FILM fans have been paying 40% more to watch movies at Cineworld since coronavirus restrictions eased.
But the cinema chain insists this isn’t down to a hike in prices. Here’s why moviegoers may have been paying more to watch the latest film releases.
Cinemas have been closed for much of the pandemic since March 2020 but were allowed to reopen with restrictions on numbers in May before limits were fully removed last month.
Covid closures have harmed cinemas as it means box office takings have been down and film releases have been delayed.
Cinema screens were among the last businesses to reopen in May.
Half-year results from Cineworld Group have revealed that box office sales decreased by 61.9% annually in the six months to the end of June 2021 to $30.2million (£21.8million).
The company, which runs the Cineworld and Picturehouse brands, said the reduction was primarily due to a 72.9% decrease in admissions as cinemas were closed for much of the first half of 2021.
Cineworld said the first six months of the year saw admissions hit just 2.6million, down from 9.6million in the same period in 2020.
But the company said the decline was “partially offset” by a 40.6% increase in average ticket prices.
It said: “The increase in average ticket price was driven by a mix of customer behaviour and timing of film releases.”
Cineworld was unable to provide a figure for how much average ticket prices increased by but it is believed that the hike is due to spending patterns as restrictions eased and the types of films that were released.
The main new releases that have come out since coronavirus rules were relaxed in May were more geared towards families such as Peter Rabbit 2.
Cineworld ticket prices differ depending on the cinema location an age of the moviegoer.
There are also different prices to see films on the standard screen, Imax, superscreen or 4DX.
For example, a family of four going to watch Peter Rabbit at Cineworld Leicester Square would pay £54 to watch on a standard screen.
A single adult would pay £15.50 but may be unlikely to go by themselves.
Other releases were also suited to pricier screens such as the Quiet Place sequel as well as Fast and Furious 9, which could be watched on Imax or in 4D.
An Imax or 4DX ticket in Leicester Square costs £23, which is £7.50 more than an adult ticket to watch on one of its standard screens.
The lack of films also meant there were fewer people using Cineworld’s Unlimited Card loyalty scheme, which usually lets users save money on tickets in return for a monthly fee.
All these factors mean cinemagoers were choosing more expensive options, which pushed up the average spend.
How to cut your cinema ticket prices
Regular visitors to the cinema can save money on their ticket prices by joining membership schemes.
Brands such as Cineworld, Odeon and Vue all run monthly membership schemes or special offers that give movie buffs access to cut-price screenings.
Cineworld has an Unlimited Card that lets you see as many 2D films as you like starting from £9.99 per month depending on the cinema.
You also get discounts on food and drink.
The price depends on where your cinema is located and can be as much as £20.90 in London.
You can see which price group your cinema is in on the Cineworld website.
Odeon’s MyLimitless scheme costs £9.99 a month – £11.99 in London – until the end of September and lets users watch as many films as they like and get 10% off selected food and drink.
The monthly price will go back up to £17.99 outside London and £19.99 in the capital from October.
02 customers can also get a free Odeon cinema ticket each month.
Vue offers £2.49 adult and child tickets on select films everyweekend and school holiday morning under its Vue Mini Mornings scheme.
It also offers discounts for Tastecard users and occasionally for Nectar members.
You can also get two-for-one cinema tickets at The Odeon and Vue cinemas by joining Meerkat Movies when you buy a financial product through Compare The Market.
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