Box Office Meltdown Matthew Milko
Movie Theaters 1896 – First Movie Theater – Vitascope Hall in New Orleans, Louisiana
Movie Theaters 1957 – First North American Theater with 2 screens – The Elgin Theater in Ottawa, Canada
Movie Theaters 1963 – AMC Theaters creates first Multiplex
Movie Theaters 1995 – First Megaplex (18 or more screens) in United States is opened by AMC in Dallas, TX
How do Theaters make money? A movie theater will split the gross ticket revenue 50/50 with the Movie Studio. Some studios demand 70-90% of the Ticket Sales. Concession Stands – Popcorn, Coke, Candy, etc. Movie Theatres depend on high ticket sales in order to make money.
Why do People go to the Movies? Movie Theatre Experience Event (Family, Dating, Friends, etc.) Large Audience Large Screen Comfortable Seats Popcorn/Candy High Quality sound system
Why do People go to the Movies?
Why the Low Ticket Sales? 2005 – Largest box office drop in Two Decades $9.4 billion down to $8.9 billion From there was a 14.6% decrease in ticket sales – 6% drop in attendance put many theatre chains in bankruptcy.
Why the Low Ticket Sales? High Ticket Prices ($8 or higher at night) High Concession Prices (Lg. Popcorn and Lg. Coke ~ $9 Increased minutes in Advertisements and Previews (15-20min before Feature Presentation) Growing use of Cell Phones Talking Over seating Problems with Audio or Projector Bad Seats Film Quality Declining
Why the Low Ticket Sales? Short Term Profitability in Exchange for Alienating Core Audience
Improved Home Theater Viewing Lower prices in Hi-Def Widescreen/Flatscreen TVs Lower Prices in High Quality Sound Systems Private of own home Netflix and Blockbuster Online feed DVDs to Home Theatres
Improved Home Theater Viewing
Window between Movie Theatre release of a Movie to DVD Release is decreasing Used to be 6 months Now Usually around 4 months Children Movies – 3 months Less Time in Theater = Less Money
Solutions? Lower Ticket Prices Extend Matinee (afternoon hours) Lower Concession Prices Assigned Seating Ban Cell Phones Improve Quality of Films
Box Office Meltdown Movie Theatres and Movie Studios must work together to raise Movie Attendance. If not, Movie Theaters will go out of business and Movie Studios will have to restructure their whole business plan.
Box Office Meltdown 1940s – 60% of population went to the movies Today – 9% of Population
Box Office Meltdown