Research on movie reviews was conducted for Movie Review Intelligence by MarketCast, a Los Angeles-based market research company that specializes in movie research.
A nationally representative sample of 2,050 regular moviegoers was asked: “How often do you follow movie reviews in a newspaper, magazine, on television or online?”
Four out of five moviegoers follow movie reviews
- 81% of moviegoers follow movie reviews in a newspaper, magazine, on television or online. Roughly half of these moviegoers follow movie reviews either once a week or more (22%) or several times a month (16%). The other half follow movie reviews occasionally when there is a movie they are interested in (43%).
- 19% of moviegoers never follow movie reviews:
| | Follow movie reviews in a newspaper,
magazine, on television or online: | | Once a week or more... | 22% | | Several times a month... | 16% | Occasionally when there's
a movie I'm interested in... | 43% | | Never follow movie reviews... | 19% |
71,485,980 moviegoers follow reviews
 In the most recent U.S. census estimates available, in 2007 the total U.S. population was 301,621,157. Approximately 77% of the population was ages 12 to 70 years, or 232,248,170 persons. 38% of potential respondents who were randomly contacted in this research qualified as moviegoers as defined by having seen 4 or more movies in the last year. That means that 38% of 232,248,170, or 88,254,300, are moviegoers between the ages of 12 and 70. Since we know that 81% of moviegoers follow reviews, it is fair to say, then, that approximately 71,485,983 are moviegoers who follow movie reviews.
Following movie reviews more frequently correlates with attending more movies
Moviegoers who follow reviews more frequently attend more movies per year:
# of Movies Attended per Year | Follow movie reviews: | 4
Movies | 5+
Movies | 12+
Movies | 17+
Movies | 25+
Movies | | Once a week or more... | 17% | 25% | 31% | 34% | 40% | | Several times a month... | 12% | 18% | 17% | 17% | 16% | | Occasionally... | 48% | 39% | 34% | 29% | 23% | | % of All Moviegoers | 42% | 58% | 24% | 11% | 5% | | % of All Admissions | 18% | 82% | 50% | 30% | 17% |
Moviegoers 30 years and older follow movie reviews more frequently than do their younger counterparts
Also, males in their 20s follow movie reviews somewhat more frequently than do females in their 20s:
| Follow movie reviews: | Teen
Boys | 20s
Men | Men
30+ | Teen
Girls | 20s
Women | Women
30+ | | Once a week or more... | 15% | 22% | 31% | 13% | 16% | 29% | | Several times a month... | 13% | 21% | 16% | 15% | 15% | 14% | | Occasionally when there's
a movie I'm interested in... | 49% | 41% | 37% | 46% | 50% | 38% | | Never follow movie reviews... | 23% | 16% | 16% | 25% | 19% | 19% |
Conclusions
 Four out of five moviegoers – 81% – follow movie reviews regularly. Half of them follow movie reviews frequently, that is, once a week or more (22%) or several times a month (16%). The other half follow movie reviews occasionally when a movie interests them (43%).
In terms of numbers, 71,485,983 U.S. moviegoers follow movie reviews. 19,415,946 moviegoers follow movie reviews once a week or more. 14,120,688 moviegoers follow movie reviews several times a month. And 37,949,349 moviegoers follow movie reviews occasionally when a movie interests them.
Importantly, following movie reviews more frequently correlates with attending more movies per year.
By age and gender, males older than 20 years and both males and females older than 30 years follow movie reviews more frequently than teenagers do.
In conclusion, movie reviews matter.
Methodology and Notes
 This research was conducted in February 2009 among 2,050 regular moviegoers ages 12 to 70 years. 33% of these moviegoers were teens; 33% were in their 20’s; and 33% were 30 years and older. The sample was spread among the top 50 U.S. city-markets in proportion to moviegoing in each city-market. Half of these moviegoers were reached by random digit dial telephone and half were reached on general interest non-movie web sites.
"How often do you follow movie reviews in a newspaper, magazine, on television or online?" To follow means, "To accompany; attend. To move along the course of. To be attentive to. To grasp the meaning or logic of; understand." (The American Heritage Dictionary, New Second College Edition, 1983.)
Note: Permission is granted to quote part or all of this research when accompanied by the following attribution, “…according to a February 2009 Movie Review Intelligence/MarketCast study of moviegoers." |
