New Survey Suggests Audiences Still Want the Movie Theater Experience, But Are Fine with Video On Demand

A survey by Variety shows sizable interest in theatrical experience for upcoming titles, but less enthusiasm for it overall with shrinking release windows

A new report published in Variety surveys over 1,000 people and found only 12% would definitely see a movie in theaters if the 90-day exclusive release window remained intact. That number jumps to 27% when the “probably” responses are added to it. 21% of responders said they would probably wait to watch it at home, while 23% said they would definitely wait.

The survey was conducted by data analysis agencies Performance Research and Full Circle Research between August 3-10, 2020. The questions were posed under the presumption of a future time when movie theaters (and other public entertainment venues) are once again deemed safe to attend in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. The questions also assume that one would pay the premium video-on-demand pricing, which tends to be around $20 USD.

The combined “definitely theater” and “probably theater” responses declines to a combined total of 20% given the option of a 30-day release window, 16% at both a 17-day and 7-day window, and 15% on a day-and-date, no-wait window.

Dedicated Theatrical Base

While these low numbers could spark a wave of doom-and-gloom pessimism for distributors, Variety says the upside is that there’s a “solid core of floor support for the theatrical experience”.

“…[R]egardless of home viewing options…exhibitors can build on [this support] in the coming months and years as COVID-19 dangers begin to subside,” writes Adam B. Vary.

That enthusiasm generally carries over to some specific upcoming releases with regards to the preferred method of viewing. 18% and 19% of respondents said they only wanted to see the films No Time to Die and Top Gun: Maverick, respectively, in a theater. A Quiet Place: Part II and Mulan made up the lower end of the must-see-in-a-theater range, each with only a 12%. Most of the other anticipated titles, such as Tenet, Wonder Woman 1984, and Fast and Furious 9, padded out the query’s 16% average.

An Outdoor Alternative

The report also surveyed interest in drive-in theaters as a viable theatrical option. Nearly three-quarters of respondents showed some level of interest in attending a drive-in movie, and 6-8% reported that they’ve already attended a drive-in since the start of the coronavirus pandemic.

Industry pundits have noted the irony of drive-in theaters – which were on their way out in terms of economic feasibility and cultural mainstay – have become a sort of saving grace for the industry in the wake of the pandemic. Some indoor theaters hopped on the trend of converting their parking lots into screening areas and projecting films onto the sides of their buildings at the pandemic’s start. Many upcoming film festivals are also implementing drive-in and outdoor screenings into their programs, as well, such as the New York Film Festival partnering with drive-ins in Brooklyn and Queens to showcase their main slate.

As Vary writes, “Studios and exhibitors alike eager to capitalize on any interest consumers may have in the theatrical experience would do well to pay attention.”

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