With Hollywood’s biggest night, the Academy Awards, just days away, many Americans report they don’t check out the silver screen as much as they did in the past. According to a new CouponCabin.com survey, more than half (55 percent) of those who go to movies report that they do so less frequently now than they did before the recession. In addition, six-in-ten (61 percent) U.S. adults said they rarely or never go out to the movies. This survey was conducted online within the United States by Harris Interactive on behalf of CouponCabin from January 23rd -25th, 2012, among 2,217 U.S. adults ages 18 and older.
High costs and a tough economy have made affording a night out to the movies challenging for some. According to the National Association of Theater Owners, the average movie ticket price rose to an annual record of $7.93 in 2011, making a night out at the cinema for a family of four nearly $32; and that’s not including tax or snacks. In fact, of moviegoers, households with children (61 percent) were significantly more likely than those without children (52 percent) to report they go to the movies less now than they did before the recession.
“Entertainment spending, like going to the movies, is often one of the first things to go when consumers try to cut back,” said Jackie Warrick, President and Chief Savings Officer at CouponCabin.com. “Many people are finding ways to still enjoy the movies without breaking the bank, though. Whether it’s going to matinees, finding daily deals and coupons or getting creative with snack savings, movie lovers are making sure they get their dose of the big screen in affordable ways.”
Moviegoers report they have devised a variety of different tactics to help save money when they head to a theater check out a flick, including:
- Go to a matinee instead of an evening show – 62 percent
- Bring my own snacks and/or drinks – 38 percent
- Use coupons to save on ticket costs and/or concession stand purchases – 32 percent
- Pay for one movie, but sneak into additional movies – 6 percent
In addition to money saving options at the theater, moviegoers said they save green by taking advantage of the variety of home movie watching options available to them. Fifty-one percent said they rent or buy movies on DVD or Blu-ray, 34 percent said they stream movies, with 25 percent of those streaming with a paid online provider such as Netflix or Amazon and 18 percent streaming online for free. An additional 30 percent said they watch movies on demand from a cable or satellite provider.
With money such a big part of everyday life, and with so many U.S. adults trying to save money on the movies, the survey also shared respondents’ favorite “money” movies, including:
- Wall Street – 14 percent
- Casino – 13 percent
- The Money Pit – 13 percent
- The Color of Money – 5 percent
- Boiler Room – 2 percent
