Movie attendance in 2014 was the worst in nearly two decades

[Shawn Knight]

Last year was one of the worst for Hollywood in nearly two decades, at least in terms of getting people to the box office. Preliminary estimates suggest that the number of people in North America that went to the movies in 2014 slid to a low not realized since 1995.

Between January 1 and December 31, 2014, an estimated 1.26 billion consumers purchased movie tickets. As The Hollywood Reporter notes, that’s barely better than the 1.24 billion sold in 1994 albeit not as bad as the 1.21 billion that went to the movies in 1995. As it stands, attendance appears to be down roughly six percent when compared to 2013.

The last time admission fell below 1.3 billion was in 2011 when just 1.28 billion tickets were sold to theater-goers.

It’s worth reiterating that these are preliminary figures; official numbers won’t be ready until the National Association of Theater Owners finalizes financials for the fourth quarter.

Among the many potential reasons for declining attendance is likely ticket pricing. Estimates reveal an average ticket price of $8.15 for 2014 which, when combined with the number of tickets sold, results in a forecasted overall revenue of $10.36 billion.

That’s down five percent compared to the year-ago period and represents the biggest year-over-year decline in nine years.

A number of underperforming summer movies also led to lower-than-anticipated showings including The Amazing Spider-Man 2 and Transformers: Age of Extinction. 

Permalink to story.

https://www.techspot.com/news/59279-movie-attendance-2014-worst-nearly-two-decades.html

 

[Kibaruk]

Blame it on... mmm let me see... hacking!... yes that's it! Hacking is costing bollywood a fortune!

Truth be told on my behalf, I remember I used to say "nah this MUST be seen in a cinema/theater!" but nowadays I haven't seen a single movie last year that I actually wanted the whole cinema experience.

3D, 4D, yata yata...

 

[MilwaukeeMike]

Hmm... maybe coming out with the 3rd sequel to a comic book movie just isn't as great idea as it used to be. So since it's a new year and predictions are all the rage, let's make one about what'll be next since comic book flicks appear to have run their course.

Natural Disaster movies? No... done that.
Fantasy movies with epic battles? No, done that too.

Maybe a combination of the two with a different genre! 2015 will be the year of fantasy disaster movies with epic battles in ...wait for it... OUTER SPACE! Star wars will kick it off!

(or maybe The Hangover 4)

 

[LNCPapa]

#1 I probably don't want to see the 3D version and when more than 50% of the showings are 3D that reduces the number of opportunities I have to see it
#2 Prices to see movies have gotten pretty high where I live. Even the not-so-nice theaters are charging $9.50 for a non-3D showing.
#3 Snacks are too expensive. $7 for a popcorn and $5 for a soda reminds me of going to Disney World. It's easily $100 for me to take my family to see a movie. Times are tight for most people lately.

 

[yRaz]

People would go to movies if there was something worth seeing. How many spider man and transformer movies can you put out before people stop falling for an over-hyped movie trailer and fake reviews? I usually go to the movies about 4 times a year. In 2014 I went once and that was for interstellar. Oh, they wanted to charge me $7 for a bottle of water. It was either that or pay $11 for a "small" soft drink.

To put that in perspective my movie ticket was $8(was going to see it in iMax but they wanted $15 for a ticket). If I wanted a small drink it would cost me more than my ticket. And don't get me started on popcorn. They wanted $23 for a large bucket of popcorn and an extra $2 for butter. a small, pathetic bag of popcorn was $6. We're talking "fun sized" bag of chips small.

Now, I never buy that garbage when I go to the movies but it pisses me off I can't even have water in the theater without paying $7. I'm sure lots of people feel that way too. The price is too damn high and the movies aren't worth seeing. Not to mention every time I've gone to the movies in the last 3 years everyone's sitting on their ****ing cell phones. And there is always the guy that forgets to put his phone on vibrate.

Theaters and the movie industry need to do more to create a product that people want to pay for. I can rent whatever I want at home for a few dollars, eat what ever the hell I want and the best part is I don't even have to put pants on. Theaters need to compete with that to earn our dollars.

 

[Guest]

You forgot to mention..... 'blame it on torrents' as well.

