Despite competition from streaming services, half of consumers still prefer to go to the cinema to watch a film, proving the activity’s enduring appeal. Reviews and ratings have limited influence over a decision to choose a film, with cinema goers prioritising their own tastes and preferences, such as specific genres, directors, or franchises, where they have built strong relationships with the characters.
The primary threat to the cinema industry is the view that cinema ticket prices are too expensive. Competition from streaming services has reshaped perceptions of value for money, and high ticket prices have prevented 50% of consumers from seeing a film at the cinema in the last 12 months.
However, brands can add value and differentiate themselves further from streaming services by enhancing the event experience through fandom culture, with 45% of 16-34 year old cinema goers saying they would like to dress up in costume when going to the cinema. Cinemas should embrace cinema goers’ enthusiasm and fandom by implementing designated ‘fan’ screenings, becoming destinations for unique and memorable experiences.
This report looks at the following areas:
- Market size for the UK box office and forecast predictions, including the expansion of premium and luxe cinemas, and event experience to differentiate themselves further from streaming services
- The most popular cinemas and the frequency of cinema attendance
- Factors that have negatively impacted consumers’ cinema experience in the last 12 months, such as people talking, using their phones and uncomfortable seating
- Film and cinema preferences, including interest in watching trailers, reading reviews and preferred locations
- Film and cinema behaviours, including solo trips, impact of mental wellbeing, food and drink options and social media sharing
Interest in solo cinema trips is growing. Create campaigns that focus on solo visits and align them with wellbeing benefits.
Nikita Shergill, Technology and Media Analyst
Market Definitions
For the purposes of this Report, Mintel has used the following definitions.
This Report focuses on commercial cinemas – sites whose primary day-to-day function is the commercial display of content, and films.
Data on sites and screens includes any that accept advertising. Companies that own, lease, manage or operate facilities for the day-to-day commercial display of films will be referred to as ‘cinema operators’ or ‘exhibitors’. Companies that distribute and/or produce films are not the subject of this Report and will be referred to as ‘film distributors’.
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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
- Opportunities for the film and cinema market
- Partner with mental wellness brands to enhance the benefits of going to the cinema
- Tap into solo cinema trips with new marketing messages
- Turn second-screen behaviour into revenue streams
- Market dynamics and outlook
- Market predictions for the UK box office
- UK box office will see slow but steady growth
- What consumers want and why
- Many still prefer to watch films at the cinema
- Graph 1: I prefer to watch films at the cinema, by generation, 2024
- People talking during the film is the most common cinema frustration
- Graph 2: cinema frustrations in the last 12 months, 2024
- Target solo film goers in marketing strategy
- Boost concessionary spend with healthier food and drink choices
- Graph 3: cinema behaviours, 2024
- Young generations are most enthusiastic to dress up in costume for the cinema
- Embrace young cinema goers who want to document their cinema experience
- Graph 4: cinema behaviours, 2024
- Innovation and marketing
- Tubi launches an ad supported film service in UK
- Odeon partners with Amazon Prime Video
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MARKET DYNAMICS
- Market size and performance
- Cinema and theatre attendance has yet to return to pre-pandemic levels
- Graph 5: gone to the cinema/theatre in the last month, 2024
- A weak slate is slowing cinema recovery in 2024
- Average cinema ticket price rises by 3%
- Graph 6: average ticket price in British pounds (£), 2023
- Cinema admissions are slowly recovering post-pandemic but hindered by weak film slate
- After a weak start, box office sales recovered at the end of 2024
- Graph 7: market value of box office, 2016-24
- A rollercoaster year for UK cinemas in 2024
- Box office is relying on familiarity…
- …but also plagued by superhero fatigue
- Everyman goers are spending the most
- Premium cinemas outperform mainstream customer spend
- Showcase has biggest growth in average spend per transaction
- Merchandise feeds into event culture
- Market forecast
- Box office sales will see consistent but slow growth, reaching £1bn in 2029
- Cinemas will embrace fan events to compete with streaming…
- …whilst also partnering with streaming services to offer fans big screen experiences
- Franchises are being built on streaming platforms
- Luxe cinemas may thrive as they differentiate themselves from home viewing
- Social, environmental and legal factors
- Hollywood actors and writers strike delay film releases
- First screening of film written by AI is cancelled due to public backlash
- A third of viewers are happy to watch TV shows partly written by AI…
