Cinema or couch? How Europe watches movies and shows

Thanks to streaming services such as Netflix or Disney+, blockbusters are always available at home. During the pandemic, many cinemas became ghost towns, but now visitor numbers are rising again. At the same time, streaming platforms are increasing their prices or restricting usage options.

On behalf of Galaxus, market researcher YouGov asked a good 2,500 people in Switzerland, Germany, Austria, France and Italy how and where they consume films and shows. Results showed that younger people in particular are keeping the «old» cinemas alive, watching fewer films or shows at home than the older generations. The biggest cinema buffs live in the German-speaking countries, and streaming is most popular in Italy, but less so in Switzerland.

More popcorn in Italy, couches preferred in Germany and Austria

Dune, Oppenheimer, Barbie – the movie business has recovered from the pandemic years and blockbusters are being released in cinemas again. Most respondents watch a movie on the big screen several times a year. The popcorn experience is particularly popular in Italy and France – around 20 per cent of Italian and French viewers go to the movies at least once a month.

By contrast, Europe’s movie buffs live in the German-speaking countries. Although around 40 per cent of respondents in Germany and Austria go to the cinema several times a year, the same proportion go less than once a year. Of these, two out of ten stay away from movie theatres altogether. A similar picture emerged in Switzerland.

There are also differences in age, with younger viewers going to the movies more often than older ones. Among 15- to 29-year-olds, six out of ten go to the movies several times a year and two out of ten even go at least once a month. Results are balanced between the sexes, but men tend to indulge in the cinema experience more often than women.

Watching TV in your sweatpants feels good

Around half of Europeans surveyed watch films or shows at home every day or several times a week. While almost a quarter of French viewers surveyed sit in front of a screen every day, the figure in Switzerland is only 13 per cent.

And while younger respondents go to the movies more often, over-45s prefer staying at home. Almost a quarter of them watch James Bond, crime shows and the like every day, and almost 40 per cent watch them at least several times a week. And for a quarter of the women surveyed, movies and shows are also on the agenda. Among 15- to 29-year-olds, this applies to only 11 out of 100 people.

Binge-watching with your smartphone

When it comes to watching movies and shows, there’s one thing you can’t do without in your own four walls – a TV. The box flickers away in more than 80 per cent of European households. In Switzerland and Austria, a laptop or computer is enough for a third of respondents. Women use a TV slightly more often than men, while the latter warm their legs more often with a laptop.

Almost half of 15- to 29-year-olds use a smaller screen, be it a laptop or a smartphone. For 60- to 79-year-olds, on the other hand, TVs are the device of choice almost unanimously, with 93 per cent.

Home cinema gadgets, on the other hand, are rarely found in living rooms or bedrooms across Europe. Streaming devices such as Apple TV or Google Chromecast are most likely to be found in Germany and Italy. In Switzerland, they’re a rarity at 9 per cent. Men also seem to enjoy home theatre equipment more than women. 17 per cent of male respondents own a streaming device and 10 per cent own a surround sound system.

Italy is the streaming champion, Switzerland the streaming grouch

And once you’ve made yourself comfortable at home, how do you watch the latest Hollywood blockbuster or your favourite series? Paid streaming services have established themselves in Europe. Italians are the leaders in streaming – 75 per cent consume their films and series in this way. The French rely equally on traditional television and paid streaming services.

Switzerland, on the other hand, prefers watching TV to streaming, around two thirds watch traditional television. Although half of Swiss respondents also use paid streaming services, Switzerland streams the least in a European comparison. What’s more: although watching content on free streaming platforms is legal in Switzerland (article in German), the Swiss are in last place here with 13 per cent compared to neighbouring countries.

Online media libraries are more popular in Germany than in other countries. DVDs and Blu-rays aren’t yet obsolete either – in all countries except Italy, 12 to 16 per cent of respondents still pop in a silver disk for a movie night.

If you remember the preferred device of senior citizens, this result is hardly surprising – 82 per cent of 60- to 79-year-olds watch traditional television. Younger viewers prefer streaming. Free platforms are also used more frequently by 15- to 29-year-olds and men than the rest of respondents.

How do you watch your movies and shows at home? Have you set up a home theatre with gadgets, or is your smartphone enough? And how often do you go to the movies? Let us know in the comments!