Michele Schultz || May 21, 2025

In retrospect, moviegoing might have looked like a pretty carefree leisure activity pre-COVID. Picture the scenario of purchasing tickets online or in person at the closest multiplex to watch whatever might be showing. That indulgent trip to the nearest theater pre- and post-COVID will happen, regardless of what has unfolded in previous years and recently within the industry.

Although theaters faced competition from streaming before the pandemic, the industry has yet to recover. Although it was revealed that the worldwide theater revenue reached $21.3 billion, the figure is less than 51 percent of the value recorded in 2019. It is a complicated thing to have a clear response about the recovery in theatrical moviegoing post-COVID-19.

Yes, theatrical moviegoing declined with the popularity of streaming services and a reduced number of theaters. As box office results reveal, cinema attendance is still recovering post-COVID due to the number of ticket sales purchased for each theatrical release, including the revenue earned from concessions.

“I remember box office sales plummeted during the pandemic because no one was going, but once things started settling down, people started going again,” CUNY SPS Communication and Media student Evan Oquendo said. “The pandemic was only half of the problem! It won’t matter if the film is garbage.” 

Yes, theatrical release went quiet due to reduced capacity in theaters well into  2021, which post-COVID (Mar 20 – Nov 26) numbers estimate a higher revenue of $212 million, though for a longer timeframe compared to pre-COVID weekly box office revenue.

“The “theatrical release” still plays a role in the movie business, but its position has lessened because of changes in viewing habits,” according to CUNY SPS adjunct Communication & Media professor Andrew Palladino said. ““Big” box office sellouts will draw audiences to the theaters with built-in fan bases target the right audience, which it will results in good box office numbers.”

Statistics predicted that franchise titles at the box office might continue to grow strong in a post-pandemic world. These pre- and post-pandemic box office sellouts, including franchise titles, are successful because these IPs have existing audiences.

Franchise titles draw in a big increase in theater attendance, and independents can also achieve that. It certainly shows theatrical moviegoing is slowly rebooting post-COVID and holds a place in this industry, even if the “distribution” model has been downsized to not just the last row, but certainly not the first row.

Yes, theaters have a long way to recover, especially when it comes to the profit on ticket sales alone for each theatrical release in addition to the purchase of food and beverages from the kind of theater patrons that will spend that price at the concession stand. 

“Theaters are part of the movie-making and moviegoing puzzle,” Palladino said, referring to how theaters are still in the “figuring it all out” stage of trying to stay relevant in the business model.

It’s fascinating that it’s taken so long for numbers to bounce back, but one big driver of theater attendance recovery is the “eventification” of cinema, which includes box office hits to indies, genre films, anniversary re-releases, and musical/concert movie sing-alongs, in addition to everything else.