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Admissions
Admissions is the count of people admitted — the volume measure that sits underneath box office gross, and the one inflation cannot flatter.
Gross goes up when prices go up
Box office gross is revenue, and revenue rises when ticket prices rise whether or not a single extra person came. Admissions is a headcount, and it cannot be improved by pricing. That makes it the more honest measure of whether a cinema is growing.
The distinction is not academic. Several years in the last decade have seen national box office records set on falling admissions — more money from fewer people, largely through premium formats and price increases. That is a real commercial strategy and it can be the right one, but it is not growth in audience, and confusing the two leads to unpleasant surprises when the price lever runs out.
Track both. Gross tells you about this year's P&L. Admissions tells you whether you will have an audience in five years.
The measures and what each one hides
| Measure | Answers | Blind to |
|---|---|---|
| Admissions | How many people came | What they were worth |
| Box office gross | What tickets earned | Whether that was price or volume |
| Average ticket price | Gross ÷ admissions | Mix between premium and standard |
| Spend per head | Concession revenue ÷ admissions | Attach rate versus basket size |
| Occupancy | How full the shows were | How many shows you chose to run |
Any one of these can be moved without moving the others, which is why a dashboard with only one of them on it will eventually mislead whoever reads it.
Frequently asked questions
Do free and comp tickets count as admissions?
Conventionally yes — a seat was occupied. Track them separately as well, or a rising admissions figure can hide falling paid attendance.
Why do national reports lead with gross rather than admissions?
Gross is bigger, more quotable and easier to collect consistently. Admissions is the more useful number and is reported less prominently.
What is average ticket price?
Gross divided by admissions. It moves with your premium-format mix and discount policy as much as with your headline prices.
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