http://www.cbc.ca/stories/2003/06/04...esurvey_030604

Canadians less interested in movies, industry posts loss
Last Updated Wed, 04 Jun 2003 12:16:26
OTTAWA - Canadians are losing interest in movies and drive-ins, according to a Statistics Canada survey.

Although attendance has climbed over the last nine years, the rate of growth has fallen.


2000: growth rate was 0.3 per cent
1999: growth rate 6 per cent
1998: growth rate 14 per cent
Industry sources suggest that the attendance may have been relatively low in 2000 during the traditional big box-office summer months because there were fewer blockbusters.

Attendance at drive-ins continues to drop, falling 13 per cent from the previous year.

The industry as a whole suffered an operating loss of $26.5 million for 2000 compared to a profit of $41.7 million for 1999.

The multiplexes were responsible for the overall loss, as start-up costs, employment costs and large occupancy rate cut into profits.

Older, smaller cinemas eked out a small profit.

The Motion Picture Theatres Survey is a census of all movie theatres and drive-in theatres in Canada.

The 2000 survey included 679 movie theatres and 67 drive-ins that provided data for the fiscal year ending March 31, 2001.
This doesn't surprise me at all with repeated increases in ticket prices, bad films, DVD release within 4-6 months, and an overall decrease in the quality of the movie going experience.