This week I’m rejoined by David Herrin of The Quorum—a must-visit site for any amateur or professional box office nerd—to talk about a new study The Quorum put together in partnership with The Cinema Foundation about the value proposition of going to the movies. We talked all sorts of stuff on this episode: why audiences are three times more excited to return to theaters now than they were at the same time last year; how going to the movies stacks up against going to concerts and other out-of-the-home events; the percentage of consumers who get concessions; and why Barbie’s surprisingly high unaided awareness might still be a cause for concern.
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Are Broadway shows, concerts, and amusement parks really the best comparisons to movies? Those other things are yearly events at best for most people whereas I feel like the theaters and studio expect movies to be quarterly or even monthly events for people, more of a bread and butter type of entertainment rather than a special event. You start comparing movies to TV or video games and its $10-$20 for 2 hours of content versus $10-$20 for a month of streaming for TV or $60 for 20-100 hours for a video game (sometimes 400 or more if you are a nerd like me) and it isn't nearly as rosy a comparison. Why are those not good comparisons?
The poll is specifically about entertainment outside of the house.
I know, but why? Were they chosen to cherry pick a favorable outcome or because those are apt comparisons (and if so why)?
They are apt comparisons because they all involve getting out of the house. Most people don't want to spend all their free time at home; they go stir crazy doing that.
If you're not into active outdoor activities such as participating in sports, hiking, gardening, etc. what is left revolves around eating (which you can only do so much of), shopping (gets expensive quickly!), or more passive forms of entertainment (rides, shows). Movies fit into the latter category, so a comparison with theme parks, concerts, and live theater is a fair one.
Sure, but outside the home activities is a broad category. Even accepting that somewhat artificial boundary they didn't include some great options you mentioned.
I don't know. I like movies and going to the movie theater myself but I've never stopped and thought, "I've got no plans this weekend. I could go to a movie but let me see what concerts or Broadway shows are happening this weekend just in case." If I'm going to live theater or a concert it is because I've heard the show or band I'm interested in is going to be within 200 miles of me on X date and I've made plans to see them well in advance. They aren't really competing for my movie time and money because they are rare special events to plan other activities around (same with amusement parks). Movies compete with my time filler activities: TV, games, books, hiking, eating out, going to the park, going to bars, etc.
I'm usually the weird one in any given group so maybe that is just me. Still, those choices struck me as odd even if they can be loosely lumped together as outside the home activities. They were either cherry picking for a quotable stat or they really think those are the specific activities competing for peoples' movie dollars. If it is the latter I'm curious why.