Hungarian Cinema Attendance Figures Still Low

In 2022, Hungarian cinema attendance will not return to its pre-pandemic level, with this year's cinema revenues so far failing to double those of 2021. And the balance is billions of euros below the revenues of 2019 and the years before, the financial website penzcentrum.hu reports.

There are a number of reasons why cinemas are missing out, from the fact that people got used to not going to the cinema during the restriction period, to the fact that many high-profile films have been delayed due to the epidemic, and to inflation. This year, cinemas have been forced to raise their prices considerably and to close temporarily, which could also have a negative impact on cinema-going.

Looking at cinema box office statistics over the last five years, it is clear that the Hungarian cinema sector has been hit by the pandemic. During the closures, revenues fell to zero, but even when the road was clear, the previous number of cinema-goers did not return to the cinemas. While annual revenues between 2017 and 2019 were in the range of HUF 34.8-38.4 billion, in 2020 they did not even reach HUF 10 billion. In 2021, revenues exceeded HUF 16 billion, but this was still less than half of the amount realized in the years before the epidemic. This year, revenues are already at HUF 25.5 billion, so it is unlikely that by the end of the year, regardless of showing Avatar 2 or not, this year's figures will be back to pre-pandemic levels.

One of the main reasons for the drop in cinema attendance may be that many people, despite the lifting of the closures, were still wary of the outbreak and avoided the cinemas. Another factor may be that the premieres of many previously announced and anticipated films were postponed due to the pandemic, making the offer less attractive. The situation is not helped by high inflation at present, as people who want to save money often cut back on spending on such programs first.

When it comes to changes in cinema-going habits, many people cite the rise of streaming, whereby you can buy a month's subscription for the price of a single cinema ticket, accessing a wealth of content from the comfort of your home. But in reality, cinemas do not have to compete with streaming, as cinema is for most people an evening out with friends, family, a date night, and so competes with other event-based programs. However, the decline in revenues may be due to the fact that people simply stopped going out, including to the cinema, during the epidemic, the news site notes.