{"id":290842,"date":"2026-03-06T13:45:04","date_gmt":"2026-03-06T18:45:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/beta.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/?post_type=short-read&p=290842"},"modified":"2026-03-06T13:45:07","modified_gmt":"2026-03-06T18:45:07","slug":"as-the-academy-awards-approach-a-look-at-moviegoing-habits-in-the-united-states","status":"publish","type":"short-read","link":"https:\/\/beta.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/short-reads\/2026\/03\/06\/as-the-academy-awards-approach-a-look-at-moviegoing-habits-in-the-united-states\/","title":{"rendered":"As the Academy Awards approach, a look at moviegoing habits in the United States"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\"A
A man walks past several movie posters at an AMC Theatre in Montebello, California, on May 5, 2025. (Frederic J. Brown\/AFP via Getty Images)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Some of the movies nominated for Academy Awards in 2026 were big box office success stories<\/a>. But with the rise of streaming services<\/a>, some Americans may be opting to watch them from home instead of on the big screen.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How many Americans have seen a movie in theaters recently? Here\u2019s a snapshot of U.S. moviegoing habits, based on Pew Research Center surveys and ticket sales data.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

About this research<\/strong><\/summary>\n

Amid the rise of streaming services<\/a> and ahead of the 2026 Academy Awards, we wanted to understand Americans\u2019 moviegoing habits.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Why did we do this?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Pew Research Center does surveys and external data analyses to understand Americans\u2019 lifestyles, including how people spend their free time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Learn more about Pew Research Center and our research on entertainment<\/a> and leisure<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How did we do this?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

We surveyed 9,916 U.S. adults from July 8 to Aug. 3, 2025, online and by phone. Everyone who took part in this survey is a member of the Center\u2019s American Trends Panel (ATP). The survey reflects the views of all U.S. adults.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here are the questions we used for this analysis<\/a>, the detailed responses<\/a> and the survey methodology<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/details>\n\n\n\n

Who is going to the movies?<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

About half of Americans (53%) said in a summer 2025 survey that they had seen a movie in theaters in the past year. A small share (7%) said they\u2019d never seen a movie in theaters.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\t\t
\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
Adults under 50 are especially likely to say they\u2019ve been to the movies recently<\/strong><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
% of U.S. adults saying they went to a theater to see a movie in the prior 12 months<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
\"Chart\"<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
* Estimates for Asian adults are representative of English speakers only.
Note: White, Black and Asian adults include those who report being only one race and are not Hispanic. Hispanics are of any race. Family income tiers are based on adjusted 2024 earnings. <\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
Source: Survey of U.S. adults conducted July 8-Aug. 3, 2025.<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
PEW RESEARCH CENTER<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\t\t\t\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

Share this chart<\/h2>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t