In a then-atypical and controversial move for a new Disney animated film, "The Little Mermaid" was released as part of the Walt Disney Classics line of VHS, Laserdisc, Betamax, and Video 8 home video releases in May 1990, six months after the release of the film. Before "The Little Mermaid", only a select number of Disney's catalog animated films had been released to home video, as the company was afraid of upsetting its profitable practice of theatrically reissuing each film every few years. "The Little Mermaid" became that year's top-selling title on home video, with over 10 million units sold (including 7 million in its first month). The home video release, along with box office and merchandise sales, contributed to "The Little Mermaid" generating a total revenue of . This success led to future Disney films being released on home video soon after the end of their theatrical runs, rather than delayed for several years.