Screen Australia

  • Search Keywords

  • Year

  • Production Status

  • Genre

  • Co-production

  • SA Supported

  • First Nations Creative

  • Length

  • Technique

IN the archive
Australian content on Video

Australian share of top 500 retail video TV drama titles (DVD, Blu-ray and VHS), ranked by sales value, 2004–2009

Australian-produced titles accounted for 8.9 per cent, or $21.3 million, of the retail value of the top 500 TV drama titles sold on DVD and Blu-ray during 2009 (ranked by value rather than unit sales).1 Between 2004 and 2008, the number of Australian TV dramas in the top 500 fell each year; however, the value of sales and the number of units fluctuated. In 2009, there was a significant fall in both, following a peak of $261 million and 686,477 units in 2008. This peak had been largely the result of strong sales of Underbelly: Series 1, which was the highest-selling video title, either local or foreign, across all program types in 2008 in terms of sales value. After just two years, it has achieved the highest cumulative sales of any Australian title since 2004.

There were 31 Australian titles in the top 500 TV dramas, up by one from 2008, yet still down from the six-year average of 39. The average price of these titles was $50.70, down by around $7 from 2008; the median was $34.80. The second series of Underbelly was the highest-selling title in 2009, followed by Underbelly: Series 1 and Packed to the Rafters: Season 1.

The Australian TV dramas with the highest cumulative sales over the last six years, after Underbelly: Series 1, are Summer Heights High, Underbelly: Series 2: A Tale of Two Cities and McLeod’s Daughters (Series 3, Series 4 and Series 1).

Graph: Australian share of top 500 retail video TV drama titles, 2004-2009. The following table provides detailed data.
  Top 500 video sales of TV drama titles2
Titles3 (no.) Units4 (no.) Value4 ($)
All Aust. % Aust. All Aust. % Aust. All Aust. % Aust.
2004 500 44 8.8% 3,020,335 294,542 9.8% $138,608,764 $14,253,497 10.3%
2005 500 49 9.8% 4,219,332 384,490 9.1% $190,353,891 $17,234,766 9.1%
2006 500 44 8.8% 4,996,978 361,360 7.2% $206,973,836 $15,454,457 7.5%
2007 500 38 7.6% 5,751,304 634,283 11.0% $230,868,619 $21,568,853 9.3%
2008 500 30 6.0% 6,727,155 686,477 10.2% $261,422,642 $33,154,010 12.7%
2009 500 31 6.2% 6,599,060 474,470 7.2% $240,949,269 $21,336,759 8.9%

Source: Screen Australia analysis of GfK Retail and Technology Australia data.

Notes:
Australian titles are those under Australian creative control, including domestic productions, official co-productions and other productions involving shared creative control, i.e. with a mix of Australians in key creative positions.
1. Based on a non-extrapolated sample of video sales (DVD and VHS for 2004–2007; DVD and Blu-ray from 2008) from approximately 85 per cent of Australian retailers; see About the data Archived: Australian content: Video sales.
2. TV drama comprises scripted productions excluding children’s programming. It does not include documentary and light entertainment TV shows.
3. Refers to the number of individual and box set titles sold during each calendar year (first-release titles issued that year and continued sales of previously issued titles). This may include multiple editions and multiple formats of the same program.
4. Box sets may include Australian and foreign titles. Although these sets are counted as a single title for ranking purposes, their units and value are apportioned according to the origin of discrete titles in the collection.

Top