Movie ticket prices climbed modestly in 2014, topping out at an average of $8.17, according to the National Association of Theatre Owners.
That was a .50% rise from 2013’s average of $8.13, the exhibition industry lobbying group reported. Even with the increase, moviegoing was actually cheaper during the fourth quarter of 2014, despite the popularity of Imax titles such as “Interstellar” and 3D and premium format films such as “The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies.”
Ticket prices during the three-month period from October to December clocked in at $8.30. That was a .59% dip from 2013, when movie prices averaged $8.35 at year end.
Of course, Manhattanites would kill for ticket prices that low, but the average includes all fifty states and tends to rise or fall based on the number of 3D or premium format titles. Those extra bells and whistles come with a surcharge that inflates the cost of tickets.
It was a punishing year for the movie business. The total box office slipped 5.2% from 2013’s record-breaking numbers, falling to $10.35 billion. Attendance figures were even worse. Roughly 1.26 billion consumers purchased tickets, representing a two decade low.
