MPAA: Record High box Office in 2010

The Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) released its annual Theatrical Market Statistics Report for 2010. The report shows that global box office receipts for all films released around the world reached an all time high of $31.8 billion, an increase of 8% over 2009.

The U.S./Canada market repeated its peak performance from last year but remained flat at $10.6 billion. International box office increased by 13%, with the largest growth in Asia Pacific which grew by 21%. More than 40% of the Asia Pacific box office growth occurred in China. However, China remains a highly restrictive market for foreign film distribution.

The 3D market was a key driver at the U.S./Canada box office making up 21%, or $2.2 billion of the total, doubling last year’s performance, and compared to just 2% of the box office in 2008. One in three people in the U.S. and Canada saw a 3D movie in 2010. Younger moviegoers are avid consumers of the 3D experience; 64% of moviegoers ages 2-17 viewed at least one 3D movie in 2010.

The number of tickets sold in the U.S./Canada declined 5% to 1.34 billion, returning to the 2008 level. While the number of moviegoers was up 3% compared to the previous year, the average number of movies they attended declined to an average of six times in 2010, from 6.5 in 2009. Ticket sales continue to be fueled by repeated visits to the cinema by frequent moviegoers ­ those who go to the movies once a month or more. Frequent moviegoers make up only 11% of the population but bought over half of all tickets sold in 2010. While the number of frequent moviegoers rose to 35 million, up three million from the previous year, occasional moviegoers ­ those who see less than one movie per month ­ went to the movies less frequently in 2010.

The number of screens has remained constant over the past five years at around 150,000 worldwide; however digital screens have increased dramatically. Nearly one-quarter of all screens are now digital and over 60% of those are 3D-capable. In 2010, every region in the world more than doubled its digital screen count for an overall increase of 122%.

Public Knowledge President Gigi Sohn was quick to congratulate MPAA: "Once again, we would like to congratulate the movie industry on another fabulous year. By all accounts, business is booming, as the industry admits. Despite a global recession and bad weather, among other factors, the U.S./Canada box office was $10.6 billion ­ a fabulous figure, even if unchanged from a year ago when added to the rest of the industry’s financial performance. We also note and are pleased that some in the industry are making new arrangements to have their products seen by consumers at home, such as deals made by Paramount, Lion’s Gate and MGM with Netflix. While these deals don't count as box office receipts, they do contribute to Hollywood’s financial health and to consumer choice. With all of the industry’s success here and around the world, we are again compelled to make the point that the unseemly attack on the fundamental structure of the Internet through punitive legislation and use of government law-enforcement as Hollywood’s private police is clearly a case of overkill. Any business, whether global entertainment or a department store, figures in some loss as the cost of operations. The big media company reaction year after year for ever more Draconian legislation is patently unnecessary, and Congress should reject it.”