BUSINESS

China’s Holiday Box Office Slumps Despite More Films, Cheaper Tickets

Published: Oct. 9, 2025 5:21 p.m. GMT+8

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Posters of new releases at a Shanghai cinema on Oct. 8. Photo: VCG

China’s National Day holiday ended with one of its weakest box office showings in recent years, underscoring weak domestic consumption as moviegoers tightened their purse strings despite cheaper tickets and more screenings.

The major holiday between Oct. 1 and Oct. 8 brought in about 1.84 billion yuan ($254 million), down 13% from a year earlier, according to the China Movie Database under the Communist Party’s publicity department.

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China’s 2025 National Day box office fell 13% year-on-year to 1.84 billion yuan, marking the second-worst performance since 2019.
Despite 11 new releases, ticket sales dropped 4% to 50 million, and major film company shares fell over 10%.
Annual box office revenue reached 43.8 billion yuan by Oct. 9, mainly driven by hits like “Ne Zha 2,” which grossed 15.4 billion yuan.

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Who’s Who

Bona Film Group Co. Ltd.: Bona Film Group Co. Ltd. (001330.SZ) is a major player in China's film industry. The company's shares plunged over 10% when A-share markets reopened on October 9, following a weak National Day holiday box office performance. This indicates its significant presence within the Chinese film landscape and its susceptibility to market trends.

Beijing Enlight Media Co. Ltd.: **Beijing Enlight Media Co. Ltd.** (300251.SZ) is a Chinese media company. Its shares plunged over 10% after China's National Day holiday box office results were released. The company's performance was impacted by weak domestic consumption in the film industry.

Hengdian Entertainment Co. Ltd.: Hengdian Entertainment Co. Ltd. (603103.SH) is a major player in China's entertainment industry. Following a weak National Day holiday box office performance, the company's shares plunged more than 10% when A-share markets reopened on October 9.

Maoyan: Maoyan is a box office tracker in China. According to Maoyan, the total viewership during China's National Day holiday slid to about 50 million tickets sold, and the average ticket price fell to 36.6 yuan. Maoyan also reported that China's 2025 total box office had reached 43.8 billion yuan as of October 9.

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What Happened When

2019 National Day holiday：: Box office revenue was a record 5.05 billion yuan, led by 'My People, My Country.'

2021 National Day holiday：: Box office revenue was 4.39 billion yuan.

2022 National Day holiday：: Box office revenue was lower than 1.84 billion yuan (exact number not provided), attributed to pandemic impact.

2024 National Day holiday：: Box office revenue was 2.1 billion yuan, with eight new releases.

Mid-September 2025：: World War II drama 'Evil Unbound' was released and has accumulated nearly 1.9 billion yuan in box office as of the National Day holiday.

Oct. 1, 2025 - Oct. 8, 2025：: China’s National Day holiday period, during which box office revenue totaled about 1.84 billion yuan.

Oct. 9, 2025：: A-share markets reopened, and shares of Bona Film Group, Beijing Enlight Media, and Hengdian Entertainment each fell more than 10%.