Box office debate: Secular decline or smashing 2015 on tap?

• Cowen Research analyst Doug Creutz thinks the soft summer box office season this year is evidence of a secular decline in domestic attendance as viewing habits evolve.
• The analysis runs counter to the line of thought of some media analysts who think a weak and uninspiring summer slate is the culprit.
• Creutz points out that the number of summer releases is in-line with historical averages, while box office bulls note tent-poles are spread out throughout the year more than in the past making the summer compare tougher.
• On tap in 2015: Blockbuster releases next year include Star Wars: Episode VII (Lucasfilm), Avengers: Age of Ultron (Marvel), Fifty Shades of Grey (Universal), The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 2 (Lionsgate), The Good Dinosaur (Walt Disney Pictures), Bond 24 (Columbia).
• Related stocks: CKEC, CNK, RGC, MCS, RDI, AMC, LGF, SNE, CMCSA, DIS, VIA, VIAB, IMAX.