M2 Cinemas

In 1969 Her Majesty's Stationery Office began publication of an annual document called
Business Monitor | Miscellaneous series | M2 Cinemas
This took the form of a compilation of national and regional data collected by and for the Board of Trade, mainly by HM Customs & Excise in the administration of the screen quota regulations. Previously the data had appeared in the form of duplicated sheets produced in-house by the Statistics Division of the Board.
        The information in Business Monitor M2 was among the most reliable and detailed for any cinema industry in the world, providing analysis of operations by UK regions, cinema size and annual takings per screen. This section exhaustively includes this unique record of 20 years of British cinema statistics, with additional analysis.
        The series came to an end when the government of Margaret Thatcher decided to abolish both the screen quota and the Eady levy in 1985. Whilst neither demise was mourned, a request from the government's industry advisory body, the Interim Action Committee, to find a way of maintaining the statistical provision was not heeded. Consequently, about 18 months later the government discovered that it had gone from one of the best to no supply at all of cinema trade statistics.

This section is still in preparation. Click on links where available.

National		Regional
Number of cinemas (summary table)		Definition of regions
Number of cinemas by seating capacity	—	Number of cinemas by region
Number of seats (summary table)
Seating capacity breakdown		Seating capacity by region
Average number of seats per screen by seating capacity	—	Average number of seats per screen by region
Multi-cinemas (sub-section)
Number of admissions (summary table)
Number of admissions by seating capacity	—	Number of admissions by region
Gross box office takings (summary table)
Gross box office takings by seating capacity	—	Gross box office takings by region
Average charge for admission (summary table)
Average charge for admission by seating capacity	—	Average charge for admission by region
Payments to British Film Fund (summary table)
Payments to British Film Fund by seating capacity	—	Payments to British Film Fund by region
Net takings by seating capacity		Net takings by region
Payments for film hire (summary table)
Payments for film hire by seating capacity	—	Payments for film hire by region
Exhibitors' share after paying for film hire by seating capacity		Exhibitors' share after paying for film hire by region
Gross film rentals charged to exhibitors by seating capacity		Gross film rentals charged to exhibitors by region
Average number of complete performances by seating capacity		Average number of complete performances by region
Estimated percentage of capacity filled by seating capacity		Estimated percentage of capacity filled by region
Persons employed (summary table and chart)
Employment by seating capacity	—	Employment by region and seating capacity
Proportion of full-time employees		Proportion of full-time employees by region
Receipts from film distribution

*Tables marked with an asterisk are derived from the official data and not included in the M2 reports

Sources: Board of Trade Statistics Division (1966-1968);
Business Monitor M2: Cinemas (Board of Trade/HMSO 1969-1970, Department of Trade & Industry/HMSO 1971-1972, Department of Industry Business Statistics Office/HMSO 1974-1976, Government Statistical Service 1977-1984)
All data Crown copyright except where derived as indicated