Believe it or not, Hollywood studios were initially reluctant to release their films on home video. They actually sued Sony to prevent the sale of Betamax VCRs. Once home video became an accepted fact of life, Disney was one of the first studios to begin releasing videocassettes and the first feature length animated film released was Robin Hood. Priced at the low, low price of $79.95, sales were not initially brisk.
Unsure of whether this was due to the price point or a lack of interest in this specific film, Disney decided to try something different; rather than liquidate the unsold videos through a discount chain, Disney signed a deal with the then ubiquitous photo finishing chain Fotomat to sell Robin Hood and selected other films for $29.95 in a limited time deal. The response was huge. People loved the idea of watching Disney films at home for the right price. From that point on, every Disney release was priced at $29.95 or less and Walt Disney Home Video became the leader in home entertainment.
