Blockbusters boost Cineworld

1st Jul 2009 08:30

A string of blockbusters helped cinema operator Cineworld shrug off a weak advertising market to enjoy healthy trading in the first half of 2009. In addition to Slumdog Millionaire, which grossed in excess of £31m in the UK and Ireland, notable films included Star Trek, Transformers and X-Men.For the 27 weeks to July 2, Cineworld estimates it saw revenue growth of 16.5%, with box office and retail income climbing 22.5% and 14.8% respectively and other income declining 23.4%. Cineworld said its box office market share remained constant during the period at about 23.5%.It says the outlook for the rest of the year is promising, with films such as Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince in the pipeline.