Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1137604
8 maltatoday | SUNDAY • 30 JUNE 2019 MATTHEW VELLA BIG football tournaments in summer generate sales for food and beverage outlets screening matches. Yet for one entertainment business, four weeks of non- stop football in the World Cup or the European Champion- ship hits revenues by a fifth. Eden Leisure, the largest op- erator of multiplex cinemas in Malta, says it was expecting a big hit on revenues from the 2018 World Cup, yet revenues were 'saved' by blockbuster movies that smashed the box office. "The FIFA World Cup in Rus- sia during 2018 would have typically adversely affected cin- ema revenue by approximately 20% during the period," Eden Leisure said in filings to the stock exchange. "Notwithstanding, the Eden Cinemas registered a growth in gross box office receipts of 12% when compared to the prior year, with the screening of 'Bo- hemian Rhapsody', 'Avengers: Infinity War', and others significantly boosting rev- enues for the year." 'Bohemian Rhapsody', the biographical drama film about singer Freddie Mercury – lead vocalist of the British rock band Queen – received four Academy Awards and won best motion picture at Golden Globes, grossing over $900 million worldwide. Even better performing was Marvel's 'Avengers: Infinity War', which grossed $2 billion worldwide. Eden Cinemas is now ex- pecting box office revenue and bar income to progres- sively increase with top box office screenings in FY2019 such as 'Avengers: End Game', 'Toy Story 4', 'The Lion King', 'Spider-Man: Far From Home', 'Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw', 'Frozen 2' and 'Dumbo' attracting an ongoing positive audience. Last year, Eden Leisure's fi- nancial analysis summary had braced investors for a drop in revenue for its cinemas due to the World Cup. A spokesperson for Simonds Farsons Cisk – the brewery and beverage giant – on the other hand, said big sporting events and the World Cup in particu- lar, increased consumption of beverages, driven in part by public match screenings and related activities which are or- ganised for the competition, driving consumption further. As with cinema sales, it is the involvement of footballing na- tions supported by the Maltese that "does, to a certain extent, depend on the participating teams and their level of suc- cess", the Farsons spokesper- son had said, meaning it all depends on whether Italy and England are playing, and play- ing well. NSO cinema statistics for the period between 2013 and 2017 show revenue increasing every year, accompanied by a drop in screenings that likely reflects the trend where people turn out to watch highly-anticipated movies, and fewer on the spur of the moment. Foreign productions had 745,493 admissions in 2017 with total gross box office re- ceipts of €4.8 million in 50,360 screenings. During 2017, cinemas reg- istered a total of 757,203 ad- missions, an increase of 12.4% when compared to the prior year, and an increase in gross box office receipts of 14% to €4.85 million. At 13 screens, Eden Cin- emas received around 54% of all gross box office receipts in 2017. NEWS IDENTITY MALTA AGENCY CHANGE IN OFFICE OPENING HOURS CENTRAL VISA UNIT AS FROM 1 st JULY 2019 THE CENTRAL VISA UNIT WILL BE OPENING FROM: MONDAY TO FRIDAY 08:00AM - 02:00PM (Excluding Public Holidays) The Central Visa Unit will be accepting general queries, the submission of applications, including student visas, and passport collections on a daily basis t +356 2590 4550 e visa.ima@gov.mt w www.identitymalta.com World Cup is no 'killer screen' for cinemas with Mercury biopic Box office giants 'Bohemian Rhapsody' and Marvel's 'Avengers' reverse threat of cinema revenue drop from World Cup Night at the opera or the cinema? World Cup tournaments often keep people away from the cinema, Eden Leisure says. But films like 'Bohemian Rhapsody', which grossed over $900 million worldwide, or 'Avengers: Infinity Way', which grossed $2 billion, means expected drops in revenue are eventually recouped through big-draw films Big sporting events and the World Cup, in particular, increased consumption of beverages, driven in part by public match screenings, which, in turn, keep punters away from cinemas in summer