Gen Z Could Help Save Movie Theatres in 2026

Amidst dark mutterings about the future of the movie industry unleashed by Netflix's move for WBD, new data shows that going to the movies is becoming increasingly popular, especially amongst Gen Z.

Everyone knows that the movie industry is not in the greatest state right now. Nearly five years on, and attendance is yet to match pre-COVID levels, while the effects of the writers' and artists' strikes of 2023 still reverberate around the industry even now.

One of the big consequences of the Netflix and Paramount Skydance battle for ownership of Warner Bros. Discovery has been to shine a light onto the health of the movie industry, especially in the US, and the picture that has emerged is not a particularly comforting one.

New Data, New Optimism

Cinema United's just-published The Strength Of Theatrical Exhibition report has rather more reasons to be cheerful about the state of the industry.

"Movie theatres sit at the forefront of the experiential economy — the beating heart of cities and towns all around the world," it trills at the start. And, while you would expect an organization called Cinema United to say just that sort of thing, it backs it up with plenty of data.

As its graphic shows (taken from August 2025 survey data) 77% of Americans aged 12-74, over 200 million people, went to the movies at least once in the previous 12 months.

More of them are doing it more often too. Habitual moviegoers, defined as those that see at least six movies a year, are on the rise. 33% of moviegoers now fall into that category, up from 25% a year ago. Some rough back of an envelope calculations suggest that is more than 120 million extra visits.

Gen Z at the Head of the Queue

The figures are even more optimistic when you get to dividing attendance into different demographic cohorts and look at Gen Z in particular. While the precise definition of Gen Z wavers slightly depending on who you talk to, that demographic is now aged 12-29.

Probably their key characteristic is that they grew up as digital natives, and they're now definitely reaching for something beyond the smartphone screen. 

Gen Z averages over six visits to the movies a year across all its members, an uptick running at 25% greater than the population as a whole. They're not though going to any old cinema, however. As the phrase the experiential economy suggests, they want an experience. That means big screens, big seats that you can order food and drink from, and more.

"Time and time again, consumers show that when investment and innovation combine with a great movie to create a special experience, the theatrical business thrives" says Michael O’Leary, President and CEO of Cinema United.

He points to the fact that theater owners spent over $1.5 billion upgrading their theatres over the past year in North America alone.

“The number of people who saw six or more movies grew a staggering 8% last year, and with the amazing slate of 2026 movies on the horizon, that trend has a chance to continue."

All we have to do now is make sure that an increasingly likely Netflix WBD deal doesn't affect that in any way.