The high cost of movie tickets kept people away from theaters last year, at least according to a new study.
The study, done by PricewaterhouseCoopers, asked over 1,000 moviegoers about what keeps them away from movies. Over half, 53 percent, cited the rising prices of movie tickets as the main reason they saw less movies in 2014.
Last year saw a 5 percent decrease in domestic box-office sales for movies from the year before, marking the lowest rate of attendance in nearly 20 years. The survey backs this up, with 25 percent of Americans stating they saw fewer movies in 2014 than in 2013. And the main reason was cost. In 2014, the average ticket price was $8.08, which rose from $7.84 in 2013.
"High ticket prices are, by far, the number one reason for dissatisfaction across age demos and by movie-going frequency," says PricewaterhouseCoopers. "Despite advanced technology, better seating, improved concessions and the return of 3D movies, the negative of higher ticket prices is difficult to counter-act."
The study also found that 3D doesn't necessarily get people into theaters and is the least likely factor into filling seats. With the study's results one might argue that the higher ticket costs associated with 3D films could be keeping people away.
Interestingly enough, AMC theaters reported an increase in concession sales last year by nearly 10 percent. This could, though, be the result of higher concession prices.
Although pricing played a major role in keeping people away from theaters, 41 percent of survey respondents cited that last year's movies weren't interesting enough to see, with 30 percent wanting to see movies on their own schedules. This also explains why 71 percent stated they were "very" or "somewhat" interested in watching new movies at home, with an overwhelming 82 percent agreeing that they would pay up to $20 extra for that privilege.
This could be disturbing news to theaters, which depend on people filling seats for new films. But even taking new films out of the equation, today's modern movie watchers have less expensive options for watching movies now, with cheap DVD rental services such as Redbox and streaming services such as Netflix.
To stave off the decline, PricewaterhouseCoopers recommends offering moviegoers more incentives, including subscription services and last-minute discounts. The organization also recommends that theaters promote the technological benefits of seeing movies there with studios focusing on more interesting content.
[Photo Credit: J. Smith/Wiki Commons]
