Domestic Movie Theatrical Market Summary 1995 to 2023
Welcome to our reference library analyzing trends in the domestic movie industry since 1995. In this area of the site, you'll find over 2,000 pages of information detailing the changes that have shaped the industry.
Our market analysis is built on The Numbers' unique categorization system, which uses six different criteria to identify a movie. Every movie released since 1995 is categorized according to the following attributes: Creative Type (factual, contemporary fiction, fantasy etc.), Source (book, play, original screenplay...), Genre (drama, horror, documentary etc.), MPAA Rating, Production Method (live action, digital animation etc.) and Distributor. Our market charts provide year-by-year analysis across these categories, allowing analysis of market trends. See, for example, how horror movie revenues have varied, the emergence of digital animation and live action/CGI animated movies, and the decline (and possible rebound) of R-rated movies. To explore, click on an individual year, distributor, genre, creative type, production method or MPAA rating to see annual trends in a particular category.
Note: in order to provide a fair comparison between movies released in different years, all rankings are based on ticket sales, which are calculated using average ticket prices announced by the MPAA in their annual state of the industry report.
Annual Ticket Sales
Note: Figures for 2023 are at an annualized rate (both in the graph above and the table below). The Box Office Totals in the graph above are not adjusted for inflation.
| Year | Tickets Sold | Total Box Office | Total Inflation Adjusted Box Office | Average Ticket Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 858,398,923 | $8,970,268,744 | $8,970,268,744 | $10.45 |
| 2022 | 721,340,358 | $7,449,628,187 | $7,449,628,270 | $10.45 |
| 2021 | 444,425,374 | $4,528,749,942 | $4,546,878,631 | $10.40 |
| 2020 | 212,732,056 | $1,986,571,369 | $2,141,774,870 | $9.41 |
| 2019 | 1,227,869,167 | $11,247,284,186 | $12,175,829,707 | $9.16 |
| 2018 | 1,310,716,370 | $11,940,628,668 | $12,434,409,406 | $9.11 |
| 2017 | 1,225,558,247 | $10,993,260,308 | $11,371,485,757 | $8.97 |
| 2016 | 1,302,215,351 | $11,264,166,037 | $11,942,523,489 | $8.65 |
| 2015 | 1,322,638,629 | $11,149,846,654 | $12,142,843,878 | $8.43 |
| 2014 | 1,257,750,866 | $10,275,827,717 | $11,694,013,639 | $8.17 |
| 2013 | 1,339,138,087 | $10,887,195,617 | $12,341,177,953 | $8.13 |
| 2012 | 1,380,857,453 | $10,991,628,285 | $12,701,844,902 | $7.96 |
| 2011 | 1,282,808,734 | $10,172,675,707 | $11,832,762,495 | $7.93 |
| 2010 | 1,328,787,535 | $10,484,135,922 | $12,281,164,157 | $7.89 |
| 2009 | 1,418,567,388 | $10,639,257,284 | $13,008,236,683 | $7.50 |
| 2008 | 1,358,049,103 | $9,750,794,626 | $12,453,310,284 | $7.18 |
| 2007 | 1,420,070,454 | $9,770,087,282 | $13,022,046,064 | $6.88 |
| 2006 | 1,401,392,669 | $9,179,124,447 | $12,850,770,770 | $6.55 |
| 2005 | 1,372,980,280 | $8,800,805,718 | $12,590,256,256 | $6.41 |
| 2004 | 1,495,310,788 | $9,285,881,957 | $13,712,021,298 | $6.21 |
| 2003 | 1,524,589,620 | $9,193,277,289 | $13,980,492,708 | $6.03 |
| 2002 | 1,575,756,527 | $9,155,147,215 | $14,449,740,632 | $5.81 |
| 2001 | 1,465,875,103 | $8,296,854,718 | $13,442,075,255 | $5.66 |
| 2000 | 1,397,460,079 | $7,532,311,479 | $12,814,708,924 | $5.39 |
| 1999 | 1,444,664,086 | $7,338,894,852 | $13,247,569,672 | $5.08 |
| 1998 | 1,443,554,850 | $6,770,273,245 | $13,237,446,139 | $4.69 |
| 1997 | 1,357,382,474 | $6,230,386,444 | $12,447,206,222 | $4.59 |
| 1996 | 1,305,224,361 | $5,769,092,462 | $11,968,931,066 | $4.42 |
| 1995 | 1,221,735,652 | $5,314,550,785 | $11,203,344,733 | $4.35 |
Number of Wide Releases Each Year
Find below information about the number of movies released wide each year.
