Streaming platforms such as Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, and Disney+ have transformed how audiences in the UK consume film and TV. With around 20 million active subscriptions according to Statista, convenience has become the new gold standard. Meanwhile, cinemas are caught in a new kind of competition.
To get a better sense of how movie-watching has evolved, check out this video. It takes a closer look at how technology has changed the game, from the rise of streaming platforms to the new challenges cinemas face.
Streaming’s Rise, But Cinema holds on
But while streaming has reshaped how people are consuming media, cinemas haven’t vanished. In fact, British box office revenue for 2024 totalled £978 million according to the UK Cinema Association. Although attendance is not what it once was, films like Barbie, Oppenheimer and Inside Out 2 have shown that theatrical releases still bring mass attention.
So, why are people still going to the cinema despite endless on-demand options?
Mark Smith, a lecturer in Media Production and Media Studies at the University of Derby, describes the shift as a matter of control.
“Audiences still engage in the ritual of watching films, but not in the same way as ten years ago. The control has shifted to viewers.”
The appeal of control is easy to understand. Streaming platforms allow people to choose what to watch, when to watch it, and on whatever device they want. Yet, there are certain stories and settings where control is less important than experience.
“I think films that rely on unique soundstage or atmosphere still hold the key card for cinemas,” Smith explains. “Marvel, Star Wars, these are meant to be experienced, not just watched.”
The Challenges Facing Cinema Today
Figure 1, based on combined BARB, Box Office Mojo and FlixPatrol data, shows box office revenue rebounded in recent years even as streaming subscriptions growth continued.
Figure 1: Cinema Revenue Vs Streaming Subscriptions
The spikes show that cinema can still capture a sense of occasion. Streaming may win on flexibility, but it struggles to reproduce the collective energy of a packed room.
The real challenge to cinema isn’t just streaming, it’s cost. “Going to the cinema with a family can run you between £60 to £80 for the basics” says Smith. “It’s simply not accessible to many people anymore.”
Aislinn Rafferty, a former Odeon cinema experience manager, agrees.
“Attendance massively dropped from when I first started,” Rafferty explains. “We had to change our weekday opening hours to mid-afternoon because we had zero bookings in the mornings.”
Efforts were made to counteract the drop. Odeon launched discounted days, loyalty schemes and even partnered with streaming services such as Netflix to run limited theatrical releases. But audiences remained hesitant, and bookings were minimal.
“We had very minimal bookings, and people questioned why they would pay for a ticket when it would be available to watch next week for free.” says Rafferty.
Interestingly enough, it’s not just the blockbusters that are keeping cinemas afloat. Indie films and special event screenings are creating a new niche. “Indie films actually did well because they’re less likely to be picked up by streamers,” Rafferty explains. “People don’t want to miss them if they think they won’t be able to find them online later.”
Community events are also helping. Odeon saw success screening National Theatre performances, concerts, and Q&A’s.
However, special events are not a silver bullet. “They are priced at more than an ordinary ticket” Rafferty explains. “Sometimes going up to £30 so bookings were low.”
The role of social media in driving cinema attendance is now undeniable. Although viral trends on platforms like TikTok have contributed to the popularity of certain releases, it’s the cost of viewing, both at home and in cinemas that determines audience decisions.
The Cost Debate
Figure 2 compares monthly subscription rates across different streaming platforms using data from Netflix, Amazon Prime and Disney+.
Figure 2: UK Streaming Platforms Pricing
This affordability is an important factor in viewing habits. As Aislinn Rafferty explains, “I can’t justify spending over £15 on a cinema ticket so now I wait until everything is available on streaming.”
Streaming services offer not only convenience but also perceived value, with entire series and movie box sets available for the cost of a cinema ticket. This disparity is shown in figure 3, which compares cinema tickets across major UK cinemas using data from Vue, Odeon, and Cineworld.
Figure 3: Cinema Ticket Prices Across Major UK Chains
It’s no surprise then that families, students, and younger audiences are opting for more affordable alternatives. “Cinemas need to lower their costs,” Rafferty says. “I’d definitely go more if it was £5 a ticket, it’d be a fun and cheap outing.”
Even with all the changes, cinemas aren’t going away. Instead, they are changing. They’re less about everyday viewing now and more about offering special, social, and immersive experiences.
Mark Smith believes the key lies in redefining the cinema experience. “They may need to return to the older model, fewer screens, curated content and shorter runs. Make it feel special again, not just another option.”
Cinemas as Community Hubs
From special event screenings to indie films unavailable on streaming, cinemas still offer unique experiences that streaming platforms just can’t match. But in order to survive, they must address accessibility, affordability, and relevance.
Smith believes that cinema’s cultural value comes from its strong connection to the community. “Cinemas offer a greater shared social experience, as well as enhanced viewing experience,” he says. “They also have socially ritualised activities such as holiday Saturday morning cinema clubs for kids.”
