Blockbusters Drive ’99 Movie Ticket Sales Up 8%
Movie ticket sales rose 8% to a record of about $7.3 billion in the U.S. and Canada last year, driven partly by higher prices and a record number of blockbuster films, according to AC Nielsen figures.
Walt Disney Co. led the pack of major studios with a market share of 17%, or $1.24 billion, followed by Time Warner Inc.’s Warner Bros. with 14.3%, or $1.04 billion. The number of tickets sold rose 4% to 1.49 billion, while the average ticket price increased by about 4% to $4.89.
The industry got a boost from a record 17 films that grossed more than $100 million, a benchmark that gives a picture blockbuster status.
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