You know what.... I live in NB Canada and I don't end up going to the movies a whole lot that I want to....but its not so much the movie content.,...its the theatre that my city has... its like a theatre from 1999. Not stadium seating... plays LIVE broadway shows (WTF?).... and charges $15 per ticket + tax. its the worst theate ive been in and its charging full price. ITs owned by Ciniplex and we are located in the 2nd biggest city in our province. This city has even won awards for being the most tech savvy city.... go figure...

Looking at you Ciniplex....

 

[Guest]

#1 I probably don't want to see the 3D version and when more than 50% of the showings are 3D that reduces the number of opportunities I have to see it
#2 Prices to see movies have gotten pretty high where I live. Even the not-so-nice theaters are charging $9.50 for a non-3D showing.
#3 Snacks are too expensive. $7 for a popcorn and $5 for a soda reminds me of going to Disney World. It's easily $100 for me to take my family to see a movie. Times are tight for most people lately.

Dood im paying $15 per movie at my theatre and its a shitty *** theatre. tight seating... not stadium seating.... its horrible. its from 1999

 

[Guest]

Theaters and the movie industry need to do more to create a product that people want to pay for. I can rent whatever I want at home for a few dollars, eat what ever the hell I want and the best part is I don't even have to put pants on. Theaters need to compete with that to earn our dollars.

Dont forget that they also need to install gun detectors now too.

 

[Guest]

2014 was the year that Empire Theatres quit the business.

 

[AnonymousSurfer]

Companies need to realize that consumers want to watch movies from the luxury of their homes. They aren't paying overpriced ticket or food costs, and they have the ability to pause the movie at any time to do something else. Mark my words, 10 or 15 years from now the mainstream movie theatre will be obsolete. The only ones that will continue to exist will be the ones that are 3D and give you the "Soarin" experience like at Epcot where you get breezes of scents and they can spray you with water when the occasion asks for it.

 

[yRaz]

Theaters and the movie industry need to do more to create a product that people want to pay for. I can rent whatever I want at home for a few dollars, eat what ever the hell I want and the best part is I don't even have to put pants on. Theaters need to compete with that to earn our dollars.

Dont forget that they also need to install gun detectors now too.

no, I need my gun for when the cashier asks $7 for a bottle of water

 

[TomSEA]

Posters have already covered the insanely high prices and crappy movies, and I agree with that too. My biggest pet peeve is the rudeness of patrons. Ever since the first VHS players where people discovered they could talk during movies in their living room and then decided it was OK to do the same in a movie theater, going to a movie has been a miserable experience. Now we have an ultra "absorbed with themselves" generation who spend 23 hours a day staring into their portable device and posting on social websites. God forbid they'd have to sit and watch a two hour movie without checking their phone or talking to their friends in a voice level you'd use at a rock concert.

Last movie I went to - about 4 months ago - there were two young ladies (early 20's I'd guess) sitting right in front of me and had been yapping away through all the previews. Fine - it's just previews. But just as the movie started, one looked to the other and said, "SO WHAT'S THIS MOVIE SUPPOSED TO BE ABOUT?" I leaned over and put my head right between the two and said, "Maybe if you shut the f--- up and watch it, you'll find out." People around us applauded when after my comment they got up and left.

That's why I don't go to movies but maybe once or twice a year.

 

[Guest]

I don't like 3D movies, but too many movies I want to see are 3D at the times that are convenient to me. Plus I don't like paying extra for this "gimmick."

Too many people texting on their cell phone or kicking my seat ruins the experience. It disturbs me from the reason I'm there... to watch a movie.

Prices for concessions are simply ridiculous. And they have been as long as I can remember.

Who has a big screen TV these days? And a surround sound system? Much more than 20 years ago.

What can a theatre provide that is significantly better than what I have at home? The only advantage is seeing a new movie when it first comes out. VOD is bringing new movies to peoples homes faster than ever before so that's becoming less of an issue.

 

[Guest]

Not only are there not that many movies worth seeing, I have no desire to see them in a sticky, messy, noisy theater when I can buy it on Bluray for half the cost of buying tickets for my family.

 

[MilwaukeeMike]

Not only are there not that many movies worth seeing, I have no desire to see them in a sticky, messy, noisy theater when I can buy it on Bluray for half the cost of buying tickets for my family.

