Trafalgar Releasing has proven the global appetite for event cinema once again with a record breaking 2019, dominated by success in the music and arts categories. The company’s continued expansion included distribution to more than 120 countries (a 13% increase from 2018), over 8,300 cinemas (46% increase from 2018) and 73 releases, as well as expanded teams in the US & UK.

Trafalgar Releasing also acquired competitor More2Screen, whose successful 2019 releases include “42nd Street – The Musical” and Matthew Bourne’s “Swan Lake”. The acquisition brings greater UK-based resource and more depth in the arts category.

For the second year in a row, Trafalgar Releasing broke the global box office record for event cinema with “Bring The Soul: The Movie”, the third movie from the phenomenal BTS, which also saw the widest ever event cinema release (figures below).

In addition, Trafalgar Releasing globally distributed new films from renowned artists including Gorillaz, The Cure, Depeche Mode, Roger Waters, Metallica, Shakira and Slayer.

The company also experienced great success with regional distribution of a number of music projects focused predominantly on the US including the 9th Annual Meet-Up at the Movies from the “Grateful Dead, 311: Enlarged to Show Detail 3”, “Rush: Cinema Strangiato” and “Between Me and My Mind”.

The company’s collaborations with some of the world’s most important institutions continued including the Royal Opera House, the Metropolitan Opera, the Royal Shakespeare Company, the Bolshoi Ballet and Glyndebourne Opera.

The Screen Awards presented Trafalgar with Event Cinema Campaign of the Year for “The King and I: from the London Palladium”, which was a unique collaboration with parent company Trafalgar Entertainment who co-produced the show. This win highlights the work from the Trafalgar Releasing marketing team and the innovative campaigns that are deployed for each release.

We look forward to continuing to explore the possibilities around event cinema, bringing audiences around the world together to enjoy unique moments on the big screen.

– Marc Allenby, CEO Trafalgar Releasing

Top performing titles for Trafalgar Releasing globally (based on 64 new releases in 2019)
1. “Bring The Soul: The Movie” (BTS) – $24.3m*
2. “Metallica & San Francisco Symphony: S&M2” – $6m
3. “Depeche Mode: SPIRITS in the Forest” – $4.6m
4. “Roger Waters Us + Them” – $3.4m
5. “Royal Opera House – La Forza del Destino” – $1.5m**
6. “Royal Opera House – La Traviata” – $1.2m**
7. “The Music Center presents Joni ’75 – A Birthday Celebration” – $1m
8. “Gorillaz: Reject False Icons” – $1m
9. “The Cure – Anniversary: 1978-2018 Live in Hyde Park London” – $960,000
10. “Between Me and My Mind” – $900,808

Key 2019 Stats^:
• Delivered the biggest ever event cinema release (box office, admissions and widest ever release) with BRING THE SOUL: THE MOVIE
• #27 (YTD) overall US distributor with approx. $14.1m gross across 42 titles
o 2018: #39, $6.4m gross
o 2017: #70, $950k gross
• North America now accounts for 25% of Trafalgar Releasing’s global admissions
o 2018: 14% of global admissions
• In the UK, brought 41 new releases to cinemas – making Trafalgar the most prolific distributor
• Contemporary music releases made up 36% of UK BO for Trafalgar – approx. £2.9m
o 2018: 14% / £1.7m
• #13 (YTD) overall UK distributor^^ with over £8.4m gross
o 2018: #12 with £12.5m gross
o 2017: #14 with £5m gross
• Trafalgar Releasing’s distribution footprint expanded to 121 countries
o 2018: 107 countries
o 2017: 60 countries
• Trafalgar Releasing played Metallica & San Francisco Symphony: S&M2 in the Northernmost cinema (Longyearbyen Kulturhus in Longyearbyen, Norway) and the Southernmost cinema (Cinestar Punta Arenas in Punta Arenas, Chile) in the world.
• First time releases included Ethiopia, Pakistan, Cambodia and Madagascar.

* Global box office including Japan and South Korea
** International screening box office ex. UK
^ As reported by comScore
^^ Omitting Secret Cinema