And ABC's Lost experienced a 53% increase in rentals the week following its 2005 Emmy win, according to Rentrak, a Portland, Ore.

FORBES: A War For The Emmy

"We've seen some of the more aggressive independents looking to expand their businesses, " says Marty Graham, president of the pay-per-transaction division at Rentrak, which brokers revenue-sharing deals for independent video stores.

FORBES: The Rebirth Of The Small Video-Rental Shop

Roughly 53 million homes have access to video-on-demand with the average consumer spending more than 8.5 hours using on-demand services and watching more than 17 titles a month, according to Rentrak, a research group.

WSJ: Independent Movie 'Black Rock' Covers the Bases With Its Debut