Cinema subscriptions are catching on, recovering previous box office revenue streams for cinema that may trickle back into the film/TV ecosystem.

Cinema subscriptions are picking up a tailwind driven by the growing appetite for all media subscriptions. Nordisk Film Cinema confirms mounting interest, and cinema subscriptions could return lost revenue to film distributors and the entire film/TV industry.

In late 2023, Nordisk Film Cinema introduced a nationwide cinema subscription, Bioplus Unlimited, in Denmark, quickly followed by a Norwegian introduction in Norwegian cinema theatres in Oslo and Asker, and in the Lagunen cinema theatre in Bergen.

"As for Sweden, we do not yet offer the ‘Unlimited’ subscription in our two Swedish cinemas," Managing Director Casper Bonavent, Nordisk Film Cinema, told Nordisk Film & TV Fond (NFTVF).

Trend moves from ownership to access

In Sweden, the European ‘Cineville’ subscription model is expected to reach consumers in March or April 2025, according to SR’s Kulturnytt.

“Sweden is still recovering from the pandemic, and needs people back in the cinema theatres,” Katrina Mathsson,former director of Folkets Bio and one of the initiators, told SR. The subscription price will be about SEK 300 per month. Initially, Stockholm, Gothenburg, Malmö, Helsingborg, and Lund are included, and only independent cinemas will be offering subscriptions.

Bioplus, Cineville, and others are part of a general movement from ownership to access. Rather than owning, consumers choose subscriptions, according to subscription consultancy Subscrybe. Subscription models for media have gained ground in Nordic households in recent years, accentuated by the streaming services' reasonable "all you can eat" offers.

Moving close to ten per cent goal

At Nordisk Film Cinema, Bioplus is available for 229 DKK per month, with free admission to all twenty-three of Nordisk Film's cinemas in Denmark and eight cinemas in Norway. Subscribers must commit to four months. Bioplus Unlimited applies to all films and time slots, including 3D and 4DX screenings.

Last year, Nordisk Film set a short-term goal that every tenth cinema guest should be an ’Unlimited’ member. The goal now seems within reach, and a growing appetite for media subscriptions could drive cinema subscriptions higher.

"We have a stable, growing subscription base with an increased frequency of cinema visits. So, we're close to every tenth guest being an Unlimited member," Bonavent said.

Increasingly loyal filmgoers build revenue

Subscribers are loyal, watch more films, and often take chances on a title they would not otherwise. More and more frequent filmgoers are building a basis for a new revenue stream for Nordisk Film Cinema, which includes increasing popcorn sales and other cinema products in theatres.

"We are seeing that guests with Unlimited subscriptions are visiting the cinema more frequently and watching a wider range of films, which supports our ambition to make the cinema experience attractive and accessible," Bonavent said.

Bonavent recognises that Nordisk Film’s subscription model is on a path to recovering some lost box office revenue.

"A significant portion of box office revenue goes back to distributors and producers via film rentals, strengthening both the cinema culture and the ecosystem in the film industry," he said.

New business models welcomed

As of September 2024, cinema attendance had dropped 36 per cent in Norway, compared to the average pre-corona years (2015-2019), according to the Norwegian Film Institute, and subscription schemes could play a role in supporting Norwegian cinema.

"In a market like that, it is positive that cinemas are exploring new business models and taking steps to lower the threshold for cinema visits,” Julie Ova, Executive Director, Cinematheque, Film Culture, and Education at the Norwegian Film Institute, told NFTVF.

"It is quite possible that subscriptions will grow and attract people to the cinema, as one of the instruments that the sector must explore."

Financial boost to cinema culture

In the UK, most cinema chains now offer various subscription forms, including Curzon Cinema Membership, Vue Memberships, and Odeon Limitless.

“Subscription schemes highlight their benefit to exhibitors (theatres, distributors, Ed.) and their role in supporting cinema culture,“ Senior Analyst Peter Ingram, Ampere Analytics told NFTVF.

“Subscribers see a greater variety and volume of titles, creating word-of-mouth interest and helping drive others to seek the films out. In addition, with free or discounted cinema access, subscribers typically also gain access to discounts on concessions, which provide a key incremental boost to cinema and some distributor revenues,” Ingram said.

In 2024, global theatrical revenues are estimated to reach $32.3bn, down from $36.2bn in 2019, but according to Ampere Analytics, cinema subscriptions have contributed to a post-pandemic recovery.

“Cinema subscriptions have played a role in supporting the market over the past four years, but the (global) theatrical landscape continues to be below its pre-pandemic strength,” Ingram said.

However, streaming/TV industry expert Claus Bülow Christensen is not completely convinced that cinema subscriptions create new revenue for film distributors and the entire industry, citing weak box office sales in 2024.

"The effect on the film industry seems uncertain. I am not sure that extra cinema admissions sold with a discount through subscription programs support the total income from tickets sold," Christensen told NFTVF.