How Gen Z and Gen Alpha are redefining the moviegoing experience

For anyone who’s worried about the future of cinema, the moviegoing habits of younger generations offer reasons to be hopeful. 

At Sport Beach in Cannes last month, Sarah Barasch (SVP of Strategy & Client Growth at The People Platform), Jen Friedlander (SVP of Insights and Measurement at Screenvision), and Foutoulla Damaskos (Chief Brand Officer at NRG) discussed how this demographic is helping to reimagine the cinema experience.

Key takeaways:

•Contrary to assumptions that young audiences only consume short-form digital media like TikToks and Instagram reels, research shows their ideal movie length is around two hours. They seek out theaters to disconnect from their algorithmically driven, highly personalized lives. Watching a blockbuster provides a shared experience that builds a sense of generational community.

•For younger viewers, a movie is a participatory event. They actively engage with film content on social media both before and after attending. By organizing group outings and participating in trends (from dressing up for Minions to embracing the communal storytelling of the Backrooms mythology) they bridge their digital fandom with the physical world.

•This demographic represents a highly engaged, captive audience for brands. Once the theater lights go down, an impressive 97% of moviegoers put their phones away. This creates an unparalleled high-attention environment for brands to seamlessly integrate into the pre-show experience, connecting with passionate groups of friends who have intentionally carved out time for the event.