A recent study of "dual-consumers" released by EY and commissioned by the National Association of Theatre Owners (NATO) provides insight on the relationship between video streaming and moviegoing.
A recent study released by EY provides insight into how these two platforms coexist.
Many assume that video streaming at home and moviegoing are simply incompatible. The more you do of one, the less you do of the other. However, a recent study of “dual-consumers” released by EY and commissioned by the National Association of Theatre Owners (NATO) provides insight into the relationship between video streaming and moviegoing, and sheds new light on conventional thinking. Dual-consumers were study respondents who saw at least one movie and streamed at least one hour of online content per week in the past 12 months.
The Streamer-Moviegoer
The EY study highlights that when it comes to dual-consumers, the most frequent moviegoers also spend the most time streaming. The opposite is also true, those who spend less time streaming, attend movies less often. This trend was seen across all ages of those interviewed. So, it would seem that moviegoing and streaming don’t conflict, but actually complement each other.
FREQUENT MOVIEGOERS SPEND THE MOST TIME STREAMING
Source: EY: The Relationship Between Movie theater Attendance and Streaming Behavior, December 2018
These findings are supported by 2018’s record-breaking box office. Last year, domestic box office revenue was over $11.8 billion. That marked the fifth time in the past seven years that there’s been an increase in revenue over previous year.
Dual-Consumers
So what exactly are dual-consumers choosing to stream? Sure, movies were part of the mix, but the study found that 60 percent of their time is spent watching TV series and other content, like documentaries and comedy specials.
WHAT THEY STREAM
Streaming broadly competes with other in-home viewing options such as traditional networks and other platforms. Consumers typically “binge-watch” TV series and mostly original content.
Source: EY: The Relationship Between Movie theater Attendance and Streaming Behavior, December 2018
IT’S THE EXPERIENCE
Movie exhibition remains the dominant out-of-home entertainment option. This is consistent with consumers’ increased focus on experiential activities. It’s a fun night out to disconnect and escape into a film. It’s the emotional experience associated with the low lighting, big screen, immersive sound and superior acoustics you get in the theatre. It makes the story more compelling and lasting. It’s this combination of features that gets consumers off the couch and to the theatre.
THE MOVIEGOING EXPERIENCE
Can movie exhibition and streaming continue to successfully coexist? The data would suggest that they can and will continue to. Both streaming and theatre exhibition have a place in consumers’ lives by fulfilling different needs and different expectations. So, in a world where there are so many choices, audiences are choosing to spend plenty of time watching, just not all in one place.
