The European Audiovisual Observatory (EAVO) has estimated that total cinema admissions in the EU rose slightly in 2015. Admissions were predicted to have increased 7.6% YoY, to 980 million tickets sold: 69 million more than 2014. This was the second-highest level of sales in the past decade, only topped in 2009, with the release of Avatar and the widespread use of the 3D format. If non-EU countries are included in the result, admissions were over 1.2 billion: the highest since 2004.
In general, admissions rose in some markets and fell in others. In 2015, though, the EAVO reports that 24 of the 25 markets for which provisional data is available registered an increase. France was the sole declining market. The figures represented the most homogenous growth trend across observed territories in the past 10 years.
In geographical terms, attendance was driven by strong growth in Germany (14.4% (17.5 million) rise) and the UK (9.2% (14.4 million)). Italy, Spain and Poland followed, with respective rises of 8.9% (8.7 million), 8.2% (7.1 million) and 10.5% (4.2 million). 2015 was the best year recorded in the country’s cinemas for 25 years. The Spanish result, despite rising for the second year in a row, was the third-lowest since 1994.
Outside of the EU, the Russian Federation market was stable, with 175.7 million admissions, maintaining its second-place position. Turkey, the region’s sixth-largest market, had its high growth trend of recent years halt (temporarily, says the EAVO), declining 1.5% to 60.5 million tickets sold.
It is too early to analyse the admissions by origin. However, the EAVO believes that growth was primarily driven by US blockbusters like Star Wars: The Force Awakens, Minions, Jurassic World, Fifty Shades of Grey and Furious 7. Compared to 2014, national market shares rose in 10 EU countries and declined in 14. UK films, boosted by the success of those which qualify like Star Wars and Spectre, captured a record market share of 44.5%.
