http://www.chinabusinessreview.com/publ ... iller.html


I'm struck by this:

Despite the construction of 82 new movie theaters last year, China now has only 1,325 theaters with 3,034 screens—about 1 screen per 428,477 people. (In contrast, the United States has roughly 6,100 cinemas and 37,700 screens—about 1 screen per 8,100 people.) Because of the dearth of cinemas, competition for theatrical release is intense. Independent films and films with small and medium-sized budgets have little chance of theatrical release.

And this:

Since the early 1980s, movie ticket prices in China have risen 300 fold, and box office revenues have dropped by roughly 30 percent, according to Entertainment Asia Network (EAN), a market research company. Depending on the city and theater, movie ticket prices in China currently range from ¥30 to ¥80 ($3.90-$10). In 2006, China's annual urban per capita disposable income hit $1,517, and the annual rural per capita net income reached only $463, making a $10 ticket an expensive outing for most Chinese. In contrast, DVDs usually range from ¥5 to ¥35 ($0.64- $4.50), depending on their features and whether they are legitimate, which makes them much more affordable.

Yeah, going to theaters is still expensive comparing to how much people earned, although it has definitely been growing quite a lot.

Hmm... DVDs are cheaper than movie tickets. Interesting.