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2018-12-30T18:12:55Z

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| author = Robert Cookson
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Special cinema screenings of the 50th anniversary episode of Dr Who over the weekend have broken the European record for box office takings from "alternative content".

The Day of the Doctor was screened in 3D by 440 cinemas in the UK and raised £1.8m - making it the third highest-grossing film this weekend after The Hunger Games: Catching Fire and Gravity , according to figures from Rentrak.

"That's the sort of number that's going to get people's attention, including other TV production companies," said David Hancock, head of cinema at IHS Screen Digest, a research company.

Many cinema chains - including Cineworld, Vue, and Odeon & UCI - have in recent years screened non-movie content ranging from live opera and ballet to rock concerts and sport.

The Day of the Doctor, which was broadcast for free on television on Saturday, is the latest example of alternative content being brought into cinemas in addition to films.

Mr Hancock of IHS said the £1.8m earned by Dr Who in a single weekend made it the most successful piece of alternative content ever seen in UK and European cinema. Rentrak estimates that the overall UK market for alternative cinema content will reach £20m in the UK this year.

While this content would account for less than 2 per cent of the forecast £1.1bn in UK cinema takings in 2013, according to IHS, it has grown from next to nothing a decade ago, and is expected to continue increasing as a proportion of box office revenues.

At the weekend, the typical ticket price for Dr Who in cinemas was £12 - almost double the average UK cinema ticket price of £6.37, but in line with the premium attracted for 3D films and alternative content.

As most UK cinemas have now replaced their 35mm film and mechanical projectors with digital technology, they are able to screen a much broader range of content and cater to more niche tastes.

For the cinemas, screening live or unusual shows can attract a new pool of customers, often at off-peak times.

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Dr Who conquers cinema screen - Revision history

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