What’s shaping America’s cinema audience?
According to YouGov Profiles data, two-fifth of American adults say they go to the cinema at least once every 2-3 months. That figure includes a core group of regular attendees: 12% go once a month, 7% go every 2-4 weeks, and 5% go weekly or more often.
Millennials are especially likely to show up, with 13% saying they go once a month and another 8% visiting even more frequently. Gen Z patterns are similar. Gen X and Baby Boomers lean toward less frequent visits, though around one in six in each group still attend every 2-3 months (17%).
Among regular cinemagoers, those who attend at least once a month, most have spent between $20 and $60 at the movies over the past three months. A quarter spent $20-$40 (24%), and 22% spent $40-$60. Millennials are again the most active spenders: 16% spent $60-$80, and 7% spent more than $150. At the other end of the spectrum, Boomers are more likely to report spending nothing or less than $20.
Movie information apps are part of the experience for some, though far from universal. IMDb is the most downloaded app for monthly cinemagoers (28%) followed by Fandango (19%). But where they do engage is with advertising. This group is significantly more responsive than the general population. Seven in 10 of those who go to the cinema at least once a month say posters and billboards are a great way to learn about new releases and events (69%), compared to 48% of US adults overall. Two-thirds expect advertisements to entertain them (64% vs. 46% of the general population), and an equal share pay attention to ads at events (62% vs. 35% of the general population).
Some 62% say they enjoy ads featuring their favorite celebrities (compared to 35% of all American adults), and that advertising helps them decide what to buy (62% vs. 37%). About 56% say they recommend things they’ve seen on posters and billboards to friends and family (vs. 33% of all US adults), while 54% say they’re more likely to engage with ads on social media than on regular websites (vs. 35% of the adult population). Half say they trust billboard advertising (49%), and 42% say they often comment on things they’ve seen on posters or billboards on social media compared to 24% of the wider population.
It’s not a blockbuster-sized audience, but those who go to the movies regularly bring high levels of spending, brand engagement, and advertising responsiveness to them. For marketers, that could be worth the ticket.
Methodology: YouGov Profiles is based on continuously collected data and rolling surveys, rather than from a single limited questionnaire. Profiles data for the US is nationally representative and weighted by age, gender, education, region, and race. Learn more about Profiles.