Studios Shift DVD Holiday Season Release Dates Earlier

Following earlier moves by Buena Vista and Universal, the Home Entertainment divisions at Sony, 20th Century Fox and Lions Gate are all moving up their December DVD release dates to the 26th, Video Business reports. The move will put titles in stores on one of the busiest shopping days of the year, when many retailers offer "day after Christmas" sales.

The move comes amidst a pessimistic outlook for the holiday season, with retailers feeling serious pricing pressure much earlier than the typical wide discounting seen on "Black Friday." The move also reflects the reality of Christmas and New Year's falling on the weekend this year -- quite simply, the studios just can't expect the same level of shopping traffic during December 26th-31st since people won't have as many days off.