And you can watch it as many times as you like. What you trade for that privilege though is seeing it first. Ironically though, in a time when Amazon is trying to deliver same-day and people are more impatient than ever, it seems that plenty are going this route and waiting for blu-ray. It sounds like the theater needs to start offering more of an experience past just the movie.
I wonder how those theaters that bring you drinks at your seat are doing....

 

[Guest17]

A very consistent consensus among commentators here suggests that the contemporary movie theater experience is terrible at best. Add to lousy movies and lousy theaters the fact that no matter how early you arrive you're inundated with ads and other spam that targets the most inane and downright *****ic people.
Then there's the ear-splitting noise. Etc., etc., etc. ad nauseam. Now, every time a new movie comes that I want to see I groan, knowing I'll have to wait to be able to see it in a different, more amenable format.

 

[Greg S]

I wonder how those theaters that bring you drinks at your seat are doing....

Dinner and a movie anyone? Seriously, you could make a killing selling tickets to a movie restaurant.

 

[tipstir]

I don't go to the movies well the prior GF didn't want to go, so I didn't go for 3 years. In 2011 was the last time and was really expensive with two kids and me. Nephew/Niece. Popcorn, soda, bottle water large candy bar for the Nephew, 3D glasses rental cost me nearly $70 buck for afternoon. I what they're producing today is not the best they can slap together.

 

[TomSEA]

I wonder how those theaters that bring you drinks at your seat are doing....

Dinner and a movie anyone? Seriously, you could make a killing selling tickets to a movie restaurant.

There are two theater chains in Seattle called Cinnebar and iPic that serve dinner meals. Terrific places plus they serve beer and cocktails, which means it's a 21 and over theater, keeping kids and teens out. Those are the only locations I consider going to movies these days.

 

[Lionvibez]

Many of you have touched on the issues.

The movie going experience it just horrible and over priced.

I have to pay 12-15 dollars for a movie.

I then get to deal with over priced drinks and snacks which I don't pay for. I will fill up my girls purse with stuff from the store before we go.

Then you have *****s with phones and crying babies.

Then you have ***** teenagers

And last but not least most of the Movies just plain suck.

I'm tired of seeing sequals and remakes show me some original content.

That about sums up why I barely go maybe once or twice a year.

Just not worth it and if that movies sucks I don't get my money back.

And forget about taking a family of 4 to see a movie after snacks that is a $75 dollar night.

 

[Guest]

Went to the movies in Florida and they sold beer. They need to do that everywhere.

 

[cliffordcooley]

#3 Snacks are too expensive. $7 for a popcorn and $5 for a soda reminds me of going to Disney World. It's easily $100 for me to take my family to see a movie. Times are tight for most people lately.

That is the number one reason why I go as little as possible. The obvious 400% markup on merchandise is the biggest deterrent.

My second excuse is that when I buy something, I'd like to take it home. It is not very often I feel like splurging without regard for taking something home. The big screen moment rarely outweighs waiting on DVD release for my part.

And forget about taking a family of 4 to see a movie after snacks that is a $75 dollar night.

I watch the movie, I don't go to buy their overpriced crap. Eat before you go and leave your drink in the car.

 

[Adam1]

Hmm... maybe coming out with the 3rd sequel to a comic book movie just isn't as great idea as it used to be. So since it's a new year and predictions are all the rage, let's make one about what'll be next since comic book flicks appear to have run their course.

Natural Disaster movies? No... done that.
Fantasy movies with epic battles? No, done that too.

Maybe a combination of the two with a different genre! 2015 will be the year of fantasy disaster movies with epic battles in ...wait for it... OUTER SPACE! Star wars will kick it off!

(or maybe The Hangover 4)

9 out of the top 10 biggest movies in 2014 were sequels, its the reason nobody goes anymore, nobody making movies can make anything orignal anymore

 

[Gleowine]

Don't forget about bedbugs!

Really for me there just are not many movies I want go see...

I'm also mainly done with TV And video games

Think I'll take a walk

 

[Tekkaraiden]

Not many movies I wanted to see and the ones I did were only available in 3d in my area.