Margaux Fodéré, edited by Laura Laplaud 08:59, October 06, 2022
In September, cinemas recorded their lowest attendance since 1980. But in addition to this drop, dark rooms face other difficulties such as competition with streaming platforms.
Consequently, the cinema accumulates financial problems.
Movie theaters are in distress.
In September, they recorded their lowest attendance rate since 1980, except in 2020, the year of the start of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Between competition from streaming platforms, the coronavirus crisis and changes in habit… Their economic health is fragile.
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Declining attendance
Only 105 million spectators have visited cinemas since the start of 2022. A figure which is down 30% compared to 2019. This movement is accompanied by a decrease in their turnover: at 742 million euros since January against 1.5 billion for a normal year.
If there are three months left before the end of the year to hope to raise the score, the objective is still far from being achieved.
The cinema ticket perceived too expensive
If the entrance ticket to the cinema seems expensive for many French people, it is often cheaper than in other European countries.
It will take 7.07 euros in France against 9 euros in Italy and even 12 euros in Germany.
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"People no longer want to go there": cinema attendance plummets
According to Richard Patry, president of the National Federation of French Cinemas, the French have the impression of paying too much for their ticket.
"Less than 15% of spectators pay the most expensive price in a cinema. In France, you have people who pay less than 4 euros for a cinema ticket. People only watch the most expensive price", affirms- he at the microphone of Europe 1.
Added to the reluctance of spectators is the soaring energy bill, which can represent up to 10% of the turnover of certain rooms.
But also the cost of modernizing the projectors: up to 50,000 euros per room.