4.4% fewer cinema tickets were sold in Europe last year, according to a combined report from the International Union of Cinemas (UNIC).
2025 had been predicted to be a big year for movies, but it did not turn out that way.
In Europe, box office revenue fell 1.2% to 6.9 billion Euro while ticket sales dropped 4.4% to 873.2 million compared to 2024. This represents a decline of nearly 20% in box office revenue and around 35% in admissions compared to 2019 before the pandemic.
The comeback that never came
Things did not fare much better in North America, where box office revenue rose 1.5% last year to $8.87 billion, but ticket sales fell 4.9% to 780 million, according to Screendaily. This amounts to a 7% drop in revenue compared to 2023 and a 22% decline compared to 2019.
Looking at Europe and North America as a whole, it is clear that the hoped-for comeback has fallen well short of materializing six years after the pandemic.
The first half of 2026 is showing signs of a little growth in the US, but a full picture will have to wait until the year is over.
People are staying home
Instead, the home entertainment market has grown rapidly, driven by consumers' appetite for watching films and TV series at home on their own terms.
The pandemic turbocharged this trend, with home entertainment's revenue growing from twice that of cinemas in 2017 to eight times as much in 2025. The figures cover the US, as the industry stopped publishing global data after the pandemic.
Also read: UHD Blu-ray returned to growth in 2025
The home entertainment figures cover only DVD/Blu-ray, EST/VOD (digital purchase and rental of films) and subscription streaming such as Netflix and Disney+. TV packages, broadcaster streaming services, free services (YouTube), sports and advertising revenue are not included.
- Source: Deadline, Screendaily
