The China Consumers Association said March 1 that it is asking movie theaters to stabilize film ticket prices and avoid holiday price increases, following consumer complaints during the Lunar New Year holiday.
The organization collected more than 100,000 negative reviews related to film ticket prices during the seven-day holiday, which started Feb. 11. Complaints about high ticket prices peaked Feb. 15, the fifth day of the holiday, according to the association.
"We advise responsible parties for film tickets to stabilize the prices and [adhere to] market rules [and] care more about consumer experiences," the association said.
The average ticket price during the holiday was 49.5 yuan, up 10% year over year, according to data cited by the association. Some theaters doubled ticket prices during the period.
However, China's film regulator is unlikely to "cast [a] limit" on ticket prices any time soon, Ming Zihao, director of research at film consulting company Top Consulting, told S&P Global Market Intelligence.
"The regulator would like to see film tickets higher, given that demand for film entertainment remains solid, which means a strong buying power and a good sign of movie market recovery," he said.
The 2021 Lunar New Year holiday recorded 7.82 billion yuan at the box office, historically the best among all seven-day holidays, or golden weeks, in China, according to China Film Administration data. Two blockbusters, "Hi, Mom" and "Detective Chinatown 3," contributed around 80% of the total gross, according to China Daily.
"Hi, Mom" was distributed by Beijing Jingxi Culture & Tourism Co.Ltd., Tianjin Maoyan Weying Cultural Media Co. Ltd., Alibaba Pictures Group Ltd. and others, according to film database enData. Wanda Pictures, together with others, produced and distributed "Detective Chinatown 3." Alibaba Pictures subsidiary Shanghai Tao Piao Piao Movie & TV Culture Co. Ltd. is also among the distributors, according to The Hollywood Reporter and enData.
As of March 1, US$1 was equivalent to 6.47 Chinese yuan.