Viewership boom in 2022, the pandemic is behind us

From cinemas to concerts, from theaters to travel or sporting events to exhibitions: the diverse world of entertainment is recovering from the pandemic contagion, recovering in viewership compared to the general closures of the Covid era and, in some cases, also closing the gap on in front of the block. With over 3 million events, an increase of 80% compared to 2021 and with 3 billion expenses, an increase of 187% compared to the previous year, with 205 million viewers also an increase of 150%, the year 2022 marked a significant recovery for the industry Signs of rebalancing The 2019 level. This is the picture that emerges from the Siae 2022 report, whose data also allows us to already see a year 2023 with a significant recovery to pre-pandemic levels and a year 2024 with a positive sign to be estimated.
Compared to the data on value added, which in 2022 was 3 billion euros and recorded a decrease of 20% compared to 2019, the loss in the first six months of the year, excluding the decrease, would be halved (-9%). , in a single figure, does not contain the predictably positive figures of the summer months: In short: “We can hope to end 2023 with a significant recovery to pre-pandemic levels and lay the foundation for a positive 2024,” as announced today Matteo Fedeli, General Director of Siae, presents the 2022 report.
While Italian audiences have started going out and attending events and shows again, attendance at pop, rock and jazz concerts has particularly increased in 2022 compared to the pre-pandemic period. Vasco Rossi dominates the live shows, Avatar in the cinema and Notre Dame de Paris in the theater.
Since spring 2022, the report prepared this year by Siae, also in collaboration with Agis, the General Italian Entertainment Association, shows that since the reopening of outdoor events, in some sectors there has even been an increase in the number of shows in comparison achieved up to 2019, i.e. before the pandemic, such as pop music concerts, which increased by over 70% compared to last year before the pandemic, also thanks to the postponement of events suspended between 2020 and 2021 due to Covid. But jazz concerts have also increased, as have all traveling show activities. In the entertainment sector in particular, the return of the flame for pop music concerts in 2022 speaks of over 31,000 events (+182% compared to the previous year), a figure that far exceeds the pre-pandemic level of offerings (+). 70% compared to 2019).
According to Siae, part of this growth can be explained by the postponement of concerts originally planned for 2020 or 2021. In terms of demand, public interest has exploded: in 2022, almost 20.9 million viewers were registered, with an exponential growth compared to 2022 of 573% and 65.7% compared to ’19. At the top of the box office are Vasco Rossi, who attracted well over 110 spectators to his concert in Trento in May 2022 and between 60,000 and 80,000 spectators at the subsequent concerts in Imola, Milan and Rome, and Ligabue, which attracted over 100,000 spectators in June -Tickets for the concert at the Arena Campo Volo.
However, this renewed desire by Italians to unite clashes with an increasingly alarming trend of entertainment venue closures. A phenomenon that, according to the report, mainly affects the southern regions but, although to a lesser extent, central Italy.
In light of this, Siae and Agis have also decided to jointly conduct a census of theaters and entertainment venues in general that remain closed to the public. The aim, explained the presidents of the two associations, Salvatore Nastasi and Francesco Giambrone, is to collect data in order to make constructive proposals to the government to strengthen the entire system.

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