by FIlmInk Staff
Digital movie purchases in Australia up 3% in 2025, supported by strong premium releases
The Australian Home Entertainment Distributors Association (AHEDA) has today unveiled the outcomes of its annual AHEDA Summit, with more than 120 industry leaders coming together in Sydney to reflect on both the strength of Australia’s home entertainment market and the opportunity still ahead.
The room brought together senior executives from across studios, platforms, retail and technology including Justin Che (Universal Pictures Home Entertainment), Deirdre Brennan (Screen Australia), Pete Sheridan (NielsenIQ), Elizabeth Trotman (StudioCanal), Mike Baard (Universal Pictures Australasia), Boh Clancy (Paramount Pictures), Paul Wiegard (Madman Entertainment), Harriet Dixon-Smith (NIXCO), Dominic Arena (CEO of Fetch) and Caryn Cathcart (Prime Video, Canada).
Major platforms and partners including Apple TV, Prime Video, Fetch TV, Foxtel, Samsung, LG, JustWatch, Spherex, JB Hi-Fi and Leading Edge were also in attendance, alongside AHEDA member companies Universal, Sony Pictures Television, Roadshow, Disney, Paramount, Madman, Defiant, StudioCanal, Rialto, Umbrella and Via Vision.
Facilitated by AHEDA Chair Chris Parrott, the outcome-driven, future-focused summit further expanded the business case for Australia’s home entertainment market by spotlighting its performance, audience data and current content pipeline to ensure continued growth for the category.
Specific findings from the summit included:
• The category has experienced continued momentum with digital movie purchases in Australia up 3% in 2025, supported by strong premium releases
• According to NielsenIQ, premium releases are driving early revenue, while catalogue is playing a bigger role in delivering ongoing sales over time
• Audiences are signaling a strong preference for ad-free viewing as well as an expectation that streaming platforms should also offer buy or rent options
• Box office performance directly translates into digital sales, with Nobody 2, Kraven the Hunter and Den of Thieves 2 among the strongest performers, with the top top-performing home entertainment titles in 2025 being:
o Wicked — #1 Digital Sell-Through
o Gladiator II — #1 Physical & Digital Rental
o Better Man — #1 Australian Film
o Moana 2 — #1 Animated
AHEDA Chair Chris Parrott said: “With Australians spending over $300m buying or renting movies and TV shows last year, the local home entertainment market is strong and has further head room for growth. We’re seeing increasing demand for buying and renting new movies digitally at home as well as for the deep library of classics. More Aussies than ever are realising the benefits of building their own collections, available when and where they want to watch – all ad-free and with no subscription.”
For more information visit www.aheda.com.au
Image: L-R, Chris Chard (AHEDA), Brandon DiMassa (Universal), Paul Wiegard (Madman), Boh Clancy (Paramount)
