Cinema Attendance: BFI Report Reveals Surprising Barriers

Ah, the great British cinema conundrum! According to a recent report from the BFI, it seems that getting people through the doors of our beloved theaters is akin to convincing cats to take a bath—there’s a lot of reluctance involved. The high cost of tickets is a staggering hurdle for UK audiences, who now favor the comfort of their living rooms and the irresistible lure of streaming platforms over the cinematic experience.

Picture this: over a third of 5,000 surveyed individuals—34% to be precise—cited ticket prices as the primary reason for their absence from the cinema in the past year. Next in line, as the second most cited deterrent, was the perception that the silver screen offerings were about as appealing as a week-old sandwich. Interestingly, multiplex viewers were particularly disenchanted, with 30% expressing dissatisfaction with the slate of films on offer, compared to 23% for independent cinemas and 24% for independent chains. Clearly, the cinematic landscape is looking a little bleak for some.

Now, before we get too morose, let’s get to the good stuff. The BFI report, aptly titled *The Wider World of Film*, was unveiled on October 1, and revealed a delightful statistic: 95% of UK adults have watched at least one movie in the past year! And 23% of these fine folks are bingeing like it’s a hobby—averting their eyes from real-world responsibilities, perhaps.

In fact, streaming is the reigning champion of film consumption, with 43% of adults enjoying at least one film a week via their SVoD platforms. On the other hand, a mere one in ten reported venturing out to the cinema in the past week. The good news is that cinema outings still exist and can be savored; 35% of respondents enjoy the experience as a special treat, while another 34% feel the urgent need to see certain films on the big screen—as if anything less would be a cinematic tragedy!

The most popular streaming platforms? Well, it’s no surprise that Netflix, Amazon Prime, and YouTube reign supreme, with BBC iPlayer trailing behind as the fourth favorite. Interestingly, a whopping 44% of viewers have no qualms about waiting for films to drop on streaming services instead of rushing to the cinema when they first come out. It appears the comfort of pajamas beats the allure of popcorn, at least in the comfort of one’s home!

Looking deeper into the survey results, 86% of UK adults watch films monthly, and a hearty 59% indulge at least once a week. A notable 60% have graced a cinema's interior in the past 12 months, a lovely rise from a gloomy 41% reported back in July 2022. And for those precious home-based film experiences, 42% of viewers found pleasure in watching UK films at home, compared to just 31% who did so in theatres.

Here’s a fascinating twist: the demographics reveal that the cinema audiences for independent and foreign films are more likely to lean male (59% vs. 49%), belong to the higher socio-economic brackets (40% vs 26%), and be aged 16-34 (48% vs. 34%). Ah, the youth—the lifeblood of cinema! The average cinema-goer visited the theater 4.5 times in the previous year. Interestingly, the most avid film aficionados are watching an incredible average of 65 films a year. Each visit—a not-so-quiet rebellion against the mundane.

This enlightening study, a delightful collaboration between the BFI’s Research and Statistics Unit and the market research whizzes at GfK, aimed to unravel the nuances of our viewing preferences—both at home and in those adorable, dimly-lit theaters. Rishi Coupland, BFI's director of innovation and research, aptly noted that this research serves as a compass in understanding the evolving attitudes of audiences towards film consumption. His conclusion? Even in this age of endless options and ever-rising living costs, film remains a cherished pastime for the British public. The cinema may have its hurdles, but as the audience returns post-pandemic, it’s apparent that our collective appetite for film is far from extinguished—let's just hope the ticket prices don’t keep us all at home, forever scrolling through Netflix!