Total operating revenue from Canada’s motion picture theatre industry hit $1.7 billion in 2012, said a biennial report released by Statistics Canada on Thursday.

The industry saw an 8.4% increase in total operating revenue in 2012 over 2010, which was mainly the result of growth in box office sales and concession revenue.

Box office and concession revenue accounted for 91.9% of total operating revenue in the industry in 2012, StatsCan said.

The overall operating profit margin of the industry rose to 14 % in 2012, over 11.4% in 2010.

The report also noted total operating expenses for the industry rose in 2012 to $1.5 billion, up 5.2% from 2010.

Film rental and royalty payments were the largest expenses, accounting for 36.6% of total operating expenses. Overall, film rental costs and royalty payments increased by 3.5% in 2012 over 2010.

Box office revenue in 2012 was just over the $1 billion mark, a 5.6% increase over 2010. Overall, Canadian cinemas – including indoor theatres, drive-ins and film festivals – sold 115.3 million tickets in 2012, an increase of 4.1% from 2010. Concession revenue also rose by 8.7%, to $494.8 million.

Movie theatres in Ontario, Quebec, Alberta and British Columbia accounted for 87.9% of the operating revenue for the Canadian industry in 2012. Of these, Ontario theatres earned the most of the operating revenue in 2012 (42.3%), followed by Quebec (17.5%), Alberta (15.0%) and British Columbia (13.1%).