MPAA Releases Their 2013 ‘Box-Office’ Statistics Report

The MPAA has just released their 31 page, 2013 Theatrical Market Statistics Report, otherwise known as the annual ‘Box-Office’ report. The MPAA shows a global revenue of $35.9 billion in 2013, which is up 4% over the total in 2012. It's rather interesting how throughout the year and for many years prior, they continuously have painted a bleak and dismal picture of how movie piracy is killing them. It’s all in the numbers they are presenting, and 2013 was a good year for the movie industry. In fact it’s the best year they have had, according to their reported statistics, from 2009 through the end of 2013.

The MPAA explains that the $35.9 billion in 2013, up 4% over 2012’s total, is due to increases in international at $25 billion, and U.S./Canada at $10.9 billion box office. Per the report, all international regions experienced growth in 2013. Chinese box office was $3.6 billion which grew by 27% in 2013, and therefore became the first international market to exceed $3 billion in box office.

The report also includes some other interesting statistics based on survey results:

- Over 80% of the world’s nearly 135,000 cinema screens are now digital
- 227.8 million people from the U.S. and Canada went to the movies at least once in 2013
- Frequent moviegoers tend to own more technology products than the general population
- In 2013, the share of tickets sold to 2-11 year olds was at its highest point since 2009
- The share of tickets sold to 50-59 year olds was at an all-time high
- 31% of the U.S./Canada population viewed at least one movie in 3D, mostly from children aged 2-17
- Among the top 5 grossing films in 2013, Iron Man 3 and Man of Steel both attracted mostly male audiences
- Family films Despicable Me 2 and Monster’s University held a mostly female audience
- Man of Steel drew the most ethnically diverse audience
- The average cinema ticket increased by about .17 cents, or 2%
- Hispanics are more likely to go to the movies than any other ethnic group, but purchased fewer tickets in 2013 than in 2012
- Overall age group shares of moviegoers have been relatively consistent since 2009
- The share of Caucasian moviegoers has continuously decreased since 2009
- The number of moviegoers in 2013 was highest in California, followed by Texas, and then Florida
- Frequent moviegoers have a significantly higher share of ownership for all key technology products when compared to the total adult population
- More than 2/3 of 3D moviegoers own four or more types of key technology products
- Non-MPAA affiliated independents continued to release the most films domestically and accounted for more than 80% of all films released

Iron Man 3 topped the charts for 2013 with the most sales, and the list of the top 25 movies in sales can be found on page 23 of the report. Page 28 explains the “Attendance Demographics Study Methodology”.

The MPAA states that a movie still provides the most affordable entertainment option, costing under $40 for a family of four, but we know this is often highly debatable.

During his fourth annual state of the industry speech at CinemaCon in Las Vegas on Tuesday, where theater owners gather every year, MPAA Chairman and CEO Chris Dodd also spoke about movie piracy. Dodd stated, "We have both the right and the responsibility to express our concerns about piracy undermining our industry on a global level."

Dodd also tried to embrace technology by stressing that he is "a member of that overwhelming majority that believes the Internet and emerging technologies have been a benefit." Dodd also commented that, "Technology is our friend and not our foe. The most frequent moviegoers tend to own more technology devices then (sic) the population at large," he said. "Our challenge is to make technology serve us rather than disrupt us."

With the survey results bringing attention to more smartphones and other devices being used, it’s easy to read between the lines to see where Dodd was going with his comments in the hopes of engaging technology much more to the movie industry’s advantage, and not have the devices be seen as such a piracy threat. We’ll have to wait and see how they accomplish that, and just what Dodd has in mind.