Average movie ticket price drops 55 cents due to booming box office sales

Is it getting cheaper to go to the movies? Technically, but not practically.

The National Association of Theater Owners (NATO) reports the average movie ticket in the U.S. this year dropped from $9.38 in the second quarter to $8.83 in the third quarter.

However, that calculation doesn't mean your individual movie tickets are actually decreasing.

NATO calculates the average movie ticket price by dividing reported movie revenues with reported tickets sold.

In the third quarter ticket sales have been booming! More ticket sales often means more people are going to matinee showings, which are cheaper than prime time showings. That combined with an increase in cheaper child tickets--due to the success of family-oriented films like 'Hotel Transylvania 3: Summer Vacation' and 'Smallfoot'--has driven down the average movie ticket price.