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European movie theaters have had another difficult year, and it looks like the big post-pandemic return of audiences still hasn't happened. According to data from the International Union of Cinemas, 873.2 million tickets were sold in Europe in 2025, 4.4% fewer than a year earlier. At the same time, theater revenues fell 1.2%, reaching about €6.9 billion. The gap is even larger compared with 2019, when theaters operated without pandemic restrictions. However, the problem is not limited to Europe, as a similar trend is being observed in North America.
European cinemas still far from pre-pandemic figures
2025 was supposed to be the film industry's long-awaited rebound, but reality proved less optimistic. The number of tickets sold in Europe fell by 4.4%, and cinema revenues dropped by 1.2% to about €6.9 billion. In total, European cinemas sold 873.2 million admissions. Even more worrying are the figures compared with 2019, the last full year before the pandemic. Back then the number of tickets sold was about 35% higher than it is now. Revenues are still nearly 20% lower than before the pandemic. That means that even several years after the lifting of the strictest restrictions, cinemas have not regained their former popularity. Audiences still go to the movies, but they do so much less often. At the same time, higher ticket prices have partially limited the fall in revenues, which is why the drop in revenue is smaller than the drop in attendance. The industry had hoped that a string of major releases would bring audiences back to the big screen. So far, however, attendance has not returned to pre-2020 levels.
Viewers increasingly choose movies at home
A similar problem can be seen in North America, where box office revenues in 2025 rose by 1.5% to $8.87 billion. At the same time, ticket sales there fell by 4.9%, reaching 780 million. Compared with 2019, revenues are about 22% lower. This shows the problem may be much broader than a temporary lack of blockbuster films. An increasingly strong rival to movie theaters is at-home entertainment, which has grown exceptionally fast in recent years. The pandemic sharply accelerated changes in viewers’ habits, and many people discovered the convenience of watching premieres without leaving home. According to data for the United States, home entertainment market revenues in 2025 were as much as eight times higher than box office revenues, while in 2017 the difference was roughly two to one. The figures include, among other things, DVD and Blu-ray discs, digital purchases and rentals, and streaming platforms such as Netflix and Disney+. They do not, however, include things like YouTube, sports broadcasts, advertising, or traditional TV packages, so the true scale of at-home entertainment may be even larger. The first half of 2026 shows some signs of improvement in the U.S. market, but it’s still too early for a full assessment. For now, it looks like movie theaters not only have to count on more big productions, but also must find a way to convince audiences that a trip to the big screen is worth the price.
The European cinema market remains significantly below pre-pandemic levels. In 2025, 873.2 million tickets were sold, 4.4% fewer than a year earlier and about 35% fewer than in 2019. At the same time, the growing popularity of streaming and other forms of home entertainment means cinemas must fight for audiences' attention like never before.
source: flatpanelshd
