After struggling with a record-low box office in August, exhibitors were eager to lure moviegoers back to their theatres for the Labor Day holiday weekend. Enter National Cinema Day, a one-day event that took place on Saturday, September 3rd, offering moviegoers any movie ticket for only $3, including screenings in IMAX and other premium large format auditoriums. The special event was heavily promoted by the movie industry and general press, including major news outlets such as NBC’s Today Show, NPR and CNBC.
While a drop in ticket prices also lowers revenues, increased attendance at theatres makes up for that with additional income from concessions sales. Despite the stale slate of movies now showing at theatres, the one-day event appears to have worked well as a savvy and successful marketing campaign. Over 3,000 theatres in the U.S. participated in the event, which was organized by The Cinema Foundation, a non-profit established recently with the mission of “advancing the moviegoing experience.”
Based on this year’s success, it seems likely that the event will return next Labor Day when only one significant new studio release has been scheduled — Sony’s THE EQUALIZER 3, starring Denzel Washington.
See also: Why movie tickets will be $3 across America this Saturday (Vox)