The European cinema trade the International Union of Cinemas group, today published its annual report, examining key cinema trends across the 38 territories represented by the association during 2020.
The report, which is available online, provides an in-depth look at recent developments in Europe’s cinema industry during a period when COVID-19 had a significant impact on the sector, as it did so many others.
During the year, European cinemas suffered a 70.4 percent decrease in box office, amounting to a total decrease of €6.2 billion in revenues compared to 2019. A similar 70.6 percent reduction was observed in the European Union, resulting in a €5.1 billion drop in revenues.
These challenging figures reflect the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the cinema industry, which resulted in months of complete closure and occupancy restrictions across Europe and globally.
This performance comes after a very successful 2019, when European cinemas grossed over €8.8 billion at the box office and attracted more than 1.34 billion cinemagoers.
More positively, the UNIC annual report also looks at the successful reopening of cinemas and the return of audiences to the big screen. It also highlights the resilience of cinema operator as well as their capacity to adapt, playing an essential role in creating value in the film value chain. As a result, UNIC reiterates the need for the industry to adopt a “cinema first” model to ensure full recovery for the whole sector.
The document also details key legislative and regulatory developments in the form of a number of public policy issues that affect cinema operators, while also setting out the association’s advocacy activities to ensure that cinemas’ place at the center of policy efforts towards further prosperity for the entire European film industry is safeguarded.
The 2021 UNIC Annual Report is available online here.