Business

Going to the movies a ‘frequent source of entertainment’ for only 3% of Americans: survey

By
Social Links for Hilary Lewis
Published June 17, 2012, 7:31 p.m. ET

Only a very small percentage of US consumers see going to the movies as a frequent activity, according to the results of a new survey.

Just 3% of US consumers characterized going to the movies as a “frequent source of entertainment,” according to a survey released this week by PR firm Edelman about the entertainment attitudes and preferences of US and UK consumers, Deadline Hollywood reported.

Two years ago, the survey found that 28% of consumers in the US saw going to the movies as a frequent source of entertainment.

This statistic, although a shocking decline, coincides with a drop in movie admissions last year, which fell 4% from the year before.

TV was the most popular source of entertainment, according to the survey, with 45% of Americans and 58% of those in the UK frequently tuning in. The Internet was a common source among 34% of US respondents and 27% of UK respondents.

The survey also found that audiences are putting a higher value on music, film, cable and satellite TV, social networks and games. Bad entertainment products are quickly punished with negative reviews on social media, putting a greater premium on creating good content, members of a panel discussing the survey results said.

“You can’t market your way out of a bad product anymore,” said Jonathan Anastas, VP Global Brand Marketing for Activision, the world’s largest game company. “People are spending more time on fewer brands. You have to have a great product and figure out how to activate those triggers in people (to get them engaged and watching).”