Cinema: the number of films doubles, but average box office takings fall below 500,000 euros
Study by Rome Business School. Over three years, new releases have risen from 501 to 1,002. 344 million invested in VOD: the role of platforms in the supply chain is growing
Italian cinema is producing more and more films. The market, however, is growing far less. That is the crux of the economic problem: 1,002 films in cinemas without a corresponding increase in audience numbers or revenue.
The most telling figure, however, is the average revenue per film. In 2019, the ratio of box office takings to new releases stood at around 1.3 million euros per film. By 2025, this had fallen below 500,000. Between 2022 and 2025, the number of films distributed doubled, from 501 to 1,002. The output has doubled, but not the market.
The figure comes from the Rome Business School report “Italian cinema: more films, fewer viewers”, edited by Francesco Baldi and Valerio Mancini. In 2025, cinemas took in 496.6 million, with 68.4 million admissions: down 22 per cent and 30 per cent respectively on 2019. Between 2023 and 2025, box office takings remained virtually unchanged, whilst admissions fell by 3.2 per cent. In 2025 alone, revenue rose by 0.5 per cent and admissions fell by 2 per cent.
It is not the ticket price that explains the slowdown. The average price – 7.26 euros in 2025 compared with 6.51 in 2019 – has risen by 11.5 per cent, which is less than the cumulative inflation rate of over 19 per cent. In real terms, going to the cinema costs less.
“A wider range of content can therefore coexist with a lower average capacity for each film to attract audiences and generate revenue,” says Mancini. This is the crux of the matter: increased production dilutes the average value available for each title and intensifies competition for screens, promotion and attention.
