Chappelle raises bar of TV-DVD
'Chappelle's' sales record raises bar of TV-DVD market
June 2, 2005
Underscoring the growing clout of the TV-DVD category, "Chappelle's Show: Season 2 Uncensored" chalked up first-day sales of nearly 500,000 copies, setting a new TV-DVD sales record, according to Paramount Home Entertainment.
Within a week of its May 24 release, sales of the hefty three-disc, $37 package topped 1.2 million units, Paramount said, while sales of the first-season set, out for more than a year, spiked past the 3 million-unit mark.
That's 200,000 units more than the sales tally in early May, when Comedy Central announced Season 3 of Dave Chappelle's highly rated sketch comedy show would be postponed indefinitely and the comedian fled to South Africa, where rumors circulated that he had checked himself into a mental health facility.
The controversy made headlines worldwide and put Chappelle on the cover of Time and other magazines.
Paramount maintains the first-day sales total makes "Chappelle's Show: Season 2 Uncensored" the fastest-selling TV DVD release ever.
Thomas F. Lesinski, president of worldwide home entertainment for Paramount Pictures, said the title is "poised to reach the 2 million-unit mark within the next 30 days."
"Dave Chappelle has set a new standard for comedy, and this DVD, which we worked closely with Comedy Central on, has now set the standard for TV-DVD," Lesinski said.
Sales were strong across all demographics, Lesinski said, with particularly high numbers among the lucrative 18-34 male demographic. Accordingly, Paramount tapped "Chappelle" to be one of its first UMD releases for the Sony PlayStation Portable.
Within a week of its May 24 release, sales of the hefty three-disc, $37 package topped 1.2 million units, Paramount said, while sales of the first-season set, out for more than a year, spiked past the 3 million-unit mark.
That's 200,000 units more than the sales tally in early May, when Comedy Central announced Season 3 of Dave Chappelle's highly rated sketch comedy show would be postponed indefinitely and the comedian fled to South Africa, where rumors circulated that he had checked himself into a mental health facility.
The controversy made headlines worldwide and put Chappelle on the cover of Time and other magazines.
Paramount maintains the first-day sales total makes "Chappelle's Show: Season 2 Uncensored" the fastest-selling TV DVD release ever.
Thomas F. Lesinski, president of worldwide home entertainment for Paramount Pictures, said the title is "poised to reach the 2 million-unit mark within the next 30 days."
"Dave Chappelle has set a new standard for comedy, and this DVD, which we worked closely with Comedy Central on, has now set the standard for TV-DVD," Lesinski said.
Sales were strong across all demographics, Lesinski said, with particularly high numbers among the lucrative 18-34 male demographic. Accordingly, Paramount tapped "Chappelle" to be one of its first UMD releases for the Sony PlayStation Portable.
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