Russian cinema review 2010

posted by Ing. Juraj Misun, PhD. on March 16, 2011 at 7:45 am

Nevafilm Research, a Russian market research company, released latest data about the Russian cinema market, including last year’s box office numbers and information about the country’s exhibition industry.

After a decrease in 2009 box office revenues reached a new record with more than one billion USD and a 30 per cent increase. The admissions did not grow that fast (17.8 per cent), but also were on a high in the modern Russian era with almost 156 million tickets sold.

In the end of the last year 865 theaters were active in the Russian federation: 85 sites with 331 screens were new openings, 23 cinemas were closed. Most of the closings were traditional single screen or two screen cinemas, what means only 34 screens were abolished.

Digital screens in the country have seen a phenomenal increase. The total number has grown from 350 screens in 2009 to 941 digital screens in last year. Nearly 39 per cent of all Russian cinema screens were digital.

The average screen density was 3.2 screens per 100,000 habitants and two thirds of the cinema sites were located in shopping malls. In greater Moscow 118 cinemas with 530 screens were located, 44 cinemas in St. Petersburg (217 screens). From the chains operating in Russia nineteen were nationwide, nine regional and 56 local.

The actual screen number includes 11 IMAX screens. Another fourteen IMAX screens should be in operation by the end of 2012.
The average ticket price (6.5 USD) was significant higher than in 2009. The main reason of this increase was the more 3D-screenings.

Another growth in all indicators is highly anticipated, making the Russian market even more interesting for Hollywood studios, global cinema chain operators and other companies in the movie and cinema industry.

2006 2007 2008 2009 2010
Box office revenue (million USD) 411.8 548.1 800.9 705.9 1013.6
Admissions (million) 89.5 103.4 118.5 132.3 155.9