How Boxing Day films fare against the streaming surge
Video may have killed off the radio star, but cinemas insist digital broadcasters won’t suffer the same fate for the Boxing Day movie tradition.
Global box office totals in 2025 are expected to be significantly lower than pre-COVID as people prefer on-demand offerings at home over the big screen.
“Boxing Day and the period between Christmas and New Year has historically always been a bumper period for cinema and theaters,” said Swinburne University film and media expert Liam Burke.
“Over the last 10 years, the tradition and habit of going to the movies has been eroded by streaming services, and the pandemic has really accelerated that decline.”
However, Dr. Boxing Day movies were not affected by the wider trend because people still wanted to do things with family and friends, Burke told AAP.
Kristian Connelly, boss of Cinema Nova, which has run its independent business for more than 20 years, said profits had risen in the past 12 months, citing the success of romantic comedy-drama Anora with its Boxing Day 2024 release.
“Filmgoers continue to easily find Boxing Day, traditionally New Year’s Day, and screenings immediately thereafter among the most popular cinema weeks of the year,” he said.
The introduction of streaming services means people have more options at home and can choose not to go out, but cinema releases still do well even when the same films are released on digital platforms, Mr Connelly added.
“People want a third place, they want to be somewhere other than home and work,” he said.
According to Screen Australia statistics, the percentage of Australians who go to the cinema at least once a year has fallen from 68 per cent in 2019 to 59 per cent in 2024; The average number of visits per capita also decreased from 6.3 to 4.6 per year.
Meanwhile streaming services keep buildingPeople will spend more to support multiple subscriptions in 2025, according to technology analysts Telsyte.
Netflix had 6.4 million subscriptions, up three percent from 2024, followed by Amazon Prime with 5.1 million subscribers, up two percent, and Disney+ with 3.3 million subscribers, up six percent.
Cinema Association Australasia chief executive Cameron Mitchell said despite the increase in streaming, going to the cinema remained the country’s most popular cultural activity.
He added that the 2026 season will be a bumper year for cinema operators, with major special theatrical releases including installments in the Toy Story, Super Mario, Hunger Games and Avengers franchises.
Mr Mitchell said more than 50 million cinema tickets were expected to be sold in 2025 as families sought to enjoy a shared cinema experience that couldn’t be replicated on the sofa at home.
Dr Burke said film studios were relying on post-pandemic tentpole productions such as big-budget action-adventure films or family musicals such as Wicked.
In contrast, mid-budget films such as romantic comedies and dramas fell into the hands of broadcasters.
“This year won’t have the same wealth of options as what you’d get on a (streaming service), unless you want to see Zootopia or Avatar,” the expert said.
Dr. Burke stated that Generation Alpha, which consists of children aged 14 and under, longs for multi-layered innovation, and pointed out the successful films in 2025, A Minecraft Movie, Taylor Swift’s concert films and KPop Demon Hunters.
“This communal experience, this opportunity to sing and laugh and cry together in this format, somehow remains unique no matter how many streaming services you have in your home,” he said.
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