Media

'Black Panther' Pushes Disney to Top Spot in Ticket Sales

Douglas A. McIntyre

Published: February 24, 2018 8:20 am

Last Updated: January 12, 2020 3:05 am

“Black Panther” is expected to haul in ticket sales of $100 million this weekend. That would push total domestic ticket sales since its release close to $400 million. The surge has made Walt Disney Co.’s (NYSE: DIS) Buena Vista studio the number one studio in America, with a share of the ticket sales market in the United States that should top 25% by Sunday.

Box Office Mojo forecast movie trends for the weekend:

After a record-smashing opening last weekend, Disney and Marvel’s Black Panther enters its second weekend looking to become only the fourth film to ever top $100 million in its sophomore frame. Meanwhile, a trio of new wide releases hope they don’t get completely overshadowed as WB and New Line release the R-rated comedy Game Night, Paramount debuts the sci-fi thriller Annihilation and Orion debuts their first theatrical release since relaunching with the modestly budgeted Every Day.

The market share calculation does not include international sales. These have been $228 million for “Black Panther” for the period that ended February 22. By the end of the weekend, the film’s total global sales could approach $700 million.

“Black Panther” sales since release have moved Buena Vista’s market share to 21% through February 18, based on 2017 ticket sales across all its releases of $334 million. In second place, Sony/Columbia held 18.4% of the market, based largely on the success of “Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle.” The number three studio this year is 20th Century Fox with a market share of 16.7% through February 18. This has been based on the success of “The Greatest Showman” and “The Post.”

“Black Panther” ticket sales also will be critical to Disney’s first-quarter earnings. One blockbuster can make a quarter. To own a quarter of the ticket sales market as a single studio is unusual. However, the success of “Black Panther” may not be matched for many months, or even this year.