DISNEY MAY BECOME MEMBER OF 28-DAY-DELAY CLUB

Walt Disney Studios may be about to join other studios that withhold their movies from kiosk operators Redbox and Blockbuster Express for at least 28 days after they are released for sale. Home Media magazine observed on its website Tuesday that Disney has no formal contract with Redbox and may be experimenting with the 28-day embargo with the upcoming release of John Carter, which bombed in theaters domestically and may be depending on DVD sales to regain some of its losses. Home Media quoted a note to clients from John Kraft, an analyst with D.A. Davidson, as saying, “I wouldn’t be surprised if they either went to 28 days for all titles or tested [different] windows to see which works best since they technically have that option with Redbox [absent] a formal agreement.” Redbox generally defies such embargoes by buying DVDs at discount retailers and stocking them in their kiosks as quickly as possible. And Redbox released a statement saying “We will be sourcing John Carter through alternative means.”