Moviegoing in the Netflix Age: Gratifications, Planned Behavior, and Theatrical Attendance

Abstract

Innovations in digital technology have provided consumers with a variety of screens and portals through which they can access motion picture entertainment. This study sought to understand what factors motivate consumers to experience a film in the theater versus waiting to see the film at home, using home-viewing technology. Using the uses and gratifications framework coupled with the theories of reasoned action and planned behavior, this study employed a survey (N = 331) designed to measure gratification expectations and viewing intentions for five films that had not yet been released in theaters. The study found that while behavioral control and satisfaction with a consumer’s theatrical and home viewing environment may play roles in determining the consumer’s decision to see a movie in the theater, it is affective gratification expectations that exert the biggest influence on theatrical attendance across different types of films. In addition, subjective norms did not influence viewing intentions for any films employed in the study. The findings of this study suggest that audiences are increasingly selective about the types of films they choose to view in the theater, favoring exciting, visually enticing films.