Jul 19 (TheWrap.com) - Moviegoers' wallets and pocket books got slammed during the second quarter of 2013 as a steady stream of 3D and IMAX releases drove ticket prices to record levels.
The average movie ticket price hit a new high of $8.38 for the three months ending in June, according to data from the National Association of Theatre Owners. That figure eclipsed the previous record of $8.12, which occurred during the second quarter of 2012.
It also represented a 5.5 percent increase from $7.94 in the first three months of the year.
The culprit for the price hike was an influx of blockbuster releases like "Star Trek Into Darkness," "Monsters University" and "Iron Man 3," all of which hit theaters in 3D. The format carries with it a steep surcharge.
Audiences embraced the rose-tinted glasses despite the cost. Movies that were released in 3D accumulated $1.29 billion in the second quarter of 2013, which represents a 73 percent increase from the $745 million that films released in the format made during the same period the previous year, a spokesman for the National Association of Theatre Owners told TheWrap.
For the first six months of 2013, the average ticket price evens out to $8.16, which is higher than any previous mark.
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