Taking advantage of cultural moments in a unique environment is a natural inclination for advertisers. In turn, film acts as a vehicle to inspire brands and audiences. What is even more impressive is that this was a year when cinema was competing with Gareth Southgate’s waistcoat at the World Cup and one of the hottest summers in recent memory. At the end of last year, UK cinema admissions totalled an incredible 177 million – the highest levels for 50 years. This is a unique position for cinema to be in and it’s inspiring to see our industry is still thriving. Who would want to wait months to see the outcome of the battle versus Thanos and traverse the office and the internet in fear of spoilers in the meantime? The exclusive theatrical window (meaning cinemas have exclusive rights to the titles for up to 16 weeks) ensures that audiences come to the cinema to see the latest content first. In a time of streaming services such as Netflix and Amazon Prime, you would be forgiven for questioning the continued appetite for audiences to leave the comfort of their sofa to pay to see a movie, at a pre-determined time, in a room full of strangers. This, combined with brilliant marketing and well-earned hype, has not only led to billions at the box office – these movies have also proven a point.Īt a time when entertainment consumption is fragmented by devices and increasingly becoming a solus activity, Endgame has managed to recapture the excitement of watching something you love with others and is a timely reminder about the power of the shared experience and the enduring health of the UK cinema market. A decade of artistic, consistent work and beautiful storytelling. For 11 years, Marvel Studios has dominated the industry like no-one else. To put that into media context, this audience delivery equates to a huge 20 TV ratings for 16-34 men for the opening four days – and Marvel’s roaring success is due to continue because we’re forecasting that Endgame will go on to deliver 40 TVRs for 16-34 men by the end of its theatrical run.īut what does this all mean? Endgame is a celebration of the superheroes that generations have grown a decade older with. In fact, after just four days, it has claimed the position as the biggest film of 2019, overtaking Captain Marvel. In its first weekend, Endgame banked $1.2bn at the worldwide box office in the UK, it banked £43.4m at the box office and was the biggest opening day in history (£12.2m). In fact, US presales saw Endgame sell nearly twice as many tickets in its first week as Aquaman, Star Wars: The Last Jedi, Avengers: Infinity War and Captain Marvel combined.

Strong advance tickets sales meant it become the fastest pre-selling film ever. After 11 years and 21 movies, the culmination of the Marvel Cinematic Universe finally arrived on the big screen last Thursday and it has surpassed even the most optimistic analyst’s expectations, delivering the biggest opening of all time.īut Avengers: Endgame started smashing box-office records even before its release.

Pokemon a watershed moment