According to the Independent Cinema Office, teen audiences between the ages of 14-20 years rarely go to the cinema. The Financial Times reported as far back as 2012, that the three main cinema groups in the UK, Odeon, Cineworld and Vue hold 70% of the market and claimed that older cinema goers were their fastest growing demographic.
The changing face of the cinema
In the early days of the cinema, the paying audience would quite happily buy a ticket just to be scared out of their wits by the moving images on the screen in front of them. In the days before television, audiences flocked to their local picture house to catch up with the news and follow their admired stars in their latest films.
Times have changed though and younger people have many more outlets in which they can follow their favourite celebrities and watch films. Towns with a good cinema complex are still in demand though – especially in areas where older people are looking for a property for sale.
Reasons for change
An article in The Daily Mail recently commented that: “families (are) priced out of cinemas after ticket prices soar by 26% since 2007”. The article also claimed that a visit to the cinema has become an “occasional treat” rather than a regular family outing.
If you combine the ticket price, together with refreshments and the cost of travel, you are looking at £50.00 for an evening of family entertainment. Saturday morning kids’ cinema clubs have almost disappeared, which sometimes makes it far cheaper to stay at home and download your favourite movie instead.
Accountants Deloittes discovered that higher income groups are significantly more likely to visit the cinema than low income groups.
Different viewing habits for different age groups
An older generation that has an established habit of attending the cinema is far more likely to want to see a new release at the movies than watch it on a small screen at home. Despite the growth of CGI and 3D technologies, low budget independent films are still popular in the UK, but visitors to this genre tend to be more highbrow and older than the mass market audience.
Many cinema chains offer cut-price pensioner deals during the week. As older people aren’t restricted to a specific time or date to watch a film, the cinemas can fill empty seats during the traditional slow periods.
Films are still popular
This trend isn’t the same all over the world. India and China still record booming audience figures and profits. In 2013, China posted figures of $3.6 billion for box office receipts, whereas films screened in the UK made a, still healthy, $1.7 billion in the same period.
Although modern trends are influencing cinema habits, the evidence suggests the picture house is an institution that’s here to stay – catering to all ages as a way to stay on trend.
Originally published July 25, 2014. Updated November 29, 2022.
