Newspaper and magazine promotions on the rise
Newspapers and magazines gave away as many DVDs as were sold in shops during the first quarter of 2006, according to research by industry periodical Screen Digest.

British newspapers gave away an average of five DVDs a household - a total of 54 million.

The average number of DVDs purchased per household fell from 12.5 in 2004 to 11.4 in 2005. One in 10 said they had not purchased a DVD as a result of receiving one free.

Screen Digest analysis of TNS data revealed that, among consumers who purchase a weekend newspaper, there was a direct correlation between the number of free DVDs they received and the drop in the number of DVDs they bought.

Screen Digest said the trend had a detrimental effect on consumers' perceptions of the value of a DVD.

It is thought that approximately 20 per cent of the free DVDs are thrown away immediately.

DVD titles given away have included well-known films such as Star Wars and Donnie Darko.

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