Physical Media Releases (Urban Cowboy) Urban Cowboy (1980)
VHS — Paramount Home Video, 1981
Paramount released Urban Cowboy to VHS and Betamax in 1981, in the standard pan-and-scan 1.33:1 transfer typical of early-1980s home-video releases. The cover art reproduced the theatrical poster — Travolta in the cowboy hat, Winger in the dance position, Gilley's neon behind them. The release was a major sell-through and rental title.
The double-LP soundtrack outsold the videocassette by roughly an order of magnitude during the early-1980s home-video window — the album was a triple-platinum hit and the cassette was a steady seller, but home video was still a nascent market in 1981.
LaserDisc — Paramount, 1990
A LaserDisc release followed in 1990, in the same pan-and-scan transfer. The LaserDisc included no extras beyond the theatrical trailer.
DVD — Paramount, 2002
Paramount issued the first DVD in 2002 (region 1 / NTSC) at the picture's correct theatrical 1.85:1 widescreen aspect ratio for the first time on home video. The transfer was a standard-definition master pulled from a 35mm interpositive. Extras were limited: the theatrical trailer and a small text-based production notes screen.
A 25th-anniversary edition DVD followed in 2005, with a few additional features — a brief retrospective featurette ("Looking Back at Urban Cowboy"), a short interview with Mickey Gilley, and a piece on the mechanical bull's cultural afterlife.
Blu-ray — Paramount, 2018
The first Blu-ray release came on January 9, 2018, in time for the picture's near-40th-anniversary year. The transfer was a 1080p high-definition master, preserving the 1.85:1 theatrical aspect ratio. Audio was English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 plus the original 2.0 mono. Subtitles in English and Spanish.
The Blu-ray ports the 25th-anniversary DVD's featurette and adds the theatrical trailer. The release does not include a director's commentary, an oral-history feature, or a restoration featurette — the catalog treatment is workmanlike.
Digital — iTunes, Amazon, Vudu, etc.
The picture has been available on Apple iTunes, Amazon Video, Google Play, and Vudu in HD digital format since the 2018 Blu-ray release, with rotating availability on Paramount+, Showtime, and Pluto TV. The streaming HD master is the same 2018 transfer used on the Blu-ray.
4K UHD — not yet released
As of this writing the picture has not been released on 4K UHD. The 1980 negative is in Paramount's vault and would be a strong candidate for a 4K restoration, particularly given the picture's cultural standing and the upcoming 50th anniversary in 2030. Criterion has not announced a release.
The soundtrack album
The double-LP soundtrack was reissued on CD by Asylum/Elektra in 1995 and remastered for digital release in 2005. The 2005 remaster is the standard digital reference; vinyl reissues have appeared periodically (most recently a 2020 Friday Music gatefold double-LP). The original 1980 vinyl pressings remain widely available in the used market.