Source: The Hollywood Reporter
DVD Is On A Roll As Sales Triple In Italy
ROME - The number of DVD-Video players sold in Italy more than tripled in 1999 to 65,000, up from 15,000 sold during 1998, marking a breakthrough year, it was announced on Monday (January 31). Growth in DVD here indicates that market penetration may well equal other major European countries in the near future. As a result, DVD hardware and software providers have established a local DVD trade organization, DVD Group Italia, to intensify collective marketing efforts. Gherardo Magri, head of the Italian unit of Philips Sound & Vision, has been appointed president of DVD Group Italia. Current top DVD sellers, among the 400 titles now available on the Italian market, are ""The Mummy,"" ""Matrix,"" and ""Armageddon.""