A new study suggests movie theater attendance might be way down once the they will be able to reopen once the crisis is over.
Film studios are certainly hoping theaters will be able to open sooner rather than later, seeing as many of their major 2020 releases have been delayed because of the pandemic. The list of delayed films feels like it's constantly growing, with Sony announcing just last night that it would be postponing all of its summer 2020 releases like Ghostbusters: Afterlife and Morbius. While movie theaters are shuttered and people are staying home, streaming services have been on the rise. This could pose as another obstacle for theaters to overcome.
Variety reports that a study has been conducted by Performance Research, a sports and events research firm, in partnership with Full Circle Research Co. They asked 1,000 US consumers about their willingness to return to public events once the pandemic ends, and 49% reported it would take "a few months" to "possibly never" for them to return to movie theaters. 28% said they plan to attend movie theaters less often. In contrast, 15% of respondents said they would go to theaters more often than they did before, and 58% said their attendance wouldn't change. Variety notes that "the net effect suggests an alarming erosion of theatrical returns that exhibitors and studios alike can ill afford."
The study also took other public attractions into affect, like beaches, zoos, and aquariums, which are among the least affected. Theme parks like Disney, on the other hand, are among the hardest hit. Disney recently announced its parks would be remaining closed for the time being, and with the new results from this study, Disney must be hoping they can get their movies back in theaters as soon as possible.
Movie theaters are prepared to do anything they can to entice audiences back in, with some Reactions to movies being delayed suggest there's still a strong desire to see them on the big screen, so hopefully with time, they will get the chance to do so.
Source: Variety
