The second annual National Cinema Day, held this past Sunday, delivered impressive results, attracting nearly 8.5 million attendees, up five percent from last year. The box office saw a 16 percent increase over the previous Sunday. According to Comscore, moviegoers aged 18-24 and 25-34 each made up 22 percent of the National Cinema Day audience, and the next largest age group was 13-17 with 16 percent. Women turned out in slightly higher numbers than men, making up 52 percent of the audience.
“National Cinema Day was a significant success in bringing together millions of film fans of all ages to enjoy movies on the big screen,” said Bryan Braunlich, executive director of The Cinema Foundation. “Movie theatres and all our partners helped maximize the impact of the day with creative marketing and special promotions that added to the overall excitement, while a diverse slate of exciting films provided something for everyone to see. Thank you to all those hard-working individuals who make the theatrical experience magical.”
In an increase from last year’s returns of over $24 million and more than 8.1 million moviegoers, the second annual National Cinema Day brought $34 million to the box office and 8.5 million attendees. More than 3,000 locations and more than 30,000 screens across the U.S. and Canada participated in National Cinema Day, and theatres reported sold-out showtimes in all formats throughout the day. All movies in all formats at all participating theatres were no more than $4 per ticket.
“The positive response to National Cinema Day is just another reminder of how much people love going to the movie theatre,” said Michael O’Leary, president & CEO of the National Association of Theatre Owners. “In every corner, audiences came together in large numbers this weekend to share in the experience of seeing great stories on the big screen. These numbers show us that the future of exhibition is strong, and that consumer enthusiasm for the theatrical experience continues unabated.”