Fandango Smashes Records By Selling 22% of Opening Weekend Box Office for "The Hunger Games", Largest Share for Any Movie in Company History

LOS ANGELES, March 26, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Fandango, the nation's leading moviegoer destination, announced today that it sold 22% of opening weekend ticket sales for "The Hunger Games", marking the largest share of sales for any movie in Fandango's nearly 12-year history. During the weekend's peak ticket-selling periods, Fandango was selling 17 tickets per second, representing the company's top franchise opener, best-selling March release, top-selling mobile weekend and Fandango's top-selling single day (March 23, 2012) for a movie, besting "The Dark Knight" opening day on July 18, 2008.

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Fandango's share of all domestic ticket sales for "The Hunger Games" – which took in a projected domestic box office of $155 million* - reshapes Fandango's list of top 5 shares of opening weekends. The new record-breaker list is as follows:
1."The Hunger Games" (2012) – 22%
2. "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2" (2011) - 19%
3. "The Twilight Saga: New Moon" (2009) – 18%
4. "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 1" (2010) - 17%
5. "Sex and the City" (2008) - 16%

Fandango also broke a record with "Hunger" as the movie with the most tickets ever sold on opening weekend via mobile on Fandango; the previous record-holder was "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2."  Friday, March 23 was also the top day for mobile ticket sales in Fandango history.

"Fandango's record- breaking percentage of the film's opening weekend is a testament to the growing popularity of online and mobile ticketing as the way to go to the movies," says Fandango Executive Vice President and General Manager Rick Butler. "It's rare to see the first film in a franchise performing like an established sequel, but 'The Hunger Games' is a true phenomenon. Fans have given it our highest 'Must Go!" rating, with Web and mobile ticket sales still going strong on Monday."

According to a Fandango online survey of thousands of moviegoers, 62% of "Hunger Games" fans plan to see the movie more than once in the theater, indicating repeat viewings throughout the week. As of Monday morning, the film still accounts for 87% of all daily tickets sold on Fandango.

*Estimated box office info from Boxoffice.com

About Fandango
Fandango, the nation's leading moviegoer destination, sells tickets to nearly 20,000 screens nationwide. Fandango entertains and informs consumers with reviews, commentary, celebrity interviews and trailers, and offers the ability to quickly select a film, plan where and when to see it, and conveniently buy tickets in advance. At many theaters, fans can print their tickets at home or receive them as a paperless Mobile Ticket on their smartphones.

Fandango is available online at www.fandango.com, via smartphones, tablets and other mobile devices, and at 1-800-FANDANGO. Fandango's top-ranking movie ticketing apps, with over 22 million downloads, are available on the iPhone and iPad, Android, BlackBerry, Windows Phone 7 and many other platforms. Fandango is enjoyed by more than 30 million online and mobile visitors per month. Film fans find Fandango on Facebook at www.facebook.com/fandango and on Twitter @Fandango.  

SOURCE Fandango