Korean theaters are putting up new experience-based content to bring back moviegoers to the theater. This is because the number of moviegoers was on the rise since May 2022, which marks the third year of the COVID-19 Pandemic, but the trend of increasing visitors has slowed since the summer.

According to the ‘Korean Film Industry Settlement in October’ data released by the Korean Film Council on November 15, the total sales in October were 61.5 billion won and the total number of audiences was 6.2 million. Compared to the same period in 2019, before the COVID-19 Pandemic, the sales rate is only 49.7% while the number of audiences is just 41.7%. Compared to September this year, sales fell 39.6% (40.3 billion won) and the total number of audiences fell 37.1% (3.66 million). It is analyzed that the decrease in moviegoers is because no clear box office hits have appeared in theaters since the Chuseok Holiday. Among the films released in October, none of them sold more than 10 billion won in sales with under 1 million viewers. 

The total sales from January to October this year were 939.1 billion won, up 116.3% (505 billion won) from the same period last year. The number of audiences was 92.25 million, up 102.7% (46.74 million) from the same period last year. However, compared to January to October 2019, before the Pandemic, the sales rate is just 59.7% and the number of audiences is 49.7%, which is nearly half level. In this situation, Korean theaters are coming up with new strategies to provide new experience content other than movies to the audience. 

Enjoying Indoor Climbing & Tennis in the Theater 

CGV, the largest multiplex chain in Korea, combined theaters with indoor climbing facilities. CGV recently introduced 'PEAKERS 2nd Branch.’ As a climbing gym, PEAKERS is designed to help CGV use the theater space in a new way to help customers have fresh experiences. In January, the first branch, ‘PEAKERS Jongno,’ opened at CGV Piccadilly 1958. The 2nd branch, ‘PEAKERS Guro,’ was created by renewing the 3rd and 4th halls of CGV Guro. 

Regarding ‘PEAKERS,’ CGV explained, "The Guro branch boasts the best condition for a climbing gym because it utilizes the high ceiling, which is the strength of existing theater halls." At the store in PEAKERS Guro, you can also purchase a unique item called screen chalk bags. The products are made using the screens used in Hall 4 at CGV Guro. 

Lotte Cinema is also attracting public attention with a special space. An indoor sports facility where you can enjoy tennis has been built in Lotte Cinema Yulha. An official from Lotte Culture Works said, "Lotte Cinema is transforming into 'Culture Square', a complex cultural space where you can enjoy new experiences through space utilization. In addition, we are considering promoting various businesses with attractive companies and a variety of content to bring the audience back to the theater. As part of that, we planned a space where you can enjoy and learn tennis, one of the popular sports for the MZ generation these days, regardless of the weather." 

The facilities in a movie theater with a high ceiling are characterized by the fact that it can create synergy with sports facilities such as indoor climbing or tennis. In addition, since the movie theaters are in highly accessible areas, such an innovation receives positive responses from users who want to enjoy special exercise facilities conveniently. The movie theater officials said, "Indoor sports facilities are used by customers of various ages, and the number of users is steadily increasing through word of mouth." 

Rooting for World Cup Games in the Theater 

Watching World Cup games in theaters has now become a regular event in theaters. CGV will solely broadcast live the FIFA Qatar World Cup games in the theater. CGV will provide live streaming for the Korean team’s group qualifying matches, starting with the game against Uruguay at 10 p.m. on November 24, against Ghana at 10 p.m. on November 28, and against Portugal at midnight on December 3. In addition, if the Korean national team proceeds to the round of 16, CGV will continue with the live broadcasting service at the theater. You can watch the World Cup games broadcast live through over 100 CGVs nationwide. 

In addition to enjoying live World Cup broadcasts with large screens and high-quality sounds at the theater, a variety of movie-related content has also been prepared. The strategy is to provide discount coupons for 6 Korean movies, including Ditto, DECIBEL, The Night Owl, Men of Plastic, A Birth, and Hero, to the audience who book live World Cup broadcasts, attracting them to Korean films. In addition, various sales strategies are being adapted, such as increasing the number of new food menus available in theaters. 

However, it is widely believed in the industry that such strategies are not a fundamental method to solve the problems the cinema industry faces. A multiplex official said, "We are looking for various strategies to recover the loss of theaters after the COVID-19 Pandemic. But basically, the fundamental solution is to release a lot of box office hits to attract more viewers to the theater. That is the best solution for the problem we face.” At the moment, Marvel's new film, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, which was considered the most anticipated film in the 4th quarter of the year, has not exceeded 100,000 daily audiences even in the second week of its release. As the number of audiences of the film is just half compared to before the COVID-19 Pandemic, the box office success of James Cameron's Avatar 2: The Way of Water and Director JK Youn’s musical film, Hero, which is set to be released in December, is drawing more attention.