Lowering the price of cinema tickets to bring audiences back to the cinema, a false good idea?

From 3 July until Wednesday 6 July it can be seen all films screened for 4 euros on the occasion of the Film Festival.

Unfortunately, this beautiful event is not enough to stem thethe phenomenon of decline experienced by cinemas. Since the Covid-19 crisis, industry professionals have been in the way 20% to 30% the number of spectators who has not returned to theaters.

France, relatively spared from the world cinema crisis

In an interview with Info France, Richard Patry analyzed the links between the cinema crisis and the price of a seat. The president of the National Federation of French Cinemas is categorical: lowering the ticket price would not solve the problem…And they would also create new ones.

To better question this crisis, Patry started placing French cinemas in the global context. In fact, if they record an estimated decline of between 25% and 30%, these figures appear according to him as ” a miracle than other countries. And for good reason: ” Spain is minus 50%, Italy minus 70% “.

Is cinema expensive?

If the French situation is less dramatic than in other countries, the challenge for the sector is to find 100% of its viewers. The difficulty is all the greater since, beyond the pandemic problem, the explosion of the platforms harms the cinema ecosystem.

when Info France pointed out to Patry that a full ticket costs 15 euros, or one month subscription to a streaming service, the president of the Federation explained 81% of viewers do not pay full price.

Studies say that in fact, some people think movie tickets are too expensive. People who think movie tickets are too expensive are the ones who don’t go. Those who go to the cinema absolutely do not mention the reason for the price as a brake.

Rates that support the industry

Behind the price of the cinema ticket, there is a whole sector. Indeed, France has a unique financing model in the world in which a percentage is subtracted from each ticket sold finance some of the new productions.

Thus, Richard Patry explains:

France undoubtedly has the most beautiful cinema park in the world. If you lower the price of the seats, we will no longer have the opportunity to invest.

Today we can clearly see that 75% of viewers who have returned to the cinema expect welcoming and modern venues, as they want the experience to be exceptional. They want to see films that also cost a lot of money to produce.

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