The U.K.’s home entertainment sector reached an all-time high of £5.7 billion ($7.6 billion) in 2025, marking a 10% increase year-over-year, according to new data released Tuesday by the British Association for Screen Entertainment in partnership with the Official Charts Company.
The record-breaking figures encompass streaming services, digital transactions and physical media sales, with the broader U.K. media and entertainment industry climbing 8% to reach $45.6 billion, up from $40.2 billion in 2024.
Universal’s “Wicked” emerged as the year’s top home entertainment title, generating $23.7 million in combined sales and rentals across all formats, according to Official Charts Company data. The musical adaptation, which stars British actors Cynthia Erivo and Jonathan Bailey and was filmed in the U.K., grossed $82 million at the U.K. box office in 2024. Its sequel, “Wicked: For Good,” earned $62 million theatrically in 2025 ahead of its home entertainment debut on Jan. 2.
British talent dominated the year’s top five home entertainment titles. Ridley Scott’s “Gladiator II,” with key battle sequences filmed in the U.K., secured second place with $9.5 million in sales and rentals. The papal thriller “Conclave,” starring Ralph Fiennes and based on Robert Harris’ novel, topped the rental charts with nearly $5.4 million and won best British film at the 2025 BAFTAs.
“Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy,” produced by Working Title with a predominantly British cast and directed by Michael Morris, claimed fourth place with $9.9 million. Gareth Edwards’ “Jurassic World: Rebirth,” featuring Jonathan Bailey, rounded out the top five with $8.2 million in home entertainment revenue, adding to its $48.7 million theatrical haul.
“The U.K. entertainment industry is a globally admired powerhouse of talent and innovation that has excelled in 2025,” said Liz Bales, chief executive of BASE. “The strength of the U.K. entertainment industry is bolstered by the diversity of channels and choices for consumers who, alongside the array of streaming services being embraced, are flocking to buy and rent options in growing numbers.”
The digital marketplace showed particular strength, with the combined digital sales market rising 4.5% to $328.3 million. Digital purchases grew 7.4% in value, while the rental market increased 1.7% to reach $183.6 million. Premium video-on-demand releases also expanded, with 79 titles launching at higher price points fresh from theatrical runs in 2025, compared to 62 in 2024.
Physical media maintained its appeal with collectors and mainstream audiences alike. Warner Bros. Pictures’ “Superman” (2025) topped the Blu-ray chart, contributing to a 3.2% increase in the format’s overall value. “Downton Abbey: The Finale” sold 56,500 DVD units worth $761,120 in just two weeks following its Dec. 15 release, securing third place on the year-end Official DVD Chart.
Classic titles continued to perform strongly, with the “Lord of the Rings” trilogy selling 13,800 units for $1.1 million, while perennial holiday favorites “Elf” and “The Polar Express” moved 120,100 and 77,500 units respectively in the final week of 2025.
Streaming remained the dominant viewing choice, with 20.5 million U.K. households subscribing to at least one service, representing 69.5% of the population. Netflix led with 17.6 million subscribers in autumn 2025, bolstered by titles including award-winner “Adolescence” and animated series “KPop Demon Hunters.” Prime Video reached 13.6 million homes, while Disney+ served 7.5 million households and Paramount+ reached 3.5 million homes. Smaller platforms also posted gains, with Discovery growing to 3.2 million homes, Apple TV expanding to 2.8 million homes and Sky’s Now reaching 2 million homes.
The introduction of advertising-supported tiers across major streaming platforms contributed to the sector’s overall value increase, according to BASE.
HBO’s “House of the Dragon” dominated TV sales for the third consecutive year, while “Doctor Who: The Savages,” which originally aired in 1966, claimed second place, demonstrating continued demand for classic television content on physical media.
The U.K. box office grew 1% in 2025, with Warner Bros. Pictures’ “A Minecraft Movie” leading theatrical revenues at $76.9 million while also capturing sixth place in home entertainment with $10.1 million in sales and rentals.
BASE plans to release comprehensive market data and analysis later this month.
Official Video Chart 2025 (All Digital; Blu-ray and DVD, EST, TVOD)
1. “Wicked”
2. “Gladiator II”
3. “Conclave”
4. “Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy”
5. “Jurassic World: Rebirth”
Official Film Chart 2025 (All Digital Retail; Blu-ray and DVD, EST)
1. “Wicked”
2. “A Minecraft Movie”
3. “Gladiator II”
4. “Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy”
5. “Jurassic World: Rebirth”
Official Film Download Chart 2025 (EST)
1. “Wicked”
2. “A Minecraft Movie”
3. “Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy”
4. “Gladiator II”
5. “Jurassic World: Rebirth”
Official Film Digital Rental Chart 2025 (VOD)
1. “Conclave”
2. “Gladiator II”
3. “Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy”
4. “Wicked”
5. “Jurassic World: Rebirth”
Official Video Chart 2025 (All Blu-ray & DVD)
1. “Wicked”
2. “Gladiator II”
3. “Jurassic World: Rebirth”
4. “Mission Impossible: The Final Reckoning”
5. “Paddington in Peru”
Official Blu-ray Chart 2025
1. “Superman” (2025)
2. “Wicked”
3. “Gladiator II”
4. “Mission Impossible: The Final Reckoning”
5. “Nosferatu” (2024)
Official DVD Chart 2025
1. “Wicked”
2. “Gladiator II”
3. “Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale”
4. “Paddington in Peru”
5. “Jurassic World: Rebirth”
Official TV on Video Chart 2025
1. “House of the Dragon” Season 2
2. “Doctor Who: The Savages”
3. “The Penguin”
4. “Fallout” Season 1
5. “The Last of Us” Season 2
‘ The preceding article may include information circulated by third parties ’
‘ Some details of this article were extracted from the following source variety.com ’
