China wants cinemas to sell you karaoke and coffee, not just tickets
China’s cinemas are being told to stop relying on tickets alone. New guidelines from the National Film Administration and the State Administration for Market Regulation encourage theatres to add AI concierge agents, karaoke booths and coffee shops to their lobbies, according to Bloomberg.
The same guidance nudges operators toward movie-themed merchandise stores, licensed products, art exhibitions and pop-up shops, turning idle screening rooms and lobby space into retail and cultural venues.
The timing is not subtle. China’s box office fell 40.6% year on year in the first half of 2026, to roughly $2.56bn, according to Screen Daily, the weakest first half since 2014 once pandemic years are excluded.
That is a sharp reversal from 2025, when the country’s 93,187 cinemas, more than any other market on the planet according to the Hollywood Reporter, pulled in roughly $7.45bn, up nearly 22% on the year before.
Audiences showed up...
Copyright of this story solely belongs to thenextweb.com. To see the full text click HERE
