Research

MPAA Report 2018: Women Represent 51% of Moviegoers, 47% of Ticket Buyers

"Ocean's 8": Barry Wetcher/Warner Bros.

The MPAA’s annual study of the theatrical and home entertainment market environment is here, and it once again shows that women represent large shares, or even majorities, of movie and home-viewing consumership. According to the 2018 MPAA THEME Report, women made up 51 percent of moviegoers last year, a slight increase from 2017, and 47 percent of ticket buyers. They also comprised the majority of Pay TV (52 percent) and online subscription (51 percent) viewership.

Overall, women were 49 percent of the 25 top-grossing domestic films’ audiences. None of the top 25 was directed by a woman. Of the highest-earning five movies of 2018, “Incredibles 2” was the only pic with a 50-50 audience gender ratio.

“Black Panther,” the highest-grossing movie of 2018, attracted the most ethnically diverse audience: 35 percent black, 36 percent white, 18 percent Latino, six percent Asian/Pacific Islander, and five percent Native American and other groups. “Incredibles 2” drew the second most diverse audience: 46 percent white, 23 percent Latino, 17 percent black, eight percent Asian/Pacific Islander, and six percent Native American/other.

Fifty-eight percent of moviegoers and 55 percent of ticket buyers were white. Latinos, who make up 18 percent of the domestic population, were overrepresented as moviegoers (20 percent) and ticket buyers (23 percent) last year. Age-wise, 25-39-year-olds are the largest movie-going demographic. They made up nearly a quarter (23 percent) of 2018 movie audiences.

On the global front, movies netted $41.1 billion in 2018, up one percent from the previous year. $11.9 billion of that amount was earned in the U.S. and Canada. Overall, the international box office accounted for 71 percent of total box office earnings last year. With a five percent increase, the Asia box office grew the most and China is by far the biggest film market ($9 billion).

Check out the full 2018 MPAA report here.


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