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Annual revenue of one multiplex screen

A revenue build with three streams — and an occupancy reality check.

moderate
5 min read
revenue-buildentertainment

Estimate the annual revenue of a single multiplex screen in an Indian metro. Three streams: tickets, food & beverage, advertising. The number most people get wrong is occupancy — full Friday-night shows are the exception, not the average.

Admissions get built first (with the weekday/weekend occupancy split), then all three streams ride on that number.
1

Admissions

220 seats × 4 shows/day × 30% blended occupancy (weekday mornings near-empty, weekend evenings full) ≈ 264/day → ~96K/year.

2

Ticket revenue

96K × ₹220 average (post-discount realized) ≈ ₹2.1 crore.

3

F&B

~50% of admissions buy, spending ~₹180 → ~₹0.9 crore (and at ~70% gross margin, F&B drives profit disproportionately).

4

Ads & other

On-screen advertising + convenience fees ≈ ₹0.2–0.3 crore.

5

Total

≈ ₹3–3.5 crore per screen per year.

96k admits × (₹220 + 0.5×₹180) + ads ≈ 96k × ₹310 + 0.25cr ≈ ₹3.2 cr/yr

How to defend it

Occupancy is the assumption that gets attacked — defend 30% as a weighted average (weekends ~65%, weekdays ~15%, and 60% of shows are weekday shows). Bonus: note that a 5-point occupancy swing moves revenue ~₹0.5 crore — i.e., one hit film month makes the year.