Moviegoers are being forced to shell out more for tickets than ever before.
T
he average cost of a movie ticket climbed to a record $8.12 in the second quarter of 2012, the National Association of Theatre Owners (NATO) said Friday. That beats the previous high water mark [4] of $8.06, which film fans were shelling out on average during the second quarter of 2011. It's also twenty cents more than the first quarter average of $7.92.
An influx of 3D and Imax films such as "The Amazing Spider-Man" and "The Avengers," which carry with them surcharges, is partly to blame for the spike in ticket prices. If history is any guide, prices will dip as the summer wraps up and Hollywood shifts from popcorn films into awards season mode -- a time of year that tends to dial back on the 3D and with it the soaring cost of catching a flick.
All told, for the first half of the year, the average ticket set moviegoers back $8.02.