Editorial

2019 Domestic Box Office Revenue Down 3.6% From 2018 After Making $11.45 Billion

Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker Final Trailer (Credit: Screenshot/YouTube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zvcKNaWgpXA)

David Hookstead Sports And Entertainment Editor
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2019 wasn’t a great year for Hollywood.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, Comscore projects the 2019 domestic box office will end at $11.45 billion. That’s a 3.6% decline from the $11.88 billion made in 2018. (REVIEW: ‘Star Wars: The Rise Of Skywalker’ Is A Solid Conclusion To An Epic Saga)

THR also reported that is the “biggest year-over-year decline since 2014.”

For those of you wondering why the numbers are going down instead of up, this really isn’t a mystery. It’s not that entertainment, movies and TV are becoming less popular.

That’s not the case at all. In fact, we’re living in the golden age of television and streaming. That’s the problem for film studios.

The home-viewing experience is simply too good. It’s hard to convince some people that it’s worth going to the theater when they can sit at home watch HBO, Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Prime and other digital platforms.

Add in the fact there weren’t exactly a ton of great movies in 2019, and you’ve found your answer for why the numbers are down.

Outside of “Joker,” I’m struggling to think of one movie that was a smashing hit prior to “Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker” coming out.

For anybody hoping for a big box office turnaround, it’s not going to happen. As long as streaming stays strong, I think we’ll only see the numbers decline.

However, that’s not a bad thing for the viewing experience. In fact, I’d argue it’s a good thing. Competition makes everything better!