| Year | Warner Bros | Walt Disney | 20th Century Fox | Paramount Pictures | Sony Pictures | Universal | Total Major 6 | Total Other Studios |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 15 | 9 | 0 | 9 | 22 | 25 | 80 | 58 |
| 2022 | 6 | 5 | 0 | 10 | 13 | 25 | 59 | 50 |
| 2021 | 17 | 7 | 0 | 4 | 16 | 16 | 60 | 35 |
| 2020 | 5 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 9 | 13 | 34 | 23 |
| 2019 | 18 | 10 | 11 | 9 | 18 | 21 | 87 | 43 |
| 2018 | 19 | 10 | 11 | 10 | 16 | 20 | 86 | 58 |
| 2017 | 18 | 8 | 14 | 10 | 16 | 15 | 81 | 50 |
| 2016 | 17 | 12 | 16 | 12 | 16 | 22 | 95 | 46 |
| 2015 | 22 | 11 | 18 | 9 | 13 | 20 | 93 | 33 |
| 2014 | 17 | 12 | 17 | 10 | 17 | 15 | 88 | 37 |
| 2013 | 17 | 8 | 15 | 8 | 14 | 16 | 78 | 42 |
| 2012 | 16 | 11 | 15 | 13 | 18 | 17 | 90 | 42 |
| 2011 | 20 | 13 | 15 | 13 | 21 | 19 | 101 | 35 |
| 2010 | 20 | 12 | 18 | 12 | 17 | 17 | 96 | 30 |
| 2009 | 25 | 14 | 20 | 10 | 21 | 21 | 111 | 30 |
| 2008 | 19 | 11 | 22 | 14 | 19 | 19 | 104 | 48 |
| 2007 | 30 | 13 | 17 | 16 | 22 | 20 | 118 | 50 |
| 2006 | 26 | 17 | 25 | 13 | 26 | 21 | 128 | 31 |
| 2005 | 20 | 20 | 19 | 12 | 19 | 17 | 107 | 30 |
| 2004 | 27 | 25 | 18 | 14 | 15 | 14 | 113 | 25 |
| 2003 | 28 | 19 | 13 | 14 | 19 | 13 | 106 | 23 |
| 2002 | 32 | 23 | 15 | 16 | 20 | 13 | 119 | 21 |
| 2001 | 30 | 16 | 16 | 14 | 17 | 10 | 103 | 25 |
| 2000 | 29 | 22 | 13 | 12 | 15 | 13 | 104 | 27 |
| 1999 | 27 | 20 | 15 | 13 | 22 | 16 | 113 | 19 |
| 1998 | 27 | 21 | 11 | 11 | 20 | 16 | 106 | 20 |
| 1997 | 31 | 22 | 12 | 16 | 22 | 11 | 114 | 22 |
| 1996 | 31 | 23 | 13 | 16 | 24 | 13 | 120 | 22 |
| 1995 | 27 | 22 | 11 | 12 | 20 | 17 | 109 | 27 |
Top Movie of Each Year
This table lists the top-grossing movie for each year, based on tickets sold for each movie during the course of the year. Click on the year to see a detailed breakdown for the market as a whole in that year.
Top-Grossing Distributors 1995 to 2023
| Movies | Total Gross | Average Gross | Market Share | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Walt Disney | 601 | $42,214,350,051 | $70,240,183 | 16.95% |
| 2 | Warner Bros. | 806 | $37,407,540,250 | $46,411,340 | 15.02% |
| 3 | Sony Pictures | 787 | $30,886,901,081 | $39,246,380 | 12.40% |
| 4 | Universal | 566 | $30,579,453,719 | $54,027,303 | 12.28% |
| 5 | Paramount Pictures | 515 | $25,951,656,390 | $50,391,566 | 10.42% |
| 6 | 20th Century Fox | 527 | $25,890,906,406 | $49,128,855 | 10.40% |
| 7 | Lionsgate | 437 | $10,000,400,273 | $22,884,211 | 4.02% |
| 8 | New Line | 208 | $6,198,716,792 | $29,801,523 | 2.49% |
| 9 | Dreamworks SKG | 77 | $4,278,649,271 | $55,566,874 | 1.72% |
| 10 | Miramax | 385 | $3,836,019,208 | $9,963,686 | 1.54% |
Top-Grossing Genres 1995 to 2023
| Movies | Total Gross | Average Gross | Market Share | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Adventure | 1,147 | $66,011,107,614 | $57,551,096 | 26.51% |
| 2 | Action | 1,175 | $55,288,979,448 | $47,054,451 | 22.20% |
| 3 | Drama | 5,688 | $36,344,015,486 | $6,389,595 | 14.59% |
| 4 | Comedy | 2,482 | $34,294,845,170 | $13,817,424 | 13.77% |
| 5 | Thriller/Suspense | 1,270 | $20,341,862,745 | $16,017,215 | 8.17% |
| 6 | Horror | 793 | $14,423,858,379 | $18,188,977 | 5.79% |
| 7 | Romantic Comedy | 663 | $10,903,596,202 | $16,445,846 | 4.38% |
| 8 | Musical | 207 | $4,382,312,474 | $21,170,592 | 1.76% |
| 9 | Documentary | 2,515 | $2,577,972,419 | $1,025,039 | 1.04% |
| 10 | Black Comedy | 241 | $2,477,146,585 | $10,278,617 | 0.99% |
