3D movies may not be catching on in living rooms across the United States, but global 3D box office revenue hit $6.1 billion in 2010 – more than double the $2.5 billion generated in 2009.
According to IHS analyst Charlotte Jones, international territories accounted for $3.9 billion or 63.9% of the market, up from 53.8% in 2009.
The rest of the 3D movie market, or 36.1%, was represented by North America: the United States and Canada. As expected, the United States was the world’s single biggest 3D market with $2.0 billion in box-office revenue, raking in the largest share at 32.8% – which actually decreased from 42.3% in 2009.
“International 3D box office revenue surged by nearly a factor of three, up from just $1.4 billion in 2009, driven by a corresponding hike in investment of digital 3D technology by key international exhibitors, in tandem with the influx in new 3D movie releases,” Jones told TG Daily in an e-mailed statement.
“This run of exceptional growth in international markets has been instrumental in achieving a current worldwide total in excess of 30,000 3D screens at June 2011, more than double the number at the same point last year. And at least one in four of the world’s screens is now 3D-capable.”
Despite impressive 3D screen growth internationally, the global market remains dominated by U.S. films, which accounted for more than 90% of revenue from international 3D screens.
For example, the top 3-D titles in Japan included “Avatar,” “Alice in Wonderland” and “Toy Story 3,” as well as local release “Umizaru 3: The Last Message,” which made the country’s Top 5 by year-end.
