Audio Video News

Best Buy Will Stop Selling Physical Discs in 2024

Bob Ankosko  |  Oct 16, 2023

As if we needed more evidence that the end of physical media is coming, Best Buy has confirmed that it will stop selling DVDs and Blu-ray Discs both in-store and online in early 2024.

“To state the obvious, the way we watch movies and TV shows is much different today than it was decades ago,” Best Buy said in a statement to Variety magazine on Thursday. “Making this change gives us more space and opportunity to bring customers new and innovative tech for them to explore, discover and enjoy.”

The move follows the closure of Netflix’s disc-delivery service on September 29th and the summer announcement that Disney would end sales of discs in Australia and New Zealand.

Though the news may come as a surprise to some, anyone who shops at Best Buy knows the chain stopped selling CDs several years ago and has been steadily shrinking its once-robust DVD/Blu-ray display area for years now. The display area in my local Best Buy is down to one sparsely stocked section.

Best Buy, which operates more than 1,000 stores in the U.S. and Canada, will continue to sell video games.

The news is bittersweet for some as Best Buy in recent years had been one of the last remaining places you could go to browse movies since the demise if Blockbuster. Yes, you can still buy discs at Walmart and Target but it's a different experience, if you can call it that, and the selection is lackluster in a bargain-bin kind of way. And of course there's still Amazon, but that's online — a different world/experience than browsing physical discs.

Are you ready to accept the demise of physical media? Leave a comment below…

COMMENTS
mazz1's picture
Submitted by mazz1 on October 16, 2023 - 7:35am

It is a trend that consumers will come to regret, not just from a quality perspective, but from a content ownership perspective. We've all seen streaming services removing titles from their sites; original content, etc.

hbomb7's picture
Submitted by hbomb7 on October 16, 2023 - 11:25am

Physical media will not go away ever because it's sound quality is better than streaming. BTW, they said the same thing about albums and look what is happening now. Physical media is here to stay.

trynberg's picture
Submitted by trynberg on October 16, 2023 - 3:19pm

While this is unfortunate, claims that physical media is almost finished are, frankly, ignorant. There are a couple of dozen production houses, including standouts like Arrow or Shout that are releasing high quality 4k restorations and they are growing, not shrinking.

Has the author looked at the 4K/BD release schedule for the rest of the year? Even Disney is spinning back up for more physical releases -- they are even releasing Disney+ shows on disc.

XenoChron's picture
Submitted by XenoChron on October 16, 2023 - 5:26pm

No surprise from BestBuy. The existing management continues to dismantle everything that makes the store work. They continue to sink into being a place with nothing that wants to be Amazon and isn’t and thinks they can charge for the best price. They have become a joke and instead of doubling down one what could be a great place to shop have capitulated and turned the business over to the online stores and targets and Walmarts of the world. It’s a shame.

Patbarr's picture
Submitted by Patbarr on October 18, 2023 - 9:26pm

"Making this change gives us more space and opportunity to bring customers new and innovative tech for them to explore, discover and enjoy.” One wonders how they will fill the extra space. Few people buy stereo systems with receivers, turntables & CD players anymore, same for digital cameras, computer printers, & blank media. Appliances? Perhaps Sony & Klipsch will be replaced by Dyson & Whirlpool!

3ddavey13's picture
Submitted by 3ddavey13 on October 23, 2023 - 12:52pm

At least I'll be saving on gas by not having to visit my local Best Buy anymore. I knew this was coming when my daughter, who lives in San Ramone, CA, told me over the summer that the Best Buy out there was no longer selling Blurays. Streaming is fine if you don't really care about the content or quality, but for those who do {I'm guessing most S&V readers) physical media is the only way to go. And I've also noticed a plethora of upcoming 4K bluray releases. One wonders what this "new and innovative tech" can be. More electric bicycles? Good luck, BB. I think you'll be needing it.

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