UK’s Impression of Cineworld has increased, but pandemic struggles remain

Cineworld, one of the largest cinema chains in the United Kingdom, has managed to maintain a positive Impression among Brits throughout the pandemic, according to YouGov BrandIndex data. However, that hasn’t necessarily translated into customers returning to theatres.

Our data shows Cineworld’s Positive Impression score has remained steady throughout the pandemic with an average of 24.6% of Brits reporting holding positive views of the brand (slightly higher than the sector average of 23.6%). In fact, Cineworld’s score is slightly higher than the average in the year leading up to the pandemic declaration in March 2020 (23.8%).

While the Cineworld brand has enjoyed steady Impression scores, the proportion of Brits who have visited Cineworld has not yet fully rebounded since the beginning of the pandemic. The latest data shows Cineworld has a Current Customer score of 8.2%, down from its pre-pandemic peak of 12.8%. That high watermark was reached just days before COVID-19 was declared a pandemic.

Cineworld, and other brands, are hanging their hopes high on a slate of highly anticipated blockbusters this summer, including Top Gun: Maverick, Jurassic World Dominion, and Minions: The Rise of Gru.

The struggles of movie theatres around the world have been well-documented, as it has been one of the hardest-hit consumer industries of the pandemic. The COVID hit has been coupled with longer-term increased competition from at-home streaming services and other forms of entertainment.

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Methodology: YouGov BrandIndex collects data on thousands of brands every day. Cineworld’s Positive Impression score is based on the question: “Overall, which of the following brands do you have a positive impression?” and delivered as a percentage. It’s Current Customer Scores are based on the question “have you visited any of the following brands in the last 6 months?” and delivered as a percentage. Data is based on an average daily sample size of 2,002 UK adults between January 1, 2019 and May 2, 2022. Figures are based on a 4-week moving average. Learn more about BrandIndex.