LOS ANGELES (CelebrityAccess) The year 2018 reversed, at least for one year, a trend in the film industry: it had increased revenue but not from raising ticket prices but rather because there were more butts in seats.
Hollywood saw a box-office record of $11.9 billion in revenue, with theatres selling 1.3 billion tickets in the U.S., according to data from the National Association of Theatre Owners. That was up more than 5 percent from the previous year with its 1.6 percent increase in ticket prices, according to Bloomberg.
“Black Panther,” the first superhero movie nominated for best picture at the Academy Awards, is one big reason why people went to the movie houses. Another would be the truly monstrous “Avengers: Infinity War.”
However, 2018 is an anomaly, with attendance peaking inn 2002 and last year did not balance out the empty seats of 2017, Bloomberg noted.
Another concern: “Roma,” nominated for best picture, is produced by Netflix and it forebodes a day when audiences can watch Oscar-worthy movies without ever leaving their homes. Meanwhile, consumers are spending less of their budget on tickets, according to Bloomberg.
