The Gen Z embrace of physical media... a niche is gonna niche
In the same way that Twitter is not real life, trend pieces in news feature stories are almost never reflective of actual behaviour by real people out in the world.
Yesterday saw an article in the Los Angeles Times talking about the rise of Gen Z embracing physical media. The article cites anecdotal comments from video rental stores reporting record months and membership increases as young people embrace physical media.
Similar to vinyl records that saw a resurgence among millennial customers, DVDs are enjoying a comeback with some Gen Z buyers, even though the discs no longer drive significant studio profits.
DVD sales have been falling for years, dropping more than 20% in 2023 and 2024 alone. However, the falloff slowed substantially last year when sales of DVDs, Blu-rays and 4K Ultra HD declined just 9%, according to the trade association Digital Entertainment Group.
In turn, boutique Blu-ray companies, like the Criterion Collection, are similarly on the rise. As one of the leading independent home-video sellers specializing in classic and contemporary films, Criterion confirmed to The Times the company’s sales are seeing “significant year-over-year increases.”
Peter Becker, president of Criterion, credits this continued annual growth to young customers’ enthusiasm for physical formats.
“In the dawn of streaming, it seemed like maybe this was not going to happen, but it has definitely happened,” said Becker. “We’re seeing a lot of evidence, including at the Criterion Mobile Closet, that more young people are thinking about physical media in a different way. In an age where so much is available to us on demand, it becomes increasingly important to us.”
In January 2026, Vidiots said it had its biggest month ever — renting an average of 170 movies daily and renting 500 titles in just one day. Each disc rents for $3, including their most popular titles like David Lynch’s “Wild at Heart” and Elaine May’s “The Heartbreak Kid.”
When it opened in 2023, Vidiots loaned out around 22,000 discs. A year later, it doubled to around 50,000. The shop’s rental numbers have continued to rise, hitting a little over 1,000 movies a week in 2025.
I have no doubt that there is a swelling niche of younger film enthusiasts embracing physical media. I’d chalk it up to the culture building around Letterboxd more than any other specific influence.
But, I’d warn against seeing this rise as a broader trend reflective in cities outside cultural hubs like Los Angeles. If you start seeing the physical media sections of big box stores get larger/spring to life, then maybe that becomes meaningful. #followthemoney
The category that I am far more interested in is transactional video on demand streaming. With the confluence of so many more homes investing in good home media viewing equipment (we seem to be edging towards 75 inch flatscreens as the default and they really need a soundbar to go with them…) and the price of going to the cinema on the rise (to go and see Scream 7 at the suburban Event Cinema just up the road from Always Be Watching HQ, it’d cost me AUS$27… and that’s at the Cinebuzz member price…), it makes sense that more people are opting to wait the month and a half between the release of a film and its availability to rent or buy digitally.
An interesting insight yesterday from a chat I had with Chris Chard from the Australian Home Entertainment Distributors Association was that subscribers on ad-supported plans are likely to seek out movie options that aren’t interrupted by ads.
And he’s right. Subscriptions to ad-supported SVOD services are on the rise – that’s where the growth is for the industry. According to Kantar, in Australia 30% of new subscribers are opting for ad-supported plans. There’s also growth in free ad-supported TV (FAST), growing 39% year-on-year to reach 1.9 million households. Kantar also cites BVOD services, which are largely ad-supported, reaching 5.1 million households with 7Plus the most popular and growing 9% yoy.
These trends are similar internationally. And when you think about the considerable growth in YouTube consumption (where, yes, movies are consumed there too), it’s not a huge stretch to think that viewers will be seeking ad-free streaming options for movies.
What I struggle to believe is that we are going to see a massive rise in the number of people embracing the inconvenience of physical media rentals and purchases of the movies they want
I am a leaf on the wind, watch me soar
Two curious posts on Instagram with former Firefly star Nathan Fillion getting his team back together. What could it mean? Beats the heck out of me.
News Desk
Matt Dillon will star in the upcoming MGM+ TV series adaptation of The Magnificent Seven. Read: thefutoncritic
Netflix’s co-chief Ted Sarandos will attend meetings at The White House on Thursday ahead of the Warner Bros acquisition. It isn’t clear whether he will meet with the President. Read: Politico
2009 romcom Bride Wars is being reimagined as a TV series for Peacock with Emma Roberts set to star. A Bride Wars revival? I guess I can stop my letter writing campaign. Read: Deadline
HBO drama Industry will come to an end with its fifth season. Read: thefutoncritic
Samuel L Jackson’s Taylor Sheridan show NOLA King, a spin-off from the Sylvester Stallone show Tulsa King has had a creative overhaul with the show now moved from New Orleans to Frisco in Texas. It’ll now be titled Frisco King, with Sheridan now writing all eight episodes. Read: Deadline
HBO Max has acquired live action Japanese period drama Song of the Samurai. I hear those guys really had a set of pipes on them. It’s based on popular manga series Chiruran: Shinsengumi Requiem. Read: Variety
Doctor Foster is returning for a third and final season to the BBC nearly a decade since season two. Read: Deadline
Former Wings star Tim Daly will star opposite his real-life wife Tea Leoni on NBC comedy pilot Newlyweds. They also played husband and wife on Madam Secretary, the CBS show where they met. Read: THR
Jake Johnson from New Girl is leading the pilot for an untitled LA private investigator show for NBC. Read: THR
Prime Video has picked up the rights to SCTV in Canada. A shame it isn’t a global acquisition as I’d be pretty keen to press play on it. Read: C21
MS NOW is plugging the Steve Kornacki-sized hole in its election coverage by making presenter Ali Velshi the official chief data reporter. Read: Deadline
David Brown at Radio Times argues that the Scream movies are just a grown-up version of Scooby-Doo cartoons. Read: Radio Times
00s era reality shows are increasingly becoming fodder for docuseries exposing their ethical ickiness. Read: The Guardian
Trailer Park
Pretty Lethal debuts on Prime Video March 25.
An action-packed thriller where five ballerinas, on their way to a prestigious dance competition, are barely on speaking terms when their bus breaks down in a remote forest. With no other options, they reluctantly seek shelter at an unsettling roadside inn run by Devora Kasimer (Uma Thurman), a reclusive former ballet prodigy. From the moment they arrive, something feels wrong - and their worst instincts prove right. As the situation turns deadly, the fractured team must set aside rivalries and weaponize years of brutal training, turning grace, discipline, and even pointe shoes into tools for survival.
Starring Maddie Ziegler, Lana Condor, Iris Apatow, Avantika, Millicent Simmonds and Uma Thurman Directed by Vicky Jewson
Dick Wolf doco series Homicide: New York is back for season 2 on Netflix March 25.
If It’s Tuesday It’s Murder has been picked up by Disney+ in the UK and Ireland March 31, along with Hulu in the US.
Louis Theroux: Inside The Manosphere debuts on Netflix March 11.
With rare access and no holds barred, the acclaimed documentarian investigates a growing ultra-masculine network and its controversial influencers.
That’s the newsletter for the today.
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