Box office popcorn for movie theaters. But where are the viewers?

The previous box office revenue record is INRAccording to media consulting firm Ormax’s report Box Office Report: 2023, box office revenue in 2019 was $10.948 billion. Meanwhile, the number of viewers decreased from 1.03 billion in 2019 to 943 million in 2023, although the latter increased by about 6% from 2022.

Experts say the significant increase in ticket prices is helping the movie industry fill the “footfall” gap. According to the Ormax report, average ticket prices (ATP) rose 9% in 2023 compared to 2022 and are now 22% higher than 2019 levels. Additionally, movie theater owners say filmmakers are not spending enough money to promote their films. That’s why people don’t come to the theater because they don’t know.

The contrast is stark for Hindi films, where admissions fell from 341 million in 2019 to 275 million in 2023, despite increased box office revenue. INRFrom 538 billion in 2023 INR483.1 billion yen in 2019.

Industry experts say footfall is down 10-20% across multiplex chains and single-screen theaters, with ATP increases estimated at up to 35% for some multiplex chains. However, he added that it is alienating some moviegoers. A cheaper and more convenient option will be home viewing on his OTT channels such as Netflix and Prime Video.

Ajay Bijli, managing director of PVR Inox Ltd, maintained that the hike in ticket prices has not hit consumers. “For an audience that is very conscious of how they spend their two and a half to three hours of time, pricing is not a deterrent. If you don’t include the premium format fees, pricing is very difficult. “It will be,” he said. It’s not that expensive. ” PVR Inox reported that the number of hospitalizations in the third quarter of 2024 decreased by 2% compared to the same period last year.

Trade experts said the price hike was a strategy adopted by the conglomerate chain, which has fallen into the red after the coronavirus outbreak. With large audiences hungry to get out and about, with blockbuster films like Pathaan, Jawan and Animal ready for release, it was easy to capitalize on the revenge consumption trend. did.

However, this strategy may have backfired on films that did not receive positive reviews or were produced on a small scale without big stars. Some titles might have been able to achieve better numbers if prices weren’t so high, as they were a few years ago.

“Audiences are ready for a premium, luxury experience when it comes to their movie demands, and now they have a lot of choice. Movies are available for streaming at home within eight weeks of their theatrical release,” said Film Distributor. Mr. Sunny Khanna, director and exhibitor, explained.

Some point to the low level of marketing by the studio, which has led to a decline in visibility among audiences, especially non-metro audiences, and a decline in foot traffic.

“Awareness is so low that there is no sense of urgency among people to go see a movie. There must be a sense of FOMO (fear of missing out),” said movie theater operator Mirage Entertainment. Amit Sharma, Managing Director of

Rahul Puri, managing director of Mukta Arts and Mukta A2 Cinemas, said the coronavirus has disrupted people’s habit of going to movie theaters, hitting footfall and revenue. But he is hopeful.

“We are seeing a change in pattern and going forward, we expect footfall to return to pre-COVID levels and even exceed it as screens become more accessible in smaller towns,” Puri said.