From Empty Cinema to Profitable Trendy Sports Park: A Low-Risk Theater Transformation Case Study by Mizone Playground

How grim is the outlook for movie theater operators?

In 2025, China’s total box office reached 51.832 billion RMB (approx. $7.2 billion USD), with its total number of cinema screens remaining the highest in the world. Yet behind this positive headline figure lies a harsh reality for small and mid-sized cinema operators: steadily declining revenue per auditorium, and shrinking profit margins. The 2026 Chinese New Year box office season – the industry’s biggest annual window – delivered a brutal blow: box office revenue plummeted nearly 40% year-on-year, over 67 million moviegoers were lost, and average attendance rates were cut in half to just 22.5%. Even with slashed ticket prices and increased showtimes, operators could not win audiences back to the theater.

Empty auditoriums, plummeting revenue.

Fading profits, mounting pressure.

These spaces, once home to countless shared moments of joy, are fast becoming silent sunk costs in shopping malls nationwide. When a business model relying solely on ticket sales and concession stand revenue is no longer viable, and staying in the cinema industry only means sustaining losses, theater owners everywhere are searching for a viable path to break even and rebuild profitability.

The launch of Huyue Power Space Sports Park at Jimo Powerlong Plaza in Qingdao, Shandong Province, has proven a low-risk, high-return profit model for cinema owners looking to diversify and transform their business.

For cinema operators making the leap into a new industry, the biggest pain point is unlocking the full value of their existing space to achieve a low-cost, low-risk crossover launch.

Leveraging the natural advantages of the cinema space – its high ceiling height and built-in shopping mall foot traffic – our team at Mizone Playground built a custom two-tiered 9.5m + 4.5m vertical space layout for Huyue Power Space, centered on our full end-to-end custom solution capabilities.

Within the 977㎡ venue, we maximized every inch of vertical space to integrate 8 core functional zones, including our signature INVINCIBLE HOT WHEELS, Aerial Magic Net, and Mario Mechanical Challenge, ensuring every square meter of the venue drives profitability.

Our full closed-loop service – from conceptual design, R&D and manufacturing, to on-site installation and construction – eliminates the common pain point of “entering an unfamiliar industry” for cinema owners, enabling efficient venue retrofitting and a fast go-to-market launch.

No more wasted space. No more waiting for profits.

The core of a successful cinema transformation is never complicated business stacking – it’s using a simple, proven profit model to turn your built-in foot traffic advantage into consistent revenue.

Unlike the cinema industry’s reliance on holiday peaks, single-use scenarios, and low repeat visitation, Huyue Power Space operates on a simple single-ticket all-access pass model. One ticket unlocks every attraction in the venue, with no hidden fees or secondary paywalls. This drastically lowers the barrier for customer decision-making, and drives fast conversion of shopping mall foot traffic.

Benefiting from the consistent foot traffic of Powerlong Plaza, and a unique competitive advantage with no rival venues within an 11km radius, the all-access ticket model delivers both high value for guests and high repeat visitation. It perfectly caters to the full customer spectrum, from families with kids to young adults seeking social experiences, turning mall foot traffic directly into stable cash flow – and putting an end to the passive, unpredictable revenue of the cinema business.

No wasted foot traffic. Guaranteed revenue growth.

From the stagnant growth of the cinema industry to the booming opportunity of the trendy sports park sector, the success of your transformation hinges on choosing the right professional partner.

Mizone Playground delivers full end-to-end solutions for cinema transformation, with complete industry chain capabilities. We turn your underused cinema space into a joyful, high-profit landmark in every shopping mall.

Choose the right path for your transformation, and avoid the pitfalls of industry crossover.