That's up from $9.01 in the first quarter of 2019.


The average cost of a movie ticket rose to $9.26 in the second quarter of 2019, up from $9.01 during the first three months of the year, according to the National Association of Theatre Owners (NATO).


However, the overall downturn at the 2019 North American box office means that moviegoers this summer are paying slightly less (-1.3 percent) than they did in the second quarter of 2018, when the average ticket price hit a record $9.38.


The ticket average for the first six months of 2019 is now $9.16, compared to $9.11 for all of last year.


Fluctuations in price are due to the strength of the marketplace, as well as the demand for Imax and other premium formats. The more people spend, the more the average cost increases. It is normal for the cost to jump from the first quarter to the second; it's also normal for the cost to decrease during a slump.


Year-to-date, box office revenue in North America is running nearly 9 percent behind the same corridor in 2018. For the second quarter, revenue was down 3.8 percent, while admissions dipped 2.5 percent, according to NATO and Comscore.


The big April-June drivers were Avengers: Endgame, Aladdin and Toy Story 4 (all from the Disney empire); Lionsgate's John Wick: Chapter 3 — Parabellum; and Pokemon Detective Pikachu.


Per Comscore, the 18-34 age group accounted for half of all movie tickets sold in the second quarter, while the 18-44 age group accounted for 64 percent.


The average movie ticket price of $1.42 in 1969 is $10.22 when adjusted for inflation.