31/10/2011

There are 10,341 digital screens in Europe, equal to 30% of the total screens, and between end 2011 and beginning 2012, 50% of total screens should be equipped for digital format. While 8,417 screens are equipped for 3D, equal to 81% of the total amount of digital screens.

These data, updated on January 1, 2011, were presented by Elisabetta Brunella, Secretary General of MEDIA Salles, during the European Day organised by the MEDIA Programme within the scope of The Business Street at the Rome International Film Festival. Brunella underlined how the development of digital film is only in part due to the popularity of 3D. The financial incentives in place in individual countries and initiatives taken by the great circuits of the business are fundamental.

In Italy digital screens have gone from 912 to 1080 (+18,4%) from January to October 2011 (from January 2010 to January 2011 there had been an increase of 110%), while in the other five main European markets the increase was much greater: in Germany the number of digital screens went from 1239 to 2000 (+61,4%), while in France the increase was of 43,2% in the first six months of 2011 (from 1885 to 2700 digital screens), in the UK 42,8% (from 1400 to 2000), in Spain 32,1% (from 772 to 1020) and in Russia 27,5% (from 941 to 1200).

(Translated from Italian)