The owner of Canada’s largest chain of movie theatres says its second-quarter revenue hit a record-high $345.5 million, after rising 6.8% from last year.
Cineplex says it saw increases from all its sources of revenue, which include sales of tickets, food and drink, amusement games, advertising and alternative programming.
Its top three box office draws were the latest instalments of the Avengers, Jurassic and Furious movies, accounting for 43.5% of all ticket sales during the quarter.
It says The Avengers: Age of Ultron, Jurassic World and Furious 7 are ranked in the top 10 of all time in terms of sales.
Box office revenue per patron slipped by four cents to $9.19, but concession revenues increased by 5.7% to a record high $5.35 per patron, from $5.06 in last year’s second quarter.
Cineplex says its net income grew 9.8% to $25.5 million.
“Overall, it was a successful quarter,” said Cineplex president and CEO Ellis Jacob, who has frequently noted that the company’s quarterly financial results are often tied to the strength of the movies available for its theatres.
“Looking ahead, I believe the film slate for the second half of 2015 looks strong and I am excited about the strategic opportunities ahead, which will continue to diversify our business and help us achieve meaningful growth.”
One of the company’s side businesses is Cineplex Digital Media, which runs Tims TV in-store screens for Tim Hortons.
During the second quarter, Tims TV was caught in a clash between environmentalists and oil industry supporters after advertising for Enbridge appeared on some in-store digital screens. Tim Hortons pulled the ads in early June and the CEO of its parent company, Restaurant Brands International, said in late July that Tims TV was being reviewed.
Cineplex said Thursday that revenue from Cineplex Digital Media during the quarter was $9.7 million, accounting for nearly one-quarter of total media revenue. Cineplex Media, which sells advertising displayed on theatre screens, grew faster with revenue rising by 15.2% to $25.3 million.
