Young ‘Digitals’ Are ‘Driving the Bulk’ of Decline in Moviegoing, Says Nielsen Survey
Teens and young adults ages 12-24 are "driving the bulk" of the decline in moviegoing, said a Nielsen report released Thursday. Nielsen has dubbed that demographic group Digitals, for their "seemingly preferred mode of media consumption" streamed on mobile devices, the company said.
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Nielsen in September canvassed 4,100 people living in the U.S. and found 77 percent reported having seen at least one movie in a theater this year, which is consistent with moviegoing in 2013, the company said. "But the frequency of moviegoing has declined slightly, with moviegoers saying they saw an average of 7.3 films in the theater this year, compared with 7.7 films in 2013." However, the decline among Digitals has been more profound, it said. Digitals claimed to have seen an average of 7.1 movies at the theater this year, compared with 8.4 movies in 2013, it said. "In fact, since 2007, moviegoing frequency among Digitals has trended downward," while frequency among moviegoers older than 25 "has remained relatively stable over the years," it said.
"From the TV screen to the silver screen, today's audiences have an enormous array of devices and streaming options to choose from for their viewing pleasure," Nielsen said. "And this is making it quite the challenge for marketers to reach their intended consumer across multiple screens. In the case of movie marketers, the challenge is motivating consumers to put down their devices (or at least silence them!), get off the couch and head to the theater."
Though moviegoing "seems to be losing steam" among Digitals, "understanding what appeals to these tech-savvy youngsters can be the difference between alienation and action," it said. Key findings in the survey: (1) Nearly nine in every 10 Digitals said they stream movies or TV shows, with 36 percent saying they stream more content now than they did last year. Digitals are "particularly enticed" by the instant and "unlimited" gratification from streaming, with more than six in 10 saying they streamed at least two feature-length movies in a single day this year. (2) Nearly three in 10 Digitals don’t decide on which specific movie to see until after arriving at the theater. Moreover, 80 percent of these "spontaneous moviegoers" base their decision on what movie to see on movie information they viewed on their smartphones after arriving at the theater. (3) Digitals are more likely than other demographic groups to attend a theater with friends, with nearly two-thirds usually going in a group of at least three people. "And more so than other moviegoers, Digitals say they visit the movie theater to spend time with others," Nielsen said.