The return of audiences to its theatres led to a big boost in Cineplex’s revenues across streams in Q1, while its business outside of theatres hit new highs.

Total revenue at Cineplex was up 49% year-over-year for the three months ended March 31. Though part of the jump is due to the comparison to 2022, when the theatre chain was still on the path to recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic, it is only 6.6% lower than it was in Q1 2019.

Media revenues grew by 43.4% year-over-year, helped by a 73.3% growth for in-cinema advertising that was driven by increased spending from financial services and broadcasters. In addition, Cineplex’s place-based media network, which has been a drag on revenues in recent years, increased revenues by 9.7% year-over-year.

The increase in ad revenue came alongside 46.6% year-over-year growth in theatre attendance, which also helped Cineplex grow box office revenue by 54.3% and food service revenue by 47.1%. Box office revenue per patron reached $12.63, significantly higher than it was pre-pandemic, which Cineplex attributed to more patrons partaking in “premium experiences,” such as its VIP cinemas or 3D films.

Outside of its theatres, Cineplex also grew subscriptions for its online store by 4%, reaching 2.3 million users.

Ellis Jacob, president and CEO of Cineplex, said that while there were some supply chain constraints on content in Q1, the performance of the company’s amusement and leisure business — comprised of The Rec Room, Playdium and game distributor Player One Amusement Group — helped mitigate the impact, thanks to 50.3% year-over-year revenue growth, reaching a record high of $75.8 million in the quarter.

Jacob also said Cineplex has reported its “highest ever combined April box office and theatre food service revenues in April 2023.” The April box office revenue alone came close to pre-pandemic levels, coming to $61.3 million compared to $63.8 million in 2019.

This story originally appeared in Media in Canada