Why you should care about online ticketing | Veezi Skip to Content
English
United States
Blog

Why you should care about online ticketing

Online ticketing has been rising in popularity among moviegoers for years. Even before the pandemic pushed every aspect of our lives further online, the percentage of movie tickets sold online was rapidly increasing.

It’s natural, as we embrace more and more forms of online shopping, from retail to events, that cinemas see the same trend. Moviegoers—like all consumers—are leaning further toward a preference of engaging online.

Between 2020 and today, the proportion of movie tickets purchased has shifted from the majority of purchases happening in-cinema to the majority being done online. In 2020, 43% of all tickets were purchased online, and by 2023 that rate rose to 67%.

Year-on-year, we’ve watched this proportion rise.

What’s driving ticketing online?

Modern audiences, and especially younger audiences, are not only accustomed to purchasing online now—they prefer it. Whether browsing from computers or scrolling on our phones, buying online became a mainstay thanks to its convenience, and remains so thanks to its familiarity.

While the pandemic obviously accelerated trends towards online engagement, the cinema industry was already seeing its effects before then.

The prevalence of buying tickets by mobile alone, according to this year’s UNIC annual report, already sat at 20% in 2019. But by 2023, it has almost doubled to 36%. With browsing on mobile becoming more frequent, it's more important than ever to ensure your website and ticketing are responsive—and so adapt to mobile devices—and optimized for conversion, so those casual browsers turn into purchasers.

While it’s correct that this trend is exemplified by younger moviegoers, Movio Research found that all moviegoer segments under the age of 44 chose to buy tickets online more often than in-cinema.

Why this matters for independent cinemas

It’s fair to say that online ticketing is here to stay. So, how can cinemas make the most of it, and why should they be invested in doing so?

There are a number of benefits that make focusing on your online ticketing worthwhile. But the simplest and clearest element it offers is this: Revenue.

Online ticketing solutions like V-Tix enable you to implement booking fees for your ticketing. Convenience fees like these have likewise become an everyday occurrence in our lives, but they can make a more significant impact for your bottom line than the surface might make it seem.

A dollar or two here and there may seem small when looking ticket-by-ticket, but they quickly add up to a significant supporting revenue stream. By directing your moviegoers to engage with your cinema online more frequently, by promoting bookings via social media or email, and increasing how many tickets you sell online, you can generate more revenue for every moviegoer who visits.

But the payoff of driving more ticketing online extends beyond that.

Online ticketing is greatly beneficial for forecasting. Every time a moviegoer purchases a ticket online and in-advance instead of as a walk-in, you gain a better picture of what attendance will look like—across individual sessions, or across days and weeks overall.

Better forecasting makes it easier to adapt, to know how much stock of concessions you may need, to know which screenings might see the highest attendance, which titles might need additional screening times if they prove particularly popular, or when a screening that’s under-performing might need an extra marketing push.

Engage your moviegoers the way they like. Convenience, familiarity, and surety of booking online are all big draws for moviegoers, and with better understanding and a supporting revenue stream, boosting your online ticketing is a win-win for you and your audience.

2713 Yoakum Cinema Texas Customer Story

"Before the theater, everybody went out of town for activities. There was nothing to do in Yoakum..."

~ Tammy Steinmann
Yoakum Grand Theater
2775 Veezi Pivot Cinemas Customer Story Rotator 314X314

“I have literally sat on the beach and logged in using my tablet. I love that everything happens in real time and you don’t have to wait to the end of the day for reports, it’s all there. 

~ Mark & Jess Walker
The Pivotonian Cinema
Deluxe

“The earthquake took out 22 screens across Christchurch, and we put one back in. We were oversubscribed. We had the whole market to ourselves for a year. 

~ Jeremy Stewart
Alice, Deluxe & Town Hall Cinemas
2815 Veezi Silvermoon Rotator

"At full capacity we have over 400 cars, that’s 900 to 1000 people at any one time. The curse of drive-ins are the grid locks, but with Veezi we now have a dedicated person moving along the queues of cars selling tickets via a tablet, in advance of reaching the box office."

~ Chip Sawyer
Silver Moon Drive-In
2500 Temora Town Hall – Australia Customer Story Customer Story 150DPI 300719

People come from other towns to find out how we do it”

~ Beth Firman
Town Hall Theatre
Epic Cinemas

“I want my customers to experience the magic of the cinema, one that matches the magic of the movie—just like it used to be.”

~ Danie van der Merwe
Epic Cinemas
Casestudy Veezi Monterey

After years in the business, I've had to figure out some things and now have a reputation for doing things my way. Call it my 'indie' spirit.”

~ Kelly Rogers
Monterey Cinema
WIFF

“The traffic was heavy. It added to the excitement at the box office, but the kiosks have made it more efficient for our patrons...

~ Jen Holson
Windsor International Film Festival
Johnathan Brownlee DIFF

“Every year, we try to find new ways to give our audience a better experience.”

~ Johnathan Brownlee
Dallas International Film Festival
Peckhamplex

“Hands down, Veezi is what I need. It is reliable, and I can plan and act whether I am in the office or not.”

~ Geoff Glen
Peckhamplex
1963 Veezi Anzac Theatre Customer Story 150DPI

It's simple and intuitive to use and is run by a great bunch of people! Our town put in the time, and Veezi runs our theatre and keeps our finances tight … just the ticket!”

~ Vernon Woods
ANZAC Theatre
Avoca

“Veezi is flexible and able to cope with everything we throw at it.”

~ Norman & Beth Hunter
Avoca Beach Picture Theatre