Report: H'wood Movies Dominate Euro Market

U.S. movies dominate market share across the 15 member states of the European Union, according to figures published Wednesday by the European Audiovisual Observatory.

American product secured an estimated 71.2% market share in Europe, up from a 65.4% market share last year, with the extensive report indicating that the rise in market share for U.S. product came on the back of a fall in performance by European movies outside their national markets.

The EAO figures also indicate that growth in cinema admissions throughout the European Union member states collectively slowed to less than 1% last year.

According to the figures, total admissions across the 15 member states hit an estimated 933 million last year, up 0.5% from 2001's tally of 929 million admissions.

The slowdown in rising admissions was marked after last year's figures recorded a whopping 10% rise in admissions from 2000, which recorded 844 million admissions.

Breaking down the figures, the EAO report indicates that the United Kingdom showed the strongest performance, hitting a total of 176 million tickets sold, up 13% from the previous year. The performance means that the United Kingdom became the second-largest admissions market in the EU after France.

France, according to the EAO, posted a slight drop to 185.1 million admissions last year from the previous year's tally of 185.8 million.

But Germany led the dipping markets, recording a 7.9% slump with admissions hitting 163.9 million in 2002, down from 177.9 million in 2001.

Spain also recorded a fall, with admissions reaching 140.7 million, a 4% drop from 2001's tally of 146.8 million.

Italy posted a small 1.8% rise in admissions, posting 112 million last year, up from 110 million admissions the previous year.

The report also highlights the overall market share for homegrown films produced in Europe last year, which hit an estimated 27% in '02, a fall from 2001's 31%.

The EAO report estimates that 625 films were produced in the EU from European territories in 2002, a slight fall from the previous year's tally of 628 films.

Countries showing an increase in production levels include Spain with 80, up from 67 in 2001, and Italy with 96 titles in 2002 from 68 in 2001.

Production levels dipped slightly in France — from 172 films in 2001 to 163 in 2002 — while the United Kingdom produced 60 homegrown titles in 2002, down from 64 the previous year.

The report also says that British, French and German producers showed renewed interest in co-productions, whereas in Italy and Spain, the principal increase in volume came from entirely nationally financed films.