Blu-ray player sales are running close to three times 2008’s figure, says Futuresource in their second quarterly report, and they are expected to hit nearly three quarters of a million units by the end of the year.

The German BD market has shown particular strength as consumers embrace the platform faster than was anticipated. Sales of Blu-ray Discs in Germany are currently 3.7 times the level achieved in 2008. This growth is even faster than the other best performing European regions – such as the UK, where disc sales are three times greater than last year.

The report also looks at adoption of BD-Live. It found that Profile 2.0 models accounted for over half of all European BD player sales in the period from January to June. This share is expected to rise to 80% for the second half of the year. The report quotes impressive usage figures from Sony Pictures Home Entertainment, who have had more than 6 million BD-Live users in total, and more than 100,000 weekly visitors to its BD-Live sites.

“We’re delighted to see Blu-ray Disc continue to meet or exceed expectations across Europe,” said Niels Leibbrandt, chairman of the BDA’s EU promotion committee. “These figures show that as awareness of the platform increases, more and more people across Europe are beginning to enjoy the unrivalled home entertainment experience BD provides. The figures put us in a strong position as the all-important Christmas period approaches and we move into 2010.”

Story filed 05.12.09