Drive-in movie theaters have been a staple of American culture for nearly a century, and they had a major resurgence around 2020 when most traditional cinemas were shut down. They became quite popular once again, making up for over 85% of box office revenue from late March to August of 2020. They made up a mere 2.9% in the same window for 2019. Now that standard cinemas are back up and running again, can drive-in theaters still stay afloat?

As of last year, roughly 283 drive-in cinemas existed in the United States, down from 318 in 2021. One of the benefits of seeing films at a drive-in is that many theaters play two films for the price of one. And even that price is cheaper than most traditional theaters. Depending on the location, a ticket for a double showing could be less than half the price of a movie ticket at a regular cinema. UDITOA, The United Drive-In Theater Owners Association, exists to unite a support drive-in theaters nationwide, as the business is largely independently owned.

Mike Kerz, co-owner of the Midway Drive-in Theater in Illinois and a UDITOA board member, stated to CNN that, “We have these younger couples purchasing drive-in theaters or reopening drive-ins to carry it on, so it has great name recognition of the experience.” There is a market for nostalgia-seeking Americans to see films in their car, emulating what seems like a by-gone era. Now, drive-ins serve as a yes, nostalgic, but also cozy and budget-friendly alternative to seeing big releases at a regular cinema. They also do quite well when screening classic films such as The Goonies and E.T. The upcoming re-release of Jaws for its 50th anniversary will hopefully bring in extra business for drive-ins.

For more updates stay tuned.