Romanians spent EUR 59 million at the cinema in 2024, down 5% from the previous year, as higher ticket prices and fewer spectators contributed to a cooling market, according to data from the Romanian Film Center analyzed by Cushman & Wakefield Echinox. While the average ticket price rose by 10% to RON 26.1, the number of tickets sold fell sharply by 14%, dropping from 13.1 million in 2023 to 11.2 million in 2024.
The number of cinemas operating across Romania increased slightly, from 103 in 2023 to 108 by the end of last year, but that expansion wasn’t enough to offset declining audience interest, the report says. Multiplexes continued to dominate the industry, accounting for more than 96% of box office revenues and 93% of spectators.
Per capita visits to the cinema also declined, from 0.68 in 2023 to 0.59 in 2024.
Major urban markets such as Bucharest, Constanța, Cluj-Napoca, Timișoara, and Brașov – which together represent 55% of national attendance- saw double-digit percentage drops in viewers. Bucharest alone registered a 13% decline in spectators, to 3.5 million.
However, there were bright spots: Iasi and Prahova counties posted increases in visitor numbers, hinting at a potential regional shift in cinema-going habits, the report also said.
Dana Radoveneanu, Head of Retail Agency, Cushman & Wakefield Echinox, commented: “The evolution of the cinema market in 2024 is a reflection of a broader shift in consumer preferences. In a landscape increasingly shaped by digital content and personalized experiences, traditional cinemas are being challenged to rethink their role in the entertainment ecosystem. This trend has direct implications for the development of shopping malls, where cinemas have long served as key anchors for overall traffic. Today’s developers are being pushed to design multifunctional spaces that mix retail with cultural, social, and tech-driven experiences tailored to evolving consumer expectations. Developers that invest in such hybrid formats may attract more consumers.”
In terms of visits per capita, Brașov led the country in 2023 with 2.05 visits, followed by Bucharest (1.54), Brăila (1.18), and Iași (1.06).
Meanwhile, the counties with the highest usage of their cinema infrastructure were Iași, with 1.26 spectators per seat per day, followed by Vrancea, Ialomița, Covasna, and Brașov. In contrast, Bucharest’s usage rate was 0.46 spectators per seat per day, underlining the challenges even in the capital’s relatively large market.
irina.marica@romania-insider.com
(Photo source: Leoraduga/Dreamstime.com)
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