The summer 2011 box office reached a new record of $4.4 billion reports the National Association of Theatre Owners. Summer admissions were up an estimated one percent over summer 2010 to 546 million. 2011 also marked the fifth consecutive summer in which box office revenues exceeded $4 billion. (Summer is defined as running from the first full weekend in May through Labor Day of each year.) NATO president and CEO John Fithian says “In the midst of nine percent unemployment and a continuing weak economy it is striking that the movie theater industry can continue to grow revenues and admissions. Along with our distribution partners movie theaters offer compelling entertainment in state-of-the-art facilities at reasonable prices. In a weak economy or strong the movie theater remains the first and most affordable choice in out-of-home entertainment.” Both box office and admissions have rebounded strongly since the difficult Q1 comparison with 2010. Second quarter box office outstripped the same quarter in 2010 by 4.4 percent. Admissions were ahead by two percent. The -21-percent first quarter gap has been nearly erased with year-to-date box office behind 2010 by only 4.3 percent and a likely very strong fall and holiday period ahead.
