Gen Z drives revival of DVDs, Blu-Rays and vinyl as streaming loses appeal

Young people, particularly Gen Z, are increasingly turning to physical media like DVDs, Blu-Rays, and vinyl, driven by frustrations with streaming services. The #physicalmedia hashtag on TikTok is flooded with creators sharing collections and tips on burning CDs or finding cheap discs. Key factors include rising subscription costs (up to AU$27/month in Australia), market fragmentation with platforms like Disney+, Paramount+, and Apple TV+, and licensing complexities that shuffle content between services. Beyond economics, physical ownership offers tangibility, personal identity, and the ability to share with friends—rituals lost in the streaming era. This trend is notable because these audiences grew up with streaming as the norm, not nostalgia for the 1990s. The article by Leah J. Williams for ScreenHub and ArtsHub highlights that while physical media may fade from stores, the desire to own beloved media persists.