- Graph 8: ‘I would be happy to watch TV shows that are partly written with AI’, 2024
- …but scepticism remains
- AI-free films could be a future marketing strategy
- Voice actors can license an AI replica of their voice
- Digital rights of deceased performers are protected in Californian bill
- Human Artistry Campaign establishes seven principles for ethical AI practices…
- …and supports the NO FAKES ACT
- Petitions against AI companies using creative content to train their models
- Macroeconomic factors
- Current financial wellbeing
- Graph 9: consumer financial wellbeing index, 2016-24
- Consumer confidence for the year ahead
- Graph 10: consumer financial confidence index, 2016-24
- High ticket prices are holding back cinema attendance
- UK’s film sector given major jobs and growth boost by tax reliefs
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WHAT CONSUMERS WANT AND WHY
- Cinema visits
- Cinema visits are increasing
- Graph 11: visited cinema in the last 12 months (NET), 2024
- Younger generations are still primary cinema-goers
- Graph 12: cinema visits in the last 12 months, by generation, 2024
- Vue and Cineworld are the most visited brand…
- Graph 13: cinema visited in the last 12 months, 2024
- …and the most recently visited cinemas
- Graph 14: cinema most recently visited, 2024
- Frequency of cinema visits
- Frequency of visiting the cinema is increasing
- Graph 15: frequency of cinema visits, 2019-24
- Partner with age related charities or organisations to boost cinema visits among older age groups
- Graph 16: frequency of cinema visits in the last 12 months (NET), by age, 2024
- Cinema and film preferences
- Across generations many still prefer to watch films at the cinema
- Both cinema and home watching have strong appeal
- Graph 17: preferred location when watching films, 2024
- Many ignore reviews and pick films based on their own preferences
- Graph 18: film reviews preference when choosing a film, 2024
- Celebrate film goers by showcasing their fandom
- Remind customers of the film trailers they watched to boost return visits
- Graph 19: preference for watching film trailers at the cinema, 2024
- Younger viewers are most likely to use their phone whilst watching a film at home…
- Graph 20: phone use when watching a film at home, 2024
- …opening up opportunities for advertising and shopping
- Audiences’ reviews are favoured over critics
- Audience reviews matter…
- …and can drive film interest
- Cinema frustrations
- Cinemas need to create more updated and effective messaging to address the negative impact of people talking during the film
- Graph 21: cinema frustrations in the last 12 months, 2024
- Cineworld and Specsavers team up with humorous ad tackling talking and phone use during films
- Young cinema goers are least affected by talking and phone use in the cinema
- Make the most of social media fan trends
- Embrace fan culture
- Cater to fans who want to sing along to musical/concerts films…
- …by embracing sing-along friendly screenings
- Reduce the noise from snacks
- Offer new activities to do before and after watching films
- Graph 22: the lack of other activities in the cinema negatively impacting cinema experience in the last 12 months, by children in household, 2024
- Film and cinema behaviours
- Visiting the cinema is a boost to mental health and wellbeing
- Graph 23: cinema behaviours, 2024
- Enhance cinema visits through partnerships with mental wellness brands
- Create marketing messages focused on solo cinema visits
- Demand for healthier snacks at cinemas
- Provide healthier food options at the cinema
- Graph 24: “I would like healthier food and drink options at the cinema”, by age, 2024
- Younger consumers want more storytelling options in their films
- Graph 25: cinema behaviours, 2024
- Utilise AI to support more storytelling options
- Make cinema experiences ‘Instagrammable’ for young audiences
- Encourage social media sharing
- Bring podcasts to the cinema
- Bring TV streaming’s biggest moment to the big screen
- Graph 26: ‘I am willing to pay to watch the final episode of a TV series at the cinema (eg Love Island, Stranger Things)’, by age, 2024
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INNOVATION AND MARKETING TRENDS
- Launch activity and innovation
- National Cinema Day enters its third annual event
- Odeon offers exclusive free collectable character card
- Tubi launches in the UK
- Watch what you actually want to watch campaign by Tubi
- Odeon’s partners with Amazon Prime in Go Big and Go Home campaign
- Advertising and marketing activity
- Advertising expenditure falls after post-pandemic high
- Graph 27: total above-the-line, online display and direct mail advertising expenditure for cinemas, 2021-24
- Odeon is the top cinema advertiser in 2024
- Odeon promotes family tickets in partnership with social media creators
- Cineworld’s WICKED Christmas gift
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APPENDIX
- Market forecast data and methodology
- Market forecast and prediction intervals (value) for the cinema box office industry
- Forecast methodology
- Report scope and definitions
- Market definition
- Abbreviations and terms
- Generations
- Consumer research questions
- Consumer research methodology
- Nielsen Ad Intel coverage
- Snoop SpendMapper methodology
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