But even with that emotional connection, many cinemas are under pressure to stay afloat. “Even when I was working there, we had to save costs a ridiculous amount to keep it sustainable to stay open,” Rafferty explains. “People won’t even purchase food or drink anymore due to its expense.”
Ticket sales alone don’t cover overheads. “A massive proportion of ticket sales goes to the production studio,” she adds. “Food was mainly how we made revenue.”
This financial pressure hits smaller chain and independent cinemas the hardest, since they can’t take advantage of the cost savings that big multiplexes enjoy.
Even blockbusters don’t pull crowds like they used to. “We used to frequently have midnight releases and fill the cinema, over 1,500 seats,” she says. “Now we never have midnight screenings, the last one we did, only had 3 bookings across all 8 screens.”
Rafferty also explained how release schedules no longer guarantee attendance. “We could have a very quiet first week of release, and it would suddenly go viral on social media and be sold out for the next six.’’
This online ripple effect has created a kind of secondary release window, not for streaming, but for cinemas themselves. A film that doesn’t do well in the box office can find new life weeks later thanks to social media.
Blockbusters vs Niche Films
Still, Smith believes the long-term success of cinemas will rely on differentiating their experience. “When a film has a unique soundstage of atmosphere, like Marvel or Star Wars, cinema holds the key card, but if it’s just storytelling, then home has it in the bag.”
This distinction could shape the future of movie releases. Big, spectacle-driven films will probably keep showing up in cinemas, while smaller, more niche films may skip the box office and go straight to the streaming platforms.
Another angle worth examining is how location and demographics influence cinema attendance. According to Rafferty, the audience was very different in West London compared to Sussex.
In London, screenings of Hindi and Tamil films were consistently sold out, attracting a diverse audience. In Sussex, student attendance was more common, likely due to the nearby universities.
This points to a broader trend, geography and local culture play a decisive role in how and why cinemas survive in different parts of the UK. It suggests a need for cinemas to personalise their offerings. The “one size fits all” multiplex model may be outdated.
Smaller chains or independent cinemas that curate their programming for local audiences, arthouse, foreign language, or special events, may see greater success. At the same time, cultural significance of cinema, especially in smaller towns should not be underestimated.
“In smaller towns,” Smith noted, “cinemas become part of the fabric of the community.” They are more than entertainment, they’re social hubs.
Still, sentiment alone can’t pay the bills. Could this emotional value be leveraged into real support?
Public funding, school partnerships, or location-based pricing could help keep these cultural places alive. This raises a larger question: should cinemas be treated like public goods, similar to libraries or museums?
Streaming, despite its popularity, faces challenges too. Fragmentation, rising costs, and disappearing titles can be frustrating for loyal subscribers. Audiences may love the convenience, but they’re starting to feel the limits too. That gives cinemas a chance to redefine their value.
Rafferty noted that silver screen Tuesdays where tickets were £5 for over 60s were a huge hit. Smart segmentation works. Similar schemes for students or parents could help fill seats during quieter hours and improve accessibility.
Streaming is great for everyday entertainment, but it just can’t match the feeling of being in the cinema. The energy of the crowd, the silence when the lights go down, and the way everyone reacts together to make the cinema experience truly special.
For some, that’s worth more than convenience.
To better understand who still values this experience, Figure 4 breaks down UK cinema attendance by age group, using data from Cinema UK. While the younger audiences dominate streaming, the data shows that people aged 25-34 remain a consistent part of the cinema-going public, along with the older crowd who benefit from discounts.
Figure 4: UK Cinema Audience Share by Age Group
Knowing your audience is crucial for shaping promotions and programming, cinemas that fail to recognise who they’re serving, risk fading into irrelevance.
Rafferty also points out that many cinemas have untapped potential in their physical spaces. “The old Odeon building I worked in had this incredible history,” she recalls, “There were roller-skates in storage, a dance floor, even an old bowling alley. It was more than just a cinema, it was part of a local heritage.”
This sense of place could become a unique selling point. Cinemas don’t just show films, they house memories. They are often architectural landmarks, sites of first date or school trips.
Reviving them might not require reinventing cinema but rather rediscovering its roots.
And in many ways, that’s what audiences want. As digital life becomes more saturated with content, people are craving experiences that feel physical and shared. Less scrolling and more immersion.
The industry, of course, has to meet them halfway. Lower ticket prices, stronger local engagement, fewer screens showing the same content could begin to shift public perception and get more people to go to the cinema.
So where does this leave the future of cinema in the UK?
Somewhere in between survival and reinvention.
It’s no longer a question of whether streaming is winning. It is. The question now is: what can cinemas offer that streaming never will?
The answer may lie in experience over volume, in culture over content, and meaning over metrics. For cinemas to truly survive, they must become destinations, not just venues.
Or as Mark Smith puts it, “They need to feel special again.”
