China’s box office takings drop by a quarter as viewers turn to streaming

China’s box office takings fell by almost a quarter last year as a lack of blockbusters and tough economic conditions saw consumers turn to streaming services for entertainment.

While China’s film industry surpassed North America’s in box office revenues for the first time in 2020, its recovery after the pandemic has been weaker. The world’s second-largest film market recorded total box office revenues of Rmb42.5bn ($5.8bn) in 2024, down nearly 23 per cent from Rmb54.9bn a year earlier, said the China Film Administration.