Domestic Box Office Blip?

THEATRICAL RECOVERS - FOR A MOMENT

We all know that the theatrical market has been in decline. But what are the actual numbers? What story do they tell?

 For your interest, I include the theatrical numbers for domestic box office for several years since 1950. I quote number of tickets sold, not box office dollars. While industry wants to talk about the dollars, the continual steep rise in prices mask the true story. The only reasonable statistic is actual tickets sold, not what they sold for. With that, here are the domestic numbers of theatrical tickets sold from selected years, for comparison: 

• 1950: ~3.0 billion

• 1960: ~308.8 million

• 1970: ~453.2 million

• 1980: ~1.02 billion

• 1990: ~1.19 billion

• 1995: ~1.22 billion

• 2000: ~1.40 billion

• 2005: ~1.4 billion

• 2010: ~1.34 billion

• 2015: ~1.32 billion

• 2020: ~241.0 million

• 2025: ~550.5 million

 Sources: Box Office Mojo: Used for domestic box office gross and admissions data for each of the years. The Numbers: Provides detailed market summaries and ticket sales data, particularly for more recent years. Motion Picture Association (MPA) THEME Reports. Industry Reports and Analyses: Information from various industry sources and publications was also referenced to ensure accuracy and to provide context for the numbers, particularly for 2020 and 2025

 2025 appears set to reach to ~750 million tickets sold, This appears good, until you note that it is still only about half the tickets sold per year in the last decade.

 Meanwhile, the dominance and continued rise of streaming is confirmed. he trend for feature film viewing via domestic streaming services has been one of exponential growth. From a minimal presence in 2010, streaming became an established and growing market by 2015. The pandemic in 2020 caused a massive surge in viewership, which has continued into 2025, solidifying streaming as a primary method for film consumption. The number of views has grown from a negligible amount in 2010 to a dominant force in the entertainment industry in 2025. (Actual streaming numbers are private and impossible to access, so are never relied on alone by third parties.)

 Sources: Comscore: For online video data from 2010. Nielsen: For streaming viewership data and trends, particularly from 2020 onward. FlixPatrol: For daily and monthly "Top 10" charts for various streaming services. Deloitte, Exploding Topics, Market.us Scoop, and Uscreen

My conclusions: I don’t know any realistic scenario in which theatrical can ever recover for more than a moment or two here and there. There are many factors in the decline. One of those is that the market has completely changed. There are few people left with fond memories of cinemas, such as I had in my youth. Viewing habits and preferences are vastly different, and the film market is truly global in not only size but sensibility. So while theatre will certainly be here for some time to come, it’s no longer king of the market, and will continue to decline. Will it dwindle down to a niche experience, as it was in the very early days of film?

IPG - PRODUCERS AND WRITERS COURSES EXPANDING TO GLOBAL REACH

We were approached and have agreed to an arrangement with a large (non-US) platform, to make the IPG designed PUNC curriculum and other training and educational events available to a global market.

Producing Unique New Creators courses are designed to address skills development for talented new creative voices. To now, the program has been exclusive to participants who go through a rigorous selection process.

Now, we are opening up the course and workshop portions to the general public and of course, to IPG members. We will be available at stagescreen.org and we have been invited to open the courses to an international set of filmmakers through a prominent offshore platform (which must remain nameless until the formal announcement). This will greatly enhance the standing of the IPG in the independent filmmaking community. It is part of our mandate to change the filmmaking world to the advantage of the independent creator.

 IPG members will receive a substantial discount on courses and workshops, of course! See the curriculum at stagescreen.org.

FilmPod and DBO Continues to Develop

FilmPod and Digital Box Office will change the film distribution landscape. You need to be a part of it. We have a couple people involved in FilmPods - we are creating the first streams shortly, beginning a rolling launch in October, up to an official launch in July, 2026. We are speaking to venture capital and other funders now, as well as filmmakers who want to have a FilmPod. If you want an update - or if you want to know how you can profit from the FilmPod platform, contact me direct!

SSI Has Received NO OUTSIDE SUPPORT AT ALL. We need Your Help NOW. It is DIRE.

The mandate of the IPG is to help new independent producers change the industry and the world. Part of this effort is through the 501(c)(3) Stage and Screen Innovations (SSI).

Both SSI’s PUNC program and the IPG are nonprofit organizations. Both run on volunteer basis, and currently all organization expenses remain covered by the directors personally. Though the IPG membership is growing, membership fees are minuscule compared to what is required to run even a small organization, not enough to cover even things like rent and internet. Not to mention support services, staff, etc.

 WE ARE CHANGING THE WORLD. Currently the PUNC program has no less than five talented, committed aspiring producers working through their mentorships and creating valuable and important productions like Uncharted Freedom. These in turn will be seen by millions and will change lives. PUNC participants are not dabblers. They are people with track records and who have the mindset to succeed if given the benefits of direct mentorship and training. They are committed to the task of getting their own voices out to the world, and to helping others. They are changing the world and PUNC is helping them to do that.

We need people who will support our efforts and share our vision. We need you. We don’t need pats on the back or words of encouragement. We need involvement and we need financial resources.

 We periodically call out for assistance. But in the last year we have received only a few hundreds of dollars and nothing at all in the last three months. Grants are not available at this time, and are a long term proposition. They are not available to cover immediate expenses. We need your help. We need thousands. We need hundreds. We need tens. But we need it now. We cannot stop this important work. Help shape someone’s future, and the future of your industry. If you have anything to help with, or can assist in raising funds and sponsorship in short order, contact me direct at [email protected]