The Netflix series finale “Stranger Things” grossed over $25 million in US cinemas on New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Eve – almost entirely through snack sales rather than tickets.
The finale of the hit Netflix series “Stranger Things” generated exceptional sales in cinemas in the USA at the turn of the year. On New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day, well over $25 million flowed into the coffers of cinema operators, possibly even up to $30 million. What is noteworthy is that this income does not come from ticket sales, but almost exclusively from the sale of snacks and drinks – an unusual but lucrative model for the industry.
Vouchers instead of tickets
As reported by Deadline, this construction was necessary because theaters were not allowed to sell tickets for the Netflix event due to contractual royalty agreements with the performers. Instead, seats were reserved using mandatory vouchers for food and drinks. In the US cinemas of “AMC”, the largest cinema chain in the country, such a voucher cost $20 per seat.
1.1 million seat reservations in advance
The final episode of the fifth season of “Stranger Things” was shown in more than 620 cinemas. Two days before the start, the series creators, the Duffer brothers, announced that around 1.1 million tickets – or seat reservations – had been sold. The event even exceeded advance sales for “K-Pop Demon Hunters,” which opened in theaters at the end of August with around 700,000 RSVPs and ultimately grossed around $19 million.
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Unofficial number one hit at the box office
Industry observers consider the “Stranger Things” finale to be a kind of unofficial number one hit at the box office – even if, strictly speaking, it comes from catering sales, which remain entirely with the cinema operators. The model is particularly attractive for them because no revenue share has to be paid to a film studio. The cinema industry has long been hoping for a stronger commitment from “Netflix” in the area of cinema releases. The “Stranger Things” finale is seen as a cautious peace offering. Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos recently made contradictory statements on the subject of cinema releases. While he emphasized that streaming was a priority after the success of “K-Pop Demon Hunters,” he later assured that Warner Bros. films would be released in theaters within industry-standard time slots in the future. Netflix still does not publish official box office figures.