Effects of Market Concentration in Theatrical Distribution: The Case of the Big Five Western European Countries

Abstract

The globalization phenomenon has reopened the debate on the concentration of media and entertainment industries, particularly in the film distribution market. Some authors consider that the dominant position of U.S. companies comes from the higher identification of American films with the tastes of the European audience. Others argue that the Hollywood success is mainly due to its control of the distribution system. U.S. films account for an average of 63.4% of the European market. In return, European films represent 3.6% of the North American box office. There are around 450 active film distribution companies in Europe, the majority of them being nationally controlled firms, and only a small percentage of them belong to U.S. majors. Nevertheless, these U.S. subsidiaries are ranked among the top 10 leading film distributors in Europe according to market share. This article attempts to make a further contribution in market concentration analysis, looking at the situation of film distribution in the 5 biggest Western European countries. It also explores if the success of American companies is due to their management and marketing skills or if, by the contrary, it is the consequence of their dominant market positions.

Notes

1. United States-European co-productions (U.S. productions shot in Europe, like the James Bond or the Harry Potter installments) are not included in these percentages, which account for a 7.3% market share in the case of Europe and 4.4% in the case of the U.S. in the same period.

2. Europa Distribution is a non-profit organization created in March 2006 that brings together some 50 European independent distributors from 18 European countries. The aim of the organization is to better protect and represent independent distribution at the national and European level, and to encourage the creation of a network of independent distributors in order to improve the ties and exchange of information between them as well as the level of protection available to them.