At the same time, that's down 2 cents from the final quarter of 2017.


Fueled largely by box-office blockbuster Black Panther, the average price of going to the movies clocked in at $9.16 during the first quarter of 2018.


That's down 2 cents from the final quarter of 2017, but up 32 cents — or 3.6 percent — over the same quarter in 2017, when the average price was $8.84. And it's up 19 cents — or 2 percent — from the average price for all of 2018, or $8.97.


The National Association of Theater Owners released the data for the January-March corridor on Monday morning. Ticket prices fluctuate from quarter to quarter depending on the strength of the marketplace, particularly titles that can charge a premium or films that get a run in Imax theaters.


NATO has long contended that the cost of going to the movies has remained relatively static when accounting for inflation, noting that the average ticket price of $2.23 in 1977 is $9.26 when adjusting for inflation.