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Cinemas - UK - December 2018

OVERVIEW
What you need to know
Products covered in this Report
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The market
Decade high for admissions
Figure 1: UK cinema market volume (admissions) forecast, 2013-23
Summer cinema impacted by World Cup fever
Superheroes and sequels lead the box office charts
Beyond 3D
Maintaining an appropriate release window
Companies and brands
Cineworld maintains lead amongst the big three
Figure 2: Major cinema operators’ sites and screens, October 2018
UKCA invests in data analytics and automated processes
The consumer
No change in overall cinema visitors in 2018
Figure 3: Cinema visiting, October 2018
Regular viewers more likely to watch premium screenings
Mobile booking matches PC bookings
Six in 10 had a discounted ticket for their last trip
What we think
ISSUES AND INSIGHTS
Discounting a vital part in driving admissions
The facts
The implications
Increasing premium options but losing differentiation
The facts
The implications
THE MARKET – WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
Decade high for admissions
Cinema operator revenue benefits from increased visitors and better yields
Summer cinema impacted by World Cup fever
Superheroes and sequels lead the box office charts
Solo: A Star Wars Story underperforms
Investing in premium screening options
Cinema operators want to maintain appropriate release window
MARKET SIZE AND FORECAST
Decade high for admissions
Figure 4: UK cinema market volume (admissions) forecast, 2013-23
Figure 5: UK cinema market, 2013-23
Cinema operator revenue benefits from increased visitors and better yields
Figure 6: UK cinema market value forecast, 2013-23
Forecast methodology
MARKET SEGMENTATION
Strong admissions in 2018
Summer cinema impacted by World Cup fever…
…but bounces back with a busy August
Figure 7: UK cinema market, by segment, 2013-18
Figure 8: UK cinema monthly admissions, 2014-18
Average base ticket price falls
High mark-up food and drink helps recover investment
Increasing time in the lobby
Other revenue streams also responsive to admissions
Figure 9: Top cinema advertisers, January-September 2018
Rising online bookings boost revenue from fees
MARKET DRIVERS
The 2018 film landscape
Superheroes and sequels lead the box office charts
Strong showing from family films
Solo: A Star Wars Story underperforms
Figure 10: Top 20 films released in the UK and Ireland, by box office revenue, Q1-Q3 2018
Investing in premium screening options
The number of 3D releases is down, but performance is up
Beyond 3D
Diversifying genres in low-attendance months
Resurgence for horror films
Figure 11: Average monthly cinema admissions as a proportion of yearly admissions, 2002-17
Maintaining an appropriate release window
OTT streaming services: More than a TV disruptor?
Cannes Film Festival bans streamed films from competition
COMPANIES AND BRANDS – WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
Cineworld maintains lead amongst the big three
Odeon Leicester Square flagship to re-open
Cineworld invests in IMAX, 4DX and ScreenX
Google Home supports ticket purchasing with voice
Advertising spend posts small growth in 2017
MARKET SHARE
Cineworld maintains lead amongst the big three
Picturehouse and Everyman contrast the mass-market multiplexes
Figure 12: Major cinema operators’ sites and screens, October 2018
Figure 13: Number major cinema operators’ screens, 2016-18
LAUNCH ACTIVITY AND INNOVATION
UKCA invests in data analytics and automated processes
Odeon Leicester Square flagship to re-open
Cineworld invests in IMAX, 4DX and ScreenX
Secret Cinema pushes Romeo + Juliet into the box office charts
Vue ‘any film, any day’ cheap tickets
Disney continues with plans to buy Fox
Chain-specific memberships thrive
Google Home supports ticket purchasing with voice
ADVERTISING AND MARKETING ACTIVITY
Advertising spend posts small growth in 2017
Figure 14: Total above-the-line, online display and direct mail advertising expenditure for UK film distributors and cinemas, 2012-17
Distributor marketing campaigns in 2018
Warner Bros and Universal contribute over a third of distributor advertising spend
Figure 15: Share of recorded above-the-line, online display and direct mail advertising expenditure by film distributors, Jan-Sep 2018
Figure 16: Top 15 films, by recorded above-the-line, online display and direct mail advertising expenditure, Jan-Sep 2018
Nielsen Ad Intel coverage
THE CONSUMER – WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
No change in overall cinema visitors in 2018
Young people continue to be cinema’s largest demographic
2D dominates screening options
Regular viewers more likely to watch premium screenings
Mobile booking matches PC bookings
Six in 10 had a discounted ticket for their last trip
Booking fees impacting booking choices
Discounts a key factor in choosing a new cinema
CINEMA VISITING
No change in overall cinema visitors in 2018
Over a third visit at least once a month
Young people continue to be cinema’s largest demographic
Figure 17: Cinema visiting, October 2018
Figure 18: How regularly cinema-goers visit the cinema, October 2018
Gender differences reflect genre preferences
Figure 19: How regularly cinema-goers visit the cinema, by gender, October 2018
SCREENING TYPES AND FILM GENRES
2D dominates screening options
Figure 20: Type of screening seen most recently at the cinema, October 2018
Regular viewers more likely to watch premium screenings
Figure 21: Type of screening seen on most recent cinema trip amongst regular (once a month or more) cinema visitors, October 2018
Figure 22: Type of screening seen on most recent cinema trip amongst less regular (less often than once a month but at least once every 6 months) cinema visitors, October 2018
Action genre remains top choice
Figure 23: Film genres watched most often, October 2018
Sci-fi sees the largest gender split
Figure 24: Film genres watched most often, by gender, October 2018
CINEMA BOOKING
Growth of advanced booking slows
Mobile booking matches PC bookings
Figure 25: Cinema booking methods, October 2018
Six in 10 had a discounted ticket for their last trip
Figure 26: Discounts and add-ons to base ticket purchase at most recent cinema visit, October 2018
CINEMA BEHAVIOURS
Blockbusters the main beneficiary of high ticket prices
Figure 27: Cinema-goers’ behaviours, October 2018
Diversifying cinema offerings
New screening types generating interest
Alternative experiences
Booking fees impacting booking choices
Half of cinema-goers buying food and drink
Figure 28: Usually buying food and drink at the cinema, by booking method most recently used, October 2018
#MeToo increases scrutiny on Hollywood
CINEMA CHOICES – TURF ANALYSIS
Methodology
Discounts a key factor in choosing a new cinema
Figure 29: TURF Analysis – Influencing factors to visit cinemas further away, October 2018
Figure 30: Table – TURF Analysis – Influencing factors to visit cinemas further away, October 2018
APPENDIX – DATA SOURCES, ABBREVIATIONS AND SUPPORTING INFORMATION
Abbreviations
Consumer research methodology
APPENDIX – MARKET SIZE AND FORECAST
Market Forecast
Figure 31: UK cinema market, value forecast, 2018-23
Figure 32: UK cinema market, volume forecast, 2018-23
Forecast methodology

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