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Cinemas in Germany - Market Research Report (2015-2030)

Yuhua Tang Yuhua Tang Frankfurt, Germany Last Updated: July 2025 WZ J59.14DE

Revenue

€1.5bn

2025

€1.5bn

Past 5-Year Growth

Profit

€XX.Xm

Employees

19,747

Businesses

775

Wages

€XXX.Xm

Cinemas in Germany industry analysis

Since 2020, industry turnover has risen by an average of 15.8% per year. The significant growth is due to catch-up effects and the return to regular operations after significant revenue losses due to the pandemic, although the pre-crisis level has not yet been reached. The continuing decline in cinema attendance is due to increasing competitive pressure from streaming services such as Netflix and Amazon Prime as well as rising investment in home entertainment technology. A year-on-year decline in revenue of 0.9% to EUR 1.5 billion is forecast for 2025. In response, cinemas are increasingly investing in modern projection and sound systems, premium offers such as comfortable seating and VIP lounges as well as organic snacks and drinks in order to justify higher ticket prices and differentiate themselves from the home entertainment market. Alternative cinema formats such as special events, open-air screenings and live broadcasts are becoming increasingly relevant as operators look to diversify their offerings and appeal to a wider audience. These formats help to increase sales as they open up new customer groups and are accompanied by premium ticket prices. Children's and family films now account for the majority of box office revenue in Germany.The industry has faced considerable financial challenges since the pandemic. Lower sales as a result of declining visitor numbers, together with rising rental and ancillary costs and considerable investment in modernisation, are contributing to the tense situation. In order to invest in numerous modernisation measures, cinemas have taken advantage of funding from the German government's Future Cinema Programme and the German Federal Film Board's cinema investment funding. At the same time, cinemas are focusing on sustainable technologies and energy-efficient solutions in response to rising energy costs and stricter ecological standards. Industry players expect these investments to reduce operating costs and increase profits in the long term.In future, the German cinema industry will focus on the use of immersive technologies such as 4DX, virtual reality and augmented reality in order to optimise the audience experience and appeal to new target groups. The expected increase in live broadcasts and the spread of subscription models should help to improve and stabilise attendance figures. However, the structural trend towards fewer cinema visits is unavoidable. The industry's revenue is expected to fall by an average of 0.6% per year over the next five years and is therefore likely to be €1.4 billion in 2030.

Trends and Insights

  • The German cinema industry is increasingly focusing on premium offerings with improved technical equipment and an exclusive range of services. This strategy requires considerable investment, but enables cinemas to achieve higher margins through increased ticket prices.
  • The cinemas generate around a third of their revenue from snacks and drinks. In terms of ticket sales, US films generate the highest revenue. However, films from other countries are becoming increasingly popular.
  • The majority of cinemas can be found in southern Germany. Consumer spending on leisure and culture is somewhat higher in southern Germany than in the other regions of Germany. This makes the region particularly attractive for opening cinemas.
  • Streaming services are the most important competitor for cinemas. The fact that cinema films are being shown for ever shorter periods in cinemas and broadcast ever faster on television or streaming portals is having a negative impact on the attractiveness of cinemas.
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Industry Statistics and Trends

Market size and recent performance (2015-2030)

Industry revenue has grown at a CAGR of 15.8 % over the past five years, to reach an estimated €1.5bn in 2025.

Trends and Insights

The cinema is facing growing competition from streaming services

  • The rise of platforms such as Netflix and Amazon Prime has given audiences convenient access to films. During the pandemic, spending on home cinema and entertainment technology has increased, significantly enhancing the cinema experience at home. These factors have led to a reduction in the appeal of traditional cinema-going. The European Audiovisual Observatory reports that the number of cinema visits in Europe in 2024 was 24% below pre-crisis levels.
  • Additional trends and insights available with purchase
Cinemas in Germany
Revenue (2015-2030)
IBISWorld Logo Source: IBISWorld

Industry outlook (2025-2030)

Market size is projected to decline over the next five years.

Trends and Insights

The use of immersive technologies will play a decisive role in the future

  • The use of immersive technologies such as 4DX will increase in the German cinema industry. 4DX cinema technology is a multi-sensory concept that integrates the audience's senses into the action through motion elements, olfactory stimuli and environmental effects such as wind and water splashes, thus creating a more intense experience. Major German cinema chains such as CineStar and UCI Kinowelt have already installed 4DX screens in the most important cities.

Biggest companies in the Cinemas in Germany

Company
Market Share (%)
2025
Revenue (€m)
2025
Cineplex Deutschland GmbH & Co. KG
249.5
EVT Limited
226.8
AMC Entertainment Holdings, Inc.
119.5

To view the market share and analysis for all 7 top companies in this industry, view purchase options.

