James Harvey
01-02-2002, 11:25 AM
According to <a href="http://www.variety.com">Variety</a>, Warner Bros. will take its first market share crown in eight years, but the studio won't break any record in doing so.
The year will set a box office record with a projected $8.14 billion through Jan. 1 -- a 9% improvement over 2000. But 5% of that boost stems from higher ticket prices, which jumped to an average $5.67 this year, according to box office tracker ACNielsen EDI.
Warners will likely end up with a total $1.24 billion in 2001 when totals for Monday and Tuesday are finalized. Through Sunday, the company had grossed a total $1.21 billion for the year. The studio's performance looks good enough for No. 2 or No. 3 on the all-time list of annual grossers. But it won't be enough to blow past Sony's record $1.26 billion haul of 1997.
Universal will finish No. 2 in U.S. market share for the second year in a row. Its $948 million in 2001 grosses through Sunday was expected to swell to about $960 million through Jan. 1.
The trade says that the race for the market share bronze medal was too close to call going into the holiday. The 2000 champ Disney -- which has become accustomed to finishing at least first or second in most years -- was No. 3 with $880 million through Sunday; Paramount was No. 4 with $879 million. Twentieth Century Fox and Sony were poised to claim the fifth and sixth market share rungs, respectively, with annual grosses through Sunday of $850 million and $722 million.
The year will set a box office record with a projected $8.14 billion through Jan. 1 -- a 9% improvement over 2000. But 5% of that boost stems from higher ticket prices, which jumped to an average $5.67 this year, according to box office tracker ACNielsen EDI.
Warners will likely end up with a total $1.24 billion in 2001 when totals for Monday and Tuesday are finalized. Through Sunday, the company had grossed a total $1.21 billion for the year. The studio's performance looks good enough for No. 2 or No. 3 on the all-time list of annual grossers. But it won't be enough to blow past Sony's record $1.26 billion haul of 1997.
Universal will finish No. 2 in U.S. market share for the second year in a row. Its $948 million in 2001 grosses through Sunday was expected to swell to about $960 million through Jan. 1.
The trade says that the race for the market share bronze medal was too close to call going into the holiday. The 2000 champ Disney -- which has become accustomed to finishing at least first or second in most years -- was No. 3 with $880 million through Sunday; Paramount was No. 4 with $879 million. Twentieth Century Fox and Sony were poised to claim the fifth and sixth market share rungs, respectively, with annual grosses through Sunday of $850 million and $722 million.