Cinema patronage peaked in 1996

bump.

A COMBINATION OF THE INTERNET,CABLE TV AND ESCALATING THEATER PRICES.

Movie rental prices decreasing, I think by 1997 in Australia you would get 5 or more films for around $5 for the whole week. You also had Pay TV coming onboard in Australia around that time. The internet was also relatively new so offered a new form of entertainment. Cinema prices were quite high as well https://www.screenaustralia.gov.au/fact-finders/cinema/industry-trends/box-office/ticket-prices it gets expensive if you are taking a family.

I went to the cinema twice in the 90's and one of those times was because of Uni! I have only been once since this century.

Apparently not so in the UK. Slow trend generally upwards from the figures I found. I suspect that's largely due to new inner city multiplexes that run all day with staggered starts of the big films and at least some smaller films slotted into the schedule.