Products & Services Segmentation

Cinemas in Germany
Products & Services
IBISWorld Logo Source: IBISWorld

Industry revenue is measured across several distinct product and services lines, including US-American films, German films, including international co-productions and Films from EU countries, including international co-productions. US-American films is the largest segment of the Cinemas in Germany.

Trends and Insights

US films continue to dominate the German box office

  • This segment comprises feature films that are predominantly produced by US studios and production companies and shown in German cinemas.
  • More insights available in the full report

Table of Contents

About this industry

Industry definition

The cinema industry is concerned with the organisation of film screenings in cinemas, other venues or outdoors. The screening of films in film clubs is also part of this industry, which therefore includes not only the operation of cinema buildings, but also the screening of films in a wide variety of environments. The production and distribution of films is not part of the industry.

What's included in this industry?

Products and services covered in the Cinemas industry in Germany include Snacks and drinks, US-American films, German films, including international co-productions and Films from EU countries, including international co-productions.

Companies

Companies covered in the Cinemas industry in Germany include Cineplex Deutschland GmbH & Co. KG, EVT Limited and AMC Entertainment Holdings, Inc.

Purchase this report to view all 7 major companies in this industry.

Related Terms

Related terms covered in the Cinemas industry in Germany include light theatre, multiplex, genre and blockbuster.

Industry Code

WZ 2008

WZ 59.14 - Cinemas in Germany

Performance

Get an indication of the industry's health through historical, current and forward-looking trends in the performance indicators that make or break businesses.

Analyst insights

The German cinema industry is increasingly focusing on premium offerings with improved technical equipment and an exclusive range of services. This strategy requires consider...

In this chapter (4)

  • Current Performance
  • Outlook
  • Volatility
  • Life Cycle

Key metrics

  • Annual Revenue, Recent Growth, Forecast, Revenue Volatility
  • Number of Employees, Recent Growth, Forecast, Employees per Business, Revenue per Employee
  • Number of Businesses, Recent Growth, Forecast, Employees per Business, Revenue per Business
  • Total Profit, Profit Margin, Profit per Business

Charts

  • Revenue, including historical (2015-2024) and forecast (2025-2030)
  • Employees, including historical (2015-2024) and forecast (2025-2030)
  • Businesses, including historical (2015-2024) and forecast (2025-2030)
  • Profit, including historical (2015-2025)
  • Industry Volatility vs. Revenue Growth
  • Industry Life Cycle

Detailed analysis

  • Trends in supply, demand and current events that are driving current industry performance
  • Expected trends, economic factors and ongoing events that drive the industry's outlook
  • Key success factors for businesses to overcome volatility
  • How contribution to GDP, industry saturation, innovation, consolidation, and technology and systems influence the industry's life cycle phase.

Products and Markets

Learn about an industry's products and services, markets and trends in international trade.

Analyst insight

The cinemas generate around a third of their revenue from snacks and drinks. In terms of ticket sales, US films generate the highest revenue. However, films from other countr...

In this chapter

  • Products & Services
  • Major Markets

Key metrics

  • Largest market segment and value in 2025
  • Product innovation level

Charts

  • Products & services segmentation in 2025
  • Major market segmentation in 2025

Detailed analysis

  • Trends impacting the recent performance of the industry's various segments
  • Innovations in the industry's product or service offering, specialization or delivery method
  • Key factors that successful businesses consider in their offerings
  • Buying segments and key trends influencing demand for industry products and services

Geographic Breakdown

Discover where business activity is most concentrated in an industry and the factors driving these trends to find opportunities and conduct regional benchmarking.

Analyst insights

The majority of cinemas can be found in southern Germany. Consumer spending on leisure and culture is somewhat higher in southern Germany than in the other regions of Germany...

In this chapter (1)

  • Business Locations

Charts

  • Share of revenue, establishment, wages and employment in each region
  • Share of population compared to establishments in each region in 2025

Tables

  • Number and share of establishments in each region in 2025
  • Number and share of revenue each region accounts for in 2025
  • Number and share of wages each region accounts for in 2025
  • Number and share of employees in each region in 2025

Detailed analysis

  • Geographic spread of the industry across Europe, and trends associated with changes in the business landscape
  • Key success factors for businesses to use location to their advantage

Competitive Forces

Get data and insights on what's driving competition in an industry and the challenges industry operators and new entrants may face, with analysis built around Porter's Five Forces framework.

Analyst insights

Streaming services are the most important competitor for cinemas. The fact that cinema films are being shown for ever shorter periods in cinemas and broadcast ever faster on ...

