Gen Z drives cinema resurgence through demand for immersive experiences

Gen Z is driving a resurgence in cinema attendance by prioritizing immersive experiences over home streaming. While streaming platforms offer vast content libraries, younger audiences are increasingly willing to pay a premium for large-format screens and advanced audio-visual systems that cannot be replicated at home.

A Fandango study of approximately 7,000 adults in the US indicates that 87% of Gen Z visited a movie theater at least once in the past 12 months, a higher rate than Millennials (82%), Gen X (70%), and Baby Boomers (58%). Both Gen Z and Millennials average about seven cinema visits per year.

In Thailand, the entertainment and media industry is projected by PwC to reach nearly 550 billion baht in 2026, representing a 1.8% growth. This shift suggests that consumers are not abandoning streaming, but are instead choosing specific channels based on the value of the experience, such as high-quality cinematic productions like those by Christopher Nolan.