PR Newswire | Jan 15, 2021 09:15AM EST

01/15 08:15 CST

Comscore Announces Global Box Office Totals For 20202020 global box office hits impressive $12.2 billion despite profound impact of COVD-19 pandemic on movie industry RESTON, Va., Jan. 15, 2021

RESTON, Va., Jan. 15, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- New information from Comscore (NASDAQ: SCOR), a trusted partner for planning, transacting, and evaluating media across platforms, shows how a combination of a well-managed pandemic response coupled with strong local product has led to a strong theatrical recovery in many countries around the globe. Though as expected the results were much lower than in a traditional year, the $12.2 billion global revenue in theaters demonstrates that with careful planning, adherence to local health regulations and must-see content, studios and exhibitors found a path to success even as the world continues to navigate the COVID-19 pandemic.

The $2.25B performance of the North American box office showed that even amid a pandemically-challenged marketplace, several new movies found enthusiastic audiences both at the drive-in and in the limited number of brick-and-mortar theaters that were open despite an almost unlimited availability of filmed content at home on the small screen. Films as varied as "Wonder Woman 1984," "The Croods: A New Age," "Unhinged" and "The Wretched" drew movie fans to the big screen in 2020.

China has seen the strongest box-office recovery post lockdown. Initially closing in January 2020, the Chinese market remained closed for a full six months (despite a brief, and quickly abandoned, flirt with re-opening in late March). The whole-market return approach seems to have sold the message better to cinema goers, rebuilding a broader consumer confidence more quickly with local titles like "The Eight Hundred" and "My People, My Homeland" powering this rebound, both impressively earning over $400M.

Comscore - Global Box Office Data

Year North America % Of Global International % Of Global China China % Of China % Of Global Total International Global

2020 $2,250,000,000 18.4% $9,950,000,000 81.6% $3,100,000,000 31.2% 25.4% $12,200,000,000

2019 $11,400,000,000 26.8% $31,100,000,000 73.2% $9,200,000,000 29.6% 21.6% $42,500,000,000

2018 $11,900,000,000 28.5% $29,900,000,000 71.5% $8,790,000,000 29.4% 21.0% $41,800,000,000

2017 $11,100,000,000 27.1% $29,800,000,000 72.9% $8,330,000,000 28.0% 20.4% $40,900,000,000

2016 $11,400,000,000 29.0% $27,900,000,000 71.0% $6,870,000,000 24.6% 17.5% $39,300,000,000

2015 $11,100,000,000 28.4% $28,000,000,000 71.6% $7,070,000,000 25.3% 18.1% $39,100,000,000

2014 $10,400,000,000 28.6% $26,000,000,000 71.4% $4,820,000,000 18.5% 13.2% $36,400,000,000

2013 $10,900,000,000 30.4% $25,000,000,000 69.6% $3,640,000,000 14.6% 10.1% $35,900,000,000

2012 $10,800,000,000 31.1% $23,900,000,000 68.9% $2,740,000,000 11.5% 7.9% $34,700,000,000

Japan, like every other country, was affected by the reduction of worldwide theatrical releases. However, the ability to have their local titles (like the hit movies "Demon Slayer: Mugen Train" and "I'm From Today!") released into the market, allowed Japan to continue to operate with a steady stream of films and thus continued to attract audiences.

Like China and Japan, South Korea has also realized gains from showcasing local product allowing the Korean market to boast solid results with the appeal of films like "The Man Standing Next" and "Deliver Us From Evil" reflected in their strong box office performance.

This success was not limited to the Asia Pacific region, other countries like Spain had impressive success with individual titles such as "Padre No Hay Mas Que Uno 2" ("Father There is Only One 2") that back in late-July served to jump-start Spain's box office by 100% week over week. The film was number one in Spain in 2020 generating an impressive $15.2M.

"Though the pandemic has caused much disruption to the theatrical business, there are encouraging signs of recovery in many countries around the world," said Paul Dergarabedian, Senior Media Analyst, Comscore. "Today we know that audiences are anxious to return to enjoy the theatrical experience and the many notable successes prove that if cinemas are open and offer great content, moviegoers are indeed excited to watch appealing movies on the big screen."

About Comscore

Comscore (NASDAQ: SCOR) is a trusted partner for planning, transacting and evaluating media across platforms. With a data footprint that combines digital, linear TV, over-the-top and theatrical viewership intelligence with advanced audience insights, Comscore allows media buyers and sellers to quantify their multiscreen behavior and make business decisions with confidence. A proven leader in measuring digital and TV audiences and advertising at scale, Comscore is the industry's emerging, third-party source for reliable and comprehensive cross-platform measurement. To learn more about Comscore, visit www.comscore.com.

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SOURCE Comscore