28/01/2010 - Movie theatres raised 675 million euros, 9% more than the previous year.

Movie theatres raised 675 million euros, 9% more than the previous year

• The total number of visitors increased by 2.8% to 110 million. Thus 2009 has become the second best year (for takings) of the last decade.
• The digital 3D cinema has undoubtedly been the big news of the year. The 17 films released in this format have managed to raise 50.4 million euros and attract 6 million visitors to 225 screens in 3D with which our country ended the year.
• Up, Agora and Avatar have been the big winners of the year in different categories: increased revenue, increased national takings and highest grossing film of a film in 3D, respectively.
• The good Spanish market data have been repeated in most European countries. Only Finland, Italy and Ireland have seen a drop in visitors.

Wednesday, January 20, Madrid .- The year 2009 was a historic year for the exhibition sector. With a total gross of 675 million euros, 9% more than in 2008 and 110 million viewers, an increase amounting to 2.8%,it is not just an end to the downward trend in cinema attendance of the last 4 years but the year 2009 becomes the second best year (for takings) of the last decade, surpassed only by the year 2004. This is reflected in the data of the specialist consultancy Nielsen EDI, from 1 January to 31 December 2009.

After an exceptional start to the year (the first half of 2009 became the second best start of the last 5 years, surpassed only by the year 2006 where a gross of 300 million euros was reached) and an irregular summer, the sector approached the final stretch of the year breaking box office records, with an outstanding contribution by Spanish cinema films like Agora, Cell 211, Planet 51, REC 2, Spanish Movie ... to close the year with the expected release of more recent times, Avatar , that in just 12 days managed to place itself as the second most popular film of the year after Up, with over 24 million in takings.

For the exhibition sector, the economic conditions experienced during 2009, which turns cinema into a form of affordable entertainment for spectators compared with other alternatives (weekend outings, theatre, sporting events ...) the great reception of cinema in 3D, which can only be seen in a movie theatre and you cannot hack, and the contribution of domestic cinema, particularly in the second half of the year, were the main causes of this increase in numbers.

Up, with takings of 24.3 million euros and 3.6 million viewers was the most popular film of the year. Agora, heads the list of domestic films with 20.9 million and 3.3 million viewers. Finally, Avatar with 12 million euros and 1.4 million viewers (*) tops the list of 3D movies.

This closes a remarkable year, but despite the good results, maintains two threats that endanger the continuation of this upward trend in the coming years. On the one hand, the exhibition sector is deeply concerned about the impact that the approval of the Law on Film in Catalonia, at national level and other, digital piracy can have, which continues to cause serious harm to the entire Film Industry and whose control and regulation remains an important issue for the government and an essential measure for the sector. That is why the exhibition sector supports legislation that seeks to introduce the executive to regulate the internet misuse and block or close those websites illegally exchanging protected files or obtained out of law, as directly recorded movies in cinemas.

Movie theatres have invested over 32 million euros in 3D cinema
The year 2009 marked a historical milestone not only in terms of revenue and viewers, but also in implementation of digital facilities in our country.

Given the wide potential presented earlier this year, the 3D cinema and the great reception that took the alternative content in the previous year and would have continuity in the 2009 (opera, soccer ...) exhibition entrepreneurs decided to opt for new technologies with private investment of over 32 million, without any help or public subsidy, to revolutionize the industry and offer the viewer new content and new ways of seeing cinema, which would attract people back to theatres.

Thanks to this investment the number of digital theatres has been increased from 53 in 2008 to 286 (of which 225 are 3D) in just one year. All CC.AA have at least one digital projector, and only the provinces of Burgos, Soria, Teruel and Cuenca do not have digital projectors. In total, 48% of the Spanish population has direct access to digital cinema.

With this effort to invest in a sector that is still emerging from the crisis experienced in the recent years, the current demand for 3D content is covered, which is today the only advantage to the exhibitor of this technological change. Digital cinema will be beneficial for all stages of the Film Industry, State (bigger and better dissemination of European cinema), Production (cost savings), Distribution (cost savings) etc ... In the future their mutual financial cooperation will be required to continue digitalizing movie theatres, as the current model where the exhibitor assumes all financial burden is not sustainable. If all of them benefit of the change, it is only fair that they cooperate to ensure that Spain has a global digital cinema park in the short term.

Increased attendance to cinemas in Europe (*)
Movie theatres in major markets of Europe have seen an increased attendance to cinemas, except Finland, Italy and Ireland. The 3D cinema in Spain has been one of the main factors which has relaunched the movies in the cinema as one of the favourite leisure alternatives Europeans.
Germany has led the greatest increase in visitors with a +16.4%, followed by the Netherlands with a +15%, Norway +6.8%, France +5.7%, United Kingdom +5.6%, Denmark + 5.4% and Greece + 2.5%.
Finland and Italy have seen a reducing number of viewers, but at the same time as the box office rose by 2% and 4.9% respectively.
Ireland is the only country with negative figures at the box office and theatres, -3.5% and -1.3% respectively.

(*) Avatar 3D Data estimated FECE
(*) % Of population counting in their municipality with at least one digital cinema, excluding areas of Influence

Source: EDI Nielsen