The MPAA has released its 2018 report on the global movie market (THEME), indicating a 9 percent year-over-year growth in theatrical and home entertainment revenue worldwide. Home entertainment revenues increased by 16 percent to $55.7 billion, while theatrical produced a record $41.1 billion from global admissions.
Domestic moviegoing in the U.S. and Canada saw a 5 percent bump in admissions in 2018, leading to an industry record of $11.9 billion. Frequent moviegoers, defined as those who go to the cinema once a month or more, accounted for nearly half (49%) of tickets sold throughout the year. 75 percent of the U.S./Canada population (263 million people) tallied at least one cinema visit over the year.
Millennials ages 12-17 and 18-24 represent the age group with the highest moviegoing frequency, averaging 5.1 cinema visits per year. Among ethnic groups, Hispanic/Latinos (4.7 visits) and Asians (4.5 visits) ranked the highest. Cinema screens in the United States grew by one percent to 40,575, marking the fourth consecutive year with over 40 thousand screens in the country.
The international box office (all markets excluding the U.S. & Canada) experienced a 1 percent dip from 2017, contributing $29.2 billion to the global tally. A 5 percent bump in Asia Pacific ($16.7 billion) was counteracted by slides in Europe, Middle East & Africa (-3%, $9.8 billion) and Latin America (-22%, $2.7 billion).
Seven international markets grossed over $1 billion in box office in 2018: China ($9 billion), Japan ($2 billion), the U.K. ($1.7 billion), South Korea ($1.6 billion), France ($1.6 billion), India ($1.5 billion), and Germany ($1 billion).
The cinema business continued to expand worldwide through 2018, marked by the return of first commercial cinema screens in Saudi Arabia. The global screen count increased by 7 percent, finishing the year just under 190 thousand. The growth was led by continued expansion in Asia Pacific, which grew by 13 percent in 2018.
The MPAA’s full report on the theatrical and home entertainment market can be found here.
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