Boxoffice Pro Q1 2021

Does streaming finally spell the end
of cinema? It is the question many
theatrical exhibition professionals are
asking themselves with greater urgency,
thanks to a newly shortened theatrical
exclusivity window and studios rushing
to get their films on home entertainment
platforms as quickly as possible during the
coronavirus pandemic.
Driven by these concerns, a team from
the University of Memphis Kemmons
Wilson School of Hospitality and Resort
Management, under the leadership
of Radesh Palakurthi, PhD, MBA, and
commissioned by Larry Etter, director of
education for the National Association
of Concessionaires, compiled research
on audiences’ streaming and moviegoing
preferences and habits to determine
the potential impact of streaming on
moviegoing.
Palakurthi enlisted the support of
Qualtrics, a globally recognized survey
facilitator, to assist in the study. The
survey was performed in 2019, before
Covid-19 shutdowns, allowing for a
fair comparison between streaming
and moviegoing. The survey offered 35
statements comparing streaming services
with movie theaters on a 5-point Likert
Scale (1 = strongly agree to 5 = strongly
disagree). A factor analysis was used
to reduce the 35 statements to core
constructs for in-depth study. There were
420 usable responses (as determined by
Qualtrics).
The demographics of the qualified
respondents were as follows:
Respondent Demographics
Age distribution of respondents (% of total)
Respondents by race (% of total)
25-34 White
35-44
Black
18-24
Asian
45-54
Other
55-64
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
65+
0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35
Annual household income of respondents (% of total)
Education of respondents (% of total)
$150K+
$90-$150K
$60-$90K
$30-$60K
Graduate or
professional
degree
Bachelor’s
degree in
college
Some college
or associate
degree
High school
or less
-$30K
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
Q1 2021
35