MUMBAI: For the third year in succession, Warner Bros. has topped the Hollywood studios by market share despite drop in ticket sales even as overall industry revenues were flat.

The studio led the pack in North America with a $1.89 billion gross, giving it 18.3 per cent of the total revenue pie. Its top-grossing films were Inception ($292.5 million) and Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1 ($283 million). In 2009, the studio claimed a 19.8 per cent share and a total take of $2.1 billion.

Overall domestic revenue for last year came in just below $10.57 billion down less than 1 per cent from the record $10.6 billion earned in 2009. It was only the second time in history that domestic revenue has jumped $10 billion. However, attendance dropped more than 5.2 percent in 2010 from the previous year, the second biggest dip in a decade.

The discrepancy was attributed to a stiff 3D-fueled increase in the average ticket price, from $7.46 in 2009 to $7.85 in 2010 (midyear, the average price jumped to $7.95, then went back down in the fall to $7.85).

Paramount held at No. 2 in 2010 with roughly 16.1 per cent, as its films collected more than $1.67 billion. Its top performers were a pair it distributed for other studios, Marvel‘s Iron Man 2 ($312 million) and DreamWorks Animation‘s Shrek Forever After ($238 million).

Thanks to Avatar, 20th Century Fox jumped one place to No. 3 with roughly $1.45 billion and a 14 per cent share. Besides, Fox had a lacklustre year domestically.

Disney rose one place to No. 4, with $1.4 billion and a 13.6 percent share, up from $1.2 billion and 11.6% in 2009.

Sony fell two places to No. 5 with $1.26 billion and a 12.3 per cent market share, down from $1.46 billion and a 13.7 per cent share in 2009.

Universal bottomed the chart at No. 6 with 8.2 per cent and a $842.2 million haul.