Fathom Events hit new milestones in 2018, securing its spot as the 12th largest theatrical distributor, and then quickly flew by them in January 2019. The world’s leading event cinema distributor saw January reap more than $11 million at the box office, making it the highest-grossing month for the company to-date.
“Event cinema truly came into its own in 2018, with more creators and producers embracing the increasingly important role Fathom plays in distribution,” said Fathom Events CEO Ray Nutt. “Our strategy is to be highly selective in the titles and events we carry, which best ensures we can deliver an exceptional customer experience and significant revenue to content partners and theater owners. This strategy helped us achieve several 2018 breakthroughs across content categories and has set us on the right track for continued success in 2019.”
January, a traditionally weak box office month, proved to be Fathom Events’ strongest month ever, led by:
- Encore screenings of Peter Jackson’s stunning WWI documentary, They Shall Not Grow Old, in partnership with Warner Bros., which now holds the place as highest-grossing U.S. event cinema release;
- The Wizard of Oz, part of the yearlong TCM Big Screen Classics series, which became the highest-grossing classic film release for Fathom Events and the event cinema industry;
- BTS WORLD TOUR LOVE YOURSELF IN SEOUL, from Pathé Live, now the highest one-day gross for a music event for Fathom and the event cinema industry in North America;
- Rachel Hollis Presents: Made for More, encore screenings of Hollis’ inspiring documentary, presented again due to the success of initial screenings in August 2018 and overwhelming fan demand;
- The Met: Live in HD: Adriana Lecouvreur, continuing the success of Fathom’s longstanding partnership with The Metropolitan Opera
Among its many record-setting accomplishments in 2018, Fathom Events:
- Distributed 164 titles across 217 event dates with 23 titles surpassing $1 million at the box office, often delivering the highest per-screen-average against all other films screening on the same date;
- Grew attendance to more than 5.1 million people;
- Achieved distribution to more than 2,100 screens in 44 countries;
- Launched the Fathom Affinity Network, which will distribute content to more than 800 domestic churches
- Began to upgrade and expand its live cinema broadcast network to more than 1100 total cinemas and 1700 screens (by end of 2019), through an extended DISH Network agreement
The 23 $1M+ cinema events represented a cross-section of program genres and event categories, including 11 live performances of the Metropolitan Opera, classic films “Grease” and “The Dark Crystal,” four beloved anime presentations, Rachel Hollis’ inspirational “Made for More” documentary, Elvis Presley’s 1968 Comeback Special, faith-based titles “An Interview with God” and “Sight & Sound Theatres® Presents: MOSES,” Tony Award®-winning Broadway musical “Bandstand” and Peter Jackson’s revolutionary WWI documentary “They Shall Not Grow Old.”
Fathom Events’ box office results are even more noteworthy in that they are typically achieved over the course of one to four days, with limited screenings – often just one showtime – and are shown in just hundreds of locations, therefore maximizing the per-screen-average for theater exhibitors.
Many content owners, television networks and distributors rely on Fathom Events to build awareness, generate fan excitement, create media attention and qualify for awards. Fathom Events is a one-stop shop for content owners, providing international and domestic distribution, integrated marketing and in-theater promotion.
