Roku and National Research Group (NRG) have released survey findings that shed light on the relationship between TV streaming and the cinema experience. The results are an in-depth study of the moviegoing habits of streaming viewers.

Over the past decade, TV streaming has expanded dramatically – and streaming is now the default way that many consume film and TV. Some in the industry argue that this represents a fundamental challenge to the movie-going experience. Now that consumers have more options than ever before for at-home entertainment, the thinking goes, it will only become harder to draw people into cinemas.

This survey found the opposite. Streaming and moviegoing do not have to be mutually exclusive. In fact, the consumers that spend the most time watching streaming content are also the ones who are most likely to see a movie in the cinema.

The survey found:

Streaming viewers are more than willing to go out to see new releases in cinemas, under the right circumstances.

• Just under two-thirds of streaming viewers (61 per cent) have been to at least two movies in cinemas over the past six months, and 74 per cent have been at least once. Streaming viewers are defined as users who have streamed at least one hour per week on a free or paid streaming service.
• Consumers who spend the most time watching streaming content are also more likely to go out to watch a movie in cinemas. Some 32 per cent of high-frequency streamers (i.e. viewers who watch at least 20 hours of streaming content per week) report that they go to the cinema on a monthly basis, compared to only 27 per cent of low-frequency streamers (i.e. viewers who watch under 10 hours of streaming content per week).
• If a movie was released on streaming and in cinema at the same time, 61 per cent of moviegoing streamers (i.e. streaming viewers who have been to watch a movie in cinemas at least once in the past year) say they would prefer to watch it in the cinema or be equally interested in seeing it in the cinema or at home.

The top five reasons that moviegoing streamers would watch a new movie in a cinema:

• Some movies need to be seen on the big screen (50 per cent)
• I want to see a movie as a night out with friends, family, or on a date (46 per cent)
• I enjoy the experience of going to the cinema (46 per cent)
• I want to treat myself (44 per cent)
• The visual and audio quality is better in the cinema (43 per cent)

Conversely, the top five reasons that streaming viewers would prefer to watch a movie at home are:

• It’s cheaper to watch at home (62 per cent)
• I like being able to watch on my own schedule (59 per cent)
• I like the privacy of watching at home (45 per cent)
• I like to be able to pause or rewind the movie at will (45 per cent)
• It’s more comfortable watching a movie at home (40 per cent)

Streaming platforms can be an effective advertising channel for theatrical releases

• 44 per cent of moviegoing streamers say that watching a trailer for a new movie on a streaming service would make them more interested in purchasing a movie ticket.

o    This makes ads on streaming services the most effective form of reaching this audience, ahead of trailers on social media (43 per cent) and trailers on broadcast/cable TV (41 per cent).

• 72 per cent of moviegoing streamers say they pay more attention to ads they see on TV than ads on social media.

• Heavy streaming viewers (i.e. viewers who watch at least 20 hours of streaming content per week) are more likely than light streaming viewers ( i.e. viewers who watch under 10 hours of streaming content per week) to say they “really enjoy” watching trailers for movies they’re excited about (47 per cent vs 41 per cent).

Conversely, major moments in moviegoing culture can drive viewer behaviour on streaming platforms

• Awards shows, for example, play a major role in shaping the cultural narrative and informing at-home streaming preferences. According to Roku platform data, searches for Poor Things increased by 82 per cent in the immediate aftermath of Emma Stone’s Best Actress win at this year’s Academy Awards, while searches for ‘Ryan Gosling’ increased by 94 per cent.

Categories: Articles, Consumer Behaviour, Premium, Research, VOD

Tags: cinema, NRG, poor things, roku