The latest exhibition industry snapshot from Statistics Canada underlines the value of premium 3D ticket prices and concession sales to maintaining profits at the local multiplex.

The government statistics agency reported combined operating revenues for Canadian movie theatres rose 2.8% in 2010 to $1.6 billion, the last period surveyed by Statscan.

And that continued a five-year trend that started in 2005.

But Statscan also pointed to a fall in attendance at Canadian cinemas, which includes drive-ins and film festivals.

Movie theatres sold 112.2 million tickets in 2010, down 1.9% from a year earlier (114.4 million tickets).

Statscan put the decline down to higher ticket prices and new “alternative entertainment choices” for consumers.

But with Cineplex Entertainment, Empire Theatres and other Canadian exhibitors having installed growing digital theatre networks, Canadian circuits have been able to offset falling attendance with premium ticket prices for 3D movies in 2010 like the blockbuster Avatar from Canadian director James Cameron.

That had box office revenues increasing 4.2% to $960.7 million in 2010, with Statscan also pointing to concession revenues rising 2.2% to $453.5 million.

Photo: Steve Harris / flickr Creative Commons