|
On the occasion of the Berlinale,
MEDIA Salles presents the new statistics on cinema-going
More Spectators in Cinemas (+2.0%) in a Two-track Europe
For 2017 MEDIA Salles once again reports a positive global trend in the 36 countries where figures are already available: audiences have grown again, reaching a figure of 1,328.7 million with a 2.0% increase over the 1,302.1 in 2016.
Nonetheless, different trends emerge in Western Europe and in Central and Eastern Europe and the Mediterranean Rim.
The 18 western countries, with a total 881.2 million admissions, reveal a dip of 1.6% losing over 14 million spectators.
On the contrary, in the other 18 territories growth continues, bringing them up to a total amount of 447.4 million tickets, compared to the 406.4 million in 2016, and rising by 10.1%.
Western Europe
The dip that seems to emerge from the overall figures for Western Europe nevertheless conceals rather uneven trends in the different countries, with some markets that have obtained increases of up to 6% and others that have even recorded losses coming to over 10%.
These differences are to be found on Western Europe's 5 leading markets, too. Here, France, confirming its position as Western Europe's top market, and despite losing around 4 million spectators (-1.8%), records its third best result since 1968. A decidedly larger dip is recorded in Italy where the MEDIA Salles estimates for screens active for at least 60 days a year, yield 98.5 million spectators, with an approximately 12% decrease, which can be attributed largely to the drop in the number of tickets sold by Italian films. According to Cinetel figures, their market share slid from 28.7% in 2016 to 18.3% in 2017.
As to Spain, we can speak of a situation of basic stability, since the MEDIA Salles estimates point to 101.2 million spectators, pared down slightly with respect to the 101.8 million in 2016 (-0.6%). More positive results are to be seen in Germany, where tickets sold amount to 122,3 millions, showing a 1.0% rise, and the United Kingdom, which gains over 2 million spectators (+1.4%), once again crossing the 170-million-ticket threshold.
A plus sign is also recorded for the Netherlands (+5.3%), bordering on 36 million spectators and continuing the positive series of results that has led them to double their admissions since the mid-Nineties. Also on the rise are Portugal (+4.4%) and Ireland (+2.1%): both countries better thresholds they had not managed to cross since 2011. Portugal concludes well beyond the 15-million-spectator mark, Ireland beyond 16 million. Finland, too, records a positive trend, where estimates indicate a rise of around 3.6%.
Overall stability is to be found in Switzerland which, according to the figures available to date, equals its 2016 result (13.5 million spectators), in Belgium, where the figures are, however, estimates only, and Greece, where a 0.7% rise is expected.
Instead, audiences diminish in Austria (-1.9%, according to the MEDIA Salles estimates), Sweden (-3%), Iceland (-3.4%) and Denmark (-3.8%). A sharper dip occurs in Norway, which fails to repeat the excellent 2016 result (13.1 million spectators), closing at approximately 11.8 million and dropping by 10.3%, and on the small market of Liechtenstein (-17.6%).
Central and Eastern Europe and the Mediterranean Rim
In this part of Europe, which sees an overall growth rate of 10.1%, audiences are on the rise almost everywhere, though to differing extents. Amongst the territories that increased more than average in 2017, the Serbian Republic stands out (+27.7%), followed by the large market constituted by Turkey, whose audiences cross the 70-million threshold for the first time (71.2 million), with a 22.1% rise, also linked to the opening of new movie theatres. An exceptional growth rate is recorded for the Slovak Republic (+18.1%). Closer-to-average increases are recorded for Lithuania (+10.7%) and Russia which, up by 9.8%, counts a total 213.6 million spectators. It thus becomes the Continent's leading cinema market, overtaking France for the first time.
Next comes Poland, growing by 8.7% and even bettering the exceptional result obtained in 2016. Also on the rise are Romania (around +7.4%) - its growth has been
|
Dear Readers,
 Our appointment with Berlin comes round again this year, representing a moment of deep commitment for MEDIA Salles, which does not fail to keep its ongoing promise to provide an overall picture of cinema-going in Europe's movie theatres. But this is also an opportunity to reflect on the state and prospects of cinema exhibition in Europe. We have spoken of a two-track continent moving forward at different speeds: whilst for years now the Central and Eastern European markets and those of the Mediterranean Rim continue to grow - though at differing rates - in Western Europe it can be stated that the results expected after the exceptional effort to modernize the sector have only become firmly established over time on certain markets.
Other countries, instead, either reveal a growth rate that is more or less equal to the increase in screen numbers or have, over the last few years, lost a considerable number of the spectators they had gained in happier days. Without going into the nonetheless necessary analysis of what has caused this uneven situation, basically within Western European countries, I think we can already affirm that the attention of those who, both in the public and private sectors, believe in a healthy, plural, diversified industry deeply rooted over the territory, must shift from a purely numerical increase in total ticket sales over the past twenty years, to that of profitability. The exhibition sector has made considerable investments, in order to offer spectators greater cinema-going satisfaction - easier access to theatres, big screens, stadium-seating, cutting-edge sound technology, digital projection, live events and much more - but the ratio between the number of spectators and number of screens does not bring the same rewards everywhere. We are therefore happy to see more spectators coming into our theatres but at the same time urge everyone to take a more profound and critical look at the treasure trove of figures offered by MEDIA Salles.
As from 17 February, the advance edition of our European Cinema Yearbook - taking a more detailed look at the data provided in this Newsletter - will be available on our website: you are warmly invited to take a look!
Paolo Protti
President
(Per leggere il testo in italiano cliccare qui) |
|
|
uninterrupted since 2007 -, Estonia (+6.7%), Croatia (+5.7%) and Hungary (+2.1%) touching on 15 million spectators, a result that had not been obtained since the early Two Thousands.
More or less stable are Bulgaria (-0.2%) and Cyprus (+0.7%). Counter trends come instead from Slovenia (-1.4%), Latvia (-1.6%) and the Czech Republic (-2.5%). The latter country nonetheless remains beyond the flattering threshold of 15 million spectators gained in 2016.
New this year
For the first time, the MEDIA Salles statistics also present the figures for Georgia, the Ukraine and Montenegro, all territories that grew from 2016 to 2017, by respectively 12.4%, 3.4% and 2.4%.
An overall picture of the highest grossing domestic films in 2017 has also been added. In several countries these films take first or second place in the overall classifications, significantly contributing to the number of tickets sold. This, for example, is the case in Lithuania, Poland, Turkey and Finland. Another result to be highlighted is that of the Russian film "Posledniy Bogatyr", ranking second in the Country - which was seen by over 7 million spectators.
All the 2017 figures published in this press release should be considered provisional.
ADMISSIONS (x 1,000)
Western Europe
© copyright MEDIA Salles
Central and Eastern Europe and Mediterranean Rim
© copyright MEDIA Salles
Highest grossing domestic films in 2017 (including co-production)
© copyright MEDIA Salles
Notes: not available data is indicated with .
1) Ranking by admissions
2) Ranking by admissions
(Per leggere il testo in italiano cliccare qui) |
