Mountain View-Based Google A Major Player In Box Office Predictions
MOUNTAIN VIEW (CBS/AP) -- Google says in a new study all the online searching and trailer-watching moviegoers do ahead of a film's release can have significant predictive powers at the box office.
The search company on Thursday published a "Quantifying Movie Magic" study that surveyed 99 of the top-grossing films of last year. Google says that four weeks before a film is released, search volume for its trailer can predict its opening box office with 94 percent accuracy when factoring in its status and the time of year.
The Mountain View, Calif.-based Google Inc. says searches for a film's title two weeks ahead of opening can predict box office with 92 percent accuracy.
Hollywood distributors rely on advanced metrics and a handful of research firms to predict opening weekend box office figures.
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