As audiences stayed away from theaters during the worst days of the pandemic and the months that followed, theater owners warned that their businesses were at risk. We now have a better idea of the impact of dying.
The National Cinema Foundation, a non-profit group that promotes the cinema industry, said that the US will lose more than 2,000 screens between 2019 and 2022, a decrease of 5.3%.
At the same time, the price of going to the movies increased by 15%, with the average ticket price rising from $9.16 in 2019 to $10.53 last year. (The group notes that when adjusted for inflation, the 2022 price is actually lower than three years ago.)
Figures for these categories are not provided for 2020 or 2021.
While the US sees contraction on the screen, the global total continues to grow. Globally, there were 212,590 screens last year, an increase of 5.8% compared to 200,949 in 2019.
Release from Top Gun: Maverick and other big hits last year were welcome to theater owners. Last year’s total box office receipts reached $7.53 billion, more than three times the 2020 total and a 64% increase over 2021.
Last year’s National Cinema Day promotion, where tickets to see almost any movie were just $3, was also a success. The group said an estimated 8.1 million people watched the movie that day. And 59% of those who went that day said they went to the movies more often since then.
This worldwide promotion is expected to be repeated this year.
There should be plenty of options for cinemagoers to choose from as The Cinema Foundation says 107 films will be released in 2,000 or more cinemas this year, compared to just 71 in 2022.
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