to new deals with distributors as well as brands such as blinkbox and EE, has stepped up its EST offerings, as well as day-and-date theatrical releases.

Early digital releases allow customers to buy, download and own films before their DVD release, when they also become available to rent.

Spurred on by the demand for these titles, Wuaki.tv has most recently joined rival iTunes in advertising pre-orders for movies that are currently in cinemas.

The retailer says this model is proving to be “extremely popular”.

“One of the key points for our customers is undoubtedly, the time gap between the cinema release and the home entertainment release. That’s why we are supporting all initiatives that may shorten the distribution windows, and bring movies to our customers earlier,” comments Simon Homent, European Content Director at Wuaki.tv.

“This is one of our company’s main challenges, so we will keep on leading the revolution towards a total convergence with the movie’s digital release.”

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