In this chapter (4)

  • Concentration
  • Barriers to Entry
  • Substitutes
  • Buyer & Supplier Analysis

Key metrics

  • Industry concentration level
  • Industry competition level and trend
  • Barriers to entry level and trend
  • Substitutes level and trend
  • Buyer power level and trend
  • Supplier power level and trend

Charts

  • Market share concentration among the top 4 suppliers from 2020-2025
  • Supply chain including upstream supplying industries and downstream buying industries, flow chart

Detailed analysis

  • Factors impacting the industry’s level of concentration, such as business distribution, new entrants, or merger and acquisition activity.
  • Key success factors for businesses to manage the competitive environment of the industry.
  • Challenges that potential industry entrants face such as legal, start-up costs, differentiation, labor/capital intensity and capital expenses.
  • Key success factors for potential entrants to overcome barriers to entry.
  • Competitive threats from potential substitutes for the industry’s own products and services.
  • Key success factors for how successful businesses can compete with substitutes.
  • Advantages that buyers have to keep favorable purchasing conditions.
  • Advantages that suppliers have to maintain favorable selling conditions.
  • Key success factors for how businesses can navigate buyer and supplier power.

Companies

Learn about the performance of the top companies in the industry.

Analyst insights

EVT Limited operates 47 multiplex cinemas in Germany with around 370 screens. As part of a cooperation with the IMAX Corporation, the company would like to integrate IMAX scr...

In this chapter

  • Market Share Concentration
  • Companies
  • Company Spotlights

Charts

  • Industry market share by company in 2021 through 2025
  • Major companies in the industry, including market share, revenue, profit and profit margin in 2025
  • Overview of Cineplex Deutschland GmbH & Co. KG's performance by revenue, market share and profit margin from 2019 through 2025
  • Overview of EVT Limited's performance by revenue, market share and profit margin from 2019 through 2025
  • Overview of AMC Entertainment Holdings, Inc.'s performance by revenue, market share and profit margin from 2019 through 2025
  • Overview of revenue, market share and profit margin trend for 4 additional companies

Detailed analysis

  • Description and key data for Cineplex Deutschland GmbH & Co. KG, and factors influencing its performance in the industry
  • Description and key data for EVT Limited, and factors influencing its performance in the industry
  • Description and key data for AMC Entertainment Holdings, Inc., and factors influencing its performance in the industry
  • Description, key data and performance trends for 4 additional companies

External Environment

Understand the demographic, economic and regulatory factors that shape how businesses in an industry perform.   

Analyst insights

Germans' willingness to spend on leisure activities such as going to the cinema is significantly influenced by the consumer climate. When economic confidence is high, cinema ...

In this chapter

  • External Drivers
  • Regulation & Policy
  • Assistance

Key metrics

  • Regulation & policy level and trend
  • Assistance level and trend

Charts

  • Regulation & Policy historical data and forecast (2015-2030) 
  • Assistance historical data and forecast (2015-2030) 

Detailed analysis

  • Demographic and macroeconomic factors influencing the industry, including Regulation & Policy and Assistance
  • Major types of regulations, regulatory bodies, industry standards or specific regulations impacting requirements for industry operators
  • Key governmental and non-governmental groups or policies that may provide some relief for industry operators.

Financial Benchmarks

View average costs for industry operators and compare financial data against an industry's financial benchmarks over time. 

Analyst insights

Government financial aid has promoted extensive modernisation measures in German cinemas in recent years, but initially led to high depreciation costs. In the long term, howe...

In this chapter

  • Cost Structure
  • Financial Ratios
  • Key Ratios

Key metrics

  • Profit margin, and how it compares to the sector-wide margin
  • Average wages, and how it compares to the sector-wide average wage
  • Largest cost component as a percentage of revenue
  • Industry average ratios for days' receivables, industry coverage and debt-to-net-worth ratio

Charts

  • Average industry operating costs as a share of revenue, including purchases, wages, depreciation, utilities, rent, other costs and profit in 2025
  • Average sector operating costs as a share of revenue, including purchases, wages, depreciation, utilities, rent, other costs and profit in 2025
  • Investment vs. share of economy

Data tables

  • Cash Flow & Debt Service Ratios (2015-2030)
  • Revenue per Employee (2015-2030)
  • Revenue per Enterprise (2015-2030)
  • Employees per Establishment (2015-2030)
  • Employees per Enterprise (2015-2030)
  • Average Wage (2015-2030)
  • Wages/Revenue (2015-2030)
  • Establishments per Enterprise (2015-2030)
  • IVA/Revenue (2015-2030)
  • Imports/Demand (2015-2030)
  • Exports/Revenue (2015-2030)

Detailed analysis

  • Trends in the cost component for industry operators and their impact on industry costs and profitability 

Key Statistics

Industry Data

Data Tables

Including values and annual change:

  • Revenue (2015-2030)
  • IVA (2015-2030)
  • Establishments (2015-2030)
  • Enterprises (2015-2030)
  • Employment (2015-2030)
  • Exports (2015-2030)
  • Imports (2015-2030)
  • Wages (2015-2030)

Top Questions Answered

Unlock comprehensive answers and precise data upon purchase. View purchase options.