Top-Grossing MPAA Ratings 1995 to 2023
| Movies | Total Gross | Average Gross | Market Share | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | PG-13 | 3,374 | $120,397,687,819 | $35,683,962 | 48.35% |
| 2 | R | 5,654 | $65,551,247,757 | $11,593,783 | 26.32% |
| 3 | PG | 1,592 | $51,245,853,130 | $32,189,606 | 20.58% |
| 4 | G | 373 | $9,578,222,461 | $25,678,881 | 3.85% |
| 5 | Not Rated | 5,817 | $1,920,213,663 | $330,104 | 0.77% |
| 6 | NC-17 | 24 | $44,850,139 | $1,868,756 | 0.02% |
| 7 | Open | 5 | $5,489,687 | $1,097,937 | 0.00% |
| 8 | GP | 7 | $552,618 | $78,945 | 0.00% |
Top-Grossing Sources 1995 to 2023
| Movies | Total Gross | Average Gross | Market Share | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Original Screenplay | 8,360 | $110,882,857,255 | $13,263,500 | 44.53% |
| 2 | Based on Fiction Book/Short Story | 2,222 | $47,671,199,470 | $21,454,185 | 19.14% |
| 3 | Based on Comic/Graphic Novel | 275 | $26,616,421,607 | $96,786,988 | 10.69% |
| 4 | Remake | 335 | $12,883,901,238 | $38,459,407 | 5.17% |
| 5 | Based on Real Life Events | 3,367 | $11,953,061,316 | $3,550,063 | 4.80% |
| 6 | Based on TV | 236 | $11,442,322,192 | $48,484,416 | 4.59% |
| 7 | Based on Factual Book/Article | 322 | $7,608,614,551 | $23,629,238 | 3.06% |
| 8 | Spin-Off | 49 | $4,691,558,291 | $95,746,088 | 1.88% |
| 9 | Based on Folk Tale/Legend/Fairytale | 78 | $3,406,118,495 | $43,668,186 | 1.37% |
| 10 | Based on Game | 57 | $2,900,029,875 | $50,877,717 | 1.16% |
Top-Grossing Production Methods 1995 to 2023
| Movies | Total Gross | Average Gross | Market Share | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Live Action | 15,301 | $188,066,940,648 | $12,291,154 | 75.52% |
| 2 | Animation/Live Action | 266 | $31,336,635,652 | $117,806,901 | 12.58% |
| 3 | Digital Animation | 404 | $25,762,576,121 | $63,768,753 | 10.35% |
| 4 | Hand Animation | 167 | $2,960,505,754 | $17,727,579 | 1.19% |
| 5 | Stop-Motion Animation | 38 | $682,511,935 | $17,960,840 | 0.27% |
| 6 | Multiple Production Methods | 30 | $48,696,227 | $1,623,208 | 0.02% |
| 7 | Rotoscoping | 4 | $8,468,385 | $2,117,096 | 0.00% |
Top-Grossing Creative Types 1995 to 2023
| Movies | Total Gross | Average Gross | Market Share | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Contemporary Fiction | 7,851 | $100,373,558,697 | $12,784,812 | 40.31% |
| 2 | Kids Fiction | 590 | $34,496,421,464 | $58,468,511 | 13.85% |
| 3 | Science Fiction | 781 | $31,705,530,046 | $40,596,069 | 12.73% |
| 4 | Super Hero | 146 | $23,266,061,665 | $159,356,587 | 9.34% |
| 5 | Fantasy | 732 | $20,295,538,908 | $27,726,146 | 8.15% |
| 6 | Historical Fiction | 1,569 | $19,042,070,090 | $12,136,437 | 7.65% |
| 7 | Dramatization | 1,256 | $16,391,830,096 | $13,050,820 | 6.58% |
| 8 | Factual | 2,566 | $3,071,924,903 | $1,197,165 | 1.23% |
| 9 | Multiple Creative Types | 46 | $122,661,622 | $2,666,557 | 0.05% |
Our Theatrical Market pages are based on the Domestic Theatrical Market performance only. The Domestic Market is defined as the North American movie territory (consisting of the United States, Canada, Puerto Rico and Guam).
The yearly amounts on our Theatrical Market pages are based on box office years. Each box office year starts on the first Monday of the year, so the previous year ends on the Sunday before the first Monday. For example, the "2017 box office year" started on January 2, 2017 so the "2016 box office year" ended on Sunday, January 1, 2017.