What was once one of the best activities to do on a rainy day or late night, movie theaters have been fluctuating in numbers for the past few years. After COVID and with the development of streaming services, the number of people attending has dropped exponentially, but with big hits and people becoming more comfortable with public spaces, movie theaters have begun to rise again.
The future of movie theaters has been something not many can predict. Although the entirety of cinemas are not going out of business anytime soon, they’ll need to adapt to continue thriving. With pre-pandemic numbers being as high as 359 million people for the year 2018, theaters have not yet regained as much popularity with a high of 240 million attending in 2023.
Many Massachusetts theaters have closed their doors to the public due to insufficient funds these past few years, but there are many reasons for the shift in theaters, and COVID is just one of them.
Inflation impacts everything in the world; The rise in the cost of going to the movies is no exception. With ticket prices upping every year, to some people, it is not worth the price. The national average of tickets is $12 a movie, and this only covers the movie, not including anything extra you may want like popcorn or drinks. If you are going out with your four person family, that is $48 in tickets alone. Going to the movie theater should not have to be a luxury, it should be something everyone can enjoy. Not everyone has an extra $48 lying around.
Another issue with the pricing is with an unlimited amount of movies Netflix provides or by renting it OnDemand for a fraction of the cost many people have a hard time justifying this price.
Going to the movies is relaxing or at least it’s supposed to be. You could argue that the experience of going to the movies is better than staying at home, and maybe that was once the case, but realistically movie theaters are filled with germs. At our local theater (Blackstone Valley Shoppes) and many others I have been to, the chairs are uncomfortable and, honestly, dirty. This takes away from the experience of the movie.
The stress of going to the movie theaters has also heightened. Having a family with young kids is a hassle when you are going out in public. It is easier to just rent a movie in the comfort of your home to avoid the headache. According to a survey, 77% of adults would rather watch a movie at home than go to the theaters.
Granted, depending on the popularity of the movies coming out, the data would be different, but I gave my own survey out, asking around how many times people have gone to the theater this year. 85% of students say they go to the movies 5 or fewer times a year.
Although with all this data, movie theaters seem to be going out of business quickly, they are projected to have a rise in the upcoming years. Blockbusters are getting released more and more with the pandemic slowed. They are generating revenue and the numbers are climbing. In the year 2029 people utilizing movie theaters will rise to 14.6%. Additionally, some theaters are trying to improve their spaces by renovating to help them potentially gain back popularity.
Cinemas are trying their best to stay alive. With numbers rising and new movies coming out weekly, we will hopefully see a decrease in theaters having to close their doors.
