🎫 Box Office Revenues Outpace Cinema Attendance

This trend has also impacted the Russian market, where ticket sales dropped by nearly 7% by the end of 2025, with industry analysts forecasting no swift bottoming out.

The COVID-19 pandemic marked a fundamental turning point for the industry. Prior to 2020, regular cinema attendance was a deeply ingrained leisure habit, sustained by a steady slate of blockbuster releases. The enforced shift toward streaming platforms fostered a lasting pattern of home content consumption that persisted even after pandemic restrictions were lifted.

Facing declining foot traffic, cinema chains have relied primarily on dynamic ticket pricing to sustain their financial performance. While the average price of a standard global ticket was previously around $9, today it exceeds $13, with premium IMAX screenings starting at $18. Consequently, the observed growth in gross box office revenue is driven entirely by inflation and higher average ticket spend, rather than an actual expansion of the audience base.

In the Russian market, the situation is further complicated by a shortage of major studio content following the departure of Hollywood majors in 2022. While alternative theatrical formats have partially cushioned attendance numbers, they fail to offset the broader decline in interest in offline screenings. Ultimately, relying on price hikes to compensate for dwindling foot traffic faces a natural ceiling dictated by price elasticity of demand and consumer purchasing power.