Streaming is the main way most people watch movies and TV, and a key reason physical media has generally been in decline over the past decade.
While it continued to hold this position in 2025, there is some good news for fans of 4K Blu-ray, which shows that the physical media still has some life left in it.
According to a report by the Digital Entertainment Group (DEG) shared via FlatpanelsHD, 4K Blu-ray sales in the US rose by 12 per cent in 2025 compared to 2024.
Physical media spending overall fell by just shy of 10 per cent, which includes the combined sales of DVDs, Blu-rays and 4K Blu-rays. While that figure doesn't necessarily sound positive, the DEG notes that this sector "showed some resilience" with the increased 4K Blu-ray sales propping up the relatively low decrease in overall physical media sales.
Overall, physical media sales in the US reached $870 million in 2025, which is down 9.3 per cent compared to the prior year. Longer-term physical media sales trends support an overall decline, though it seems to be slowing.
As reported by FlatpanelsHD, optical disc sales fell by a much more substantial figure of 23.4 per cent from 2023 to 2024. That percentage drop has been more than halved with this recent date from 2024 to 2025, which is a promising sign.
However, streaming remains on the rise and will continue to be the dominant force in home entertainment.
The DEG states that "spending on subscription streaming in the aggregate rose 19.8 per cent for the full year 2025, reaching $57.5 billion, and accounting for more than 92 per cent of all U.S. consumer spending on home entertainment", which isn't surprising considering the wide range of available services and content.
That being said, we're pleased to see 4K Blu-ray hold its ground as it continues to offer the best picture and sound performance. We hope to champion the format for many years to come, even if our list of the best 4K Blu-ray players seems to be accumulating cobwebs on account of the very few options left on the market.
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