By Adedapo Adesanya
There was a 25 percent drop in total amount spent by Nigerians at the cinemas in the month of February, data from the Cinema Exhibitors Association of Nigeria (CEAN), has revealed.
In January 2020, the sector generated higher revenue from movie lovers, but in the month of February, a total of N412.05 million was raked, about N139.94 million (25 percent) lesser than the N551.99 million spent in the first month of this year.
Year-on-year, this figure was 35.3 percent higher as Nigerians spent N267 million at the movies in February 2019.
It was disclosed that 360,928 persons visited Nigerian cinemas to watch the top 20 movies in February 2020 compared with 442,173 recorded in January. This signifies an 18 percent difference but higher 80 percent from over 200,000 last year February.
From the figures, records from CEAN showed that in the first weekend of last month, a total of N60.1 million was spent by Nigerian movie lovers, while from the Valentine’s weekend till February 20, Nigerian cinemas recorded over N109.2 million, marking the highest week. Data further showed that from February 21 – 27, about N81.6 million was spent at cinemas nationwide.
In February 2020, cinema operators made more money from Hollywood movies as N217 million was realised, while for Nollywood, they made N168 million, bringing in N385 million, and accounting for about 94 percent of the total income in February.
Other movie industries, Gollywood (Ghana), Bollywood (India) among others accounted for just over N25 million of the N412.05 million earnings realized in the second month of the year.
According to the CEAN data, Hollywood movie, Bad Boys For Life, which was the highest watched movie in February, raked in N77 million, while Nollywood’s blockbuster produced by Jadesola Osiberu – Sugar Rush, despite being released in December 2019, still finds itself in the top 4 films in the country. Since its release, the movie has made N275 million in Nigerian cinemas.
Latest weekend data available on the CEAN website showed that from February 28 – March 1), cinema operators in Nigeria recorded N46.6 million from moviegoers with Nollywood comedy movie, Who’s The Boss bringing in over N10.5 million.
