Ticket sales for movies reached an all-time high last year, thanks largely in part to high demand and higher ticket prices for 3-D films reports USA Today.
For 2009, ticket sales rose 10% worldwide, leading to a take of $29.9 billion at the box-office. That figure is a new high for the movie industry.
The Motion Picture Association of America’s annual study of film attendances paints a rosy outlook for the movie business, an industry that has flourished in the recession as families look for cheaper forms of entertainment.
Moviegoing worldwide leaped almost 8% last year, mirroring the 10% spike in the U.S. box office in 2009. The surge came despite an economic spiral that shuttered production on many films. The study says 793 movies were released domestically last year, a 12% decline from the 896 movies in 2008.
But 3-D films helped make up the difference. According to the study, 3-D movies constituted 11% of all business last year, compared with 2% in 2008. Those funny glasses helped rake in $1.1 billion in ticket sales last year, a 375% increase from the year before.
Hollywood is responding with a larger slate of high-tech flicks. Studios cranked out 20 3-D films last year, compared with eight in 2008.
“The future of this business is digital (screens) with 3-D capability,” says Bob Pisano, president of the MPAA. “That’s very clear from all the evidence we have. People are flocking to see movies in 3-D and, frankly, they are willing to pay a premium for it.”
Indeed, ticket prices saw their largest jump in eight years, fueled in part by 3-D films, which can cost more than $15 a ticket. In 2009, the average cost of a movie ticket was $7.50, a 4.4% increase from last year.
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