What is the market size of the Cinemas industry in Germany in 2025?

The market size of the Cinemas industry in Germany is €1.5bn in 2025.

How many businesses are there in the Cinemas industry in Germany in 2025?

There are 775 businesses in the Cinemas industry in Germany, which has grown at a CAGR of 0.7 % between 2020 and 2025.

How may import tariffs affect the Cinemas industry in Germany?

The Cinemas industry in Germany is unlikely to be materially impacted by import tariffs with imports accounting for a low share of industry revenue.

How may export tariffs affect the Cinemas industry in Germany?

The Cinemas industry in Germany is unlikely to be materially impacted by export tariffs with exports accounting for a low share of industry revenue.

Has the Cinemas industry in Germany grown or declined over the past 5 years?

The market size of the Cinemas industry in Germany has been growing at a CAGR of 15.8 % between 2020 and 2025.

What is the forecast growth of the Cinemas industry in Germany over the next 5 years?

Over the next five years, the Cinemas industry in Germany is expected to decline.

What are the biggest companies in the Cinemas industry in Germany?

The biggest companies operating in the Cinemas industry in Germany are Cineplex Deutschland GmbH & Co. KG, EVT Limited and AMC Entertainment Holdings, Inc.

What does the Cinemas industry in Germany include?

Snacks and drinks and US-American films are part of the Cinemas industry in Germany.

Which companies have the highest market share in the Cinemas industry in Germany?

The company holding the most market share in the Cinemas industry in Germany is Cineplex Deutschland GmbH & Co. KG.

How competitive is the Cinemas industry in Germany?

The level of competition is high and increasing in the Cinemas industry in Germany.

Methodology

How are IBISWorld reports created?

IBISWorld has been a leading provider of trusted industry research for over 50 years to the most successful companies worldwide. With offices in Australia, the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany and China, we are proud to have local teams of analysts that conduct research, data analysis and forecasting to produce data-driven industry reports.

Our analysts start with official, verified and publicly available sources of data to build the most accurate picture of each industry. Analysts then leverage their expertise and knowledge of the local markets to synthesize trends into digestible content for IBISWorld readers. Finally, each report is reviewed by one of IBISWorld’s editors, who provide quality assurance to ensure accuracy and readability.

IBISWorld relies on human-verified data and human-written analysis to compile each standard industry report. We do not use generative AI tools to write insights, although members can choose to leverage AI-based tools within the platform to generate additional analysis formats.

What data sources do IBISWorld analysts use?

Each industry report incorporates data and research from government databases, industry-specific sources, industry contacts, and our own proprietary database of statistics and analysis to provide balanced, independent and accurate insights.

Key data sources in Germany include:

  • German Federal Statistics Office (Destatis)
  • European Statistics Office (Eurostat)
  • United Nations Comtrade

Analysts also use industry specific sources to complement catch-all sources, although their perspective may focus on a particular organization or representative body, rather than a clear overview of all industry operations. However, when balanced against other perspectives, industry-specific sources provide insights into industry trends.

These sources include:

  • Industry and trade associations
  • Industry federations or regulators
  • Major industry players annual or quarterly filings

Finally, IBISWorld’s global data scientists maintain a proprietary database of macroeconomic and demand drivers, which our analysts use to help inform industry data and trends. They also maintain a database of statistics and analysis on thousands of industries, which has been built over our more than 50-year history and offers comprehensive insights into long-term trends.

How does IBISWorld forecast its data?

IBISWorld’s analysts and data scientists use the sources above to create forecasts for our proprietary datasets and industry statistics. Depending on the dataset, they may use regression analysis, multivariate analysis, time-series analysis or exponential smoothing techniques to project future data for the industry or driver. Additionally, analysts will leverage their local knowledge of industry operating and regulatory conditions to impart their best judgment on the forecast model.

IBISWorld prides itself on being a trusted, independent source of data, with over 50 years of experience building and maintaining rich datasets and forecasting tools. We are proud to be the keystone source of industry information for thousands of companies across the world.

Learn more about our methodology and data sourcing on the Help Center.

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