Average price for movie tickets falls in third quarter

Moviegoers got some mild relief in the third quarter as the average price for tickets in the U.S. edged downward.

The average ticket price for the three-month period ended Sept. 30 was $7.78, down from a record high of $8.12 in the second quarter and $7.94 a year earlier, according to the National Assn. of Theatre Owners.

The trade group’s analysis is based on a survey of theaters nationwide and also includes lower-cost matinee tickets and tickets discounted for seniors and students. As a result, the average ticket price is well below what moviegoers pay in L.A., where admission fees are above $10.

Patrick Corcoran, spokesman for the theater association, attributed the decline to fewer 3-D movies, which command higher ticket prices. The biggest movie in the third quarter, “The Dark Knight Rises,” was not shown in 3-D.

Box office revenue fell 7.2% in the quarter while theater admissions in the U.S. dropped by 5%, compared with the same period a year ago.

Year to-date-admissions are still up 3.75% compared with 2011, and the industry is expecting a strong fourth quarter led by “The Hobbit,” “The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn -- Part 2,” and “Skyfall,” Corcoran said.

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