Fewer Theater Visits, More Movies Watched: 2025 Film & Content Trends

According to the findings of the ‘Film Content Consumption Trend Study’, jointly conducted this year by the Korean Film Council (KOFIC) and the Korea Productivity Center (scheduled for publication in January 2026), a paradoxical picture emerges.

While the box office has yet to fully recover to pre–COVID-19 pandemic levels, the amount of time people spend watching and discussing films in their daily lives has increased through OTT platforms, YouTube, and social media. Fewer people are going to theaters, yet their engagement with films—both in time spent and points of contact—has actually grown. This phenomenon appears to be driven by changes in the environment, preferences, and behaviors surrounding film consumption.

From this perspective, it is necessary to examine—through consumer surveys—what role films now play within the broader structure of leisure activities; how audiences choose between theaters and platforms such as OTT services and YouTube; and what types of content they prefer among different genres, countries, and formats. As the structure of leisure activities has shifted, film has been repositioned as one option among many, and viewing preferences have become increasingly segmented. The criteria separating theaters from OTT platforms are no longer based simply on price, but vary according to psychological motivations, intensity of experience, and daily life rhythms.

At the same time, clearly defined consumer groups—such as fans of Japanese animation or independent and art-house films—along with platform-driven recommendation systems, rankings, and algorithms, are shaping viewing choices. As a result, the film industry today operates atop a multi-layered and fragmented consumption structure.

Analysis of Film Consumption Structure: How Changes in Leisure Have Reshaped Viewing Patterns

① Rest and Play at Home

Survey results show that while the share of “watching films” within overall leisure activities has declined, the proportions of rest and hobbies have increased significantly. As activities such as relaxing at home, staying indoors, pursuing personal hobbies and exercise, and home entertainment become more prevalent, going to the theater is increasingly perceived as an activity that requires making time to go out.

However, this shift should not be viewed simply as “the avoidance of theaters.” The core change lies in the fact that the basic unit of leisure has moved toward the home and the individual. OTT platforms, YouTube, games, and social media have already become foundational leisure infrastructure within the home. While films remain an important leisure resource, the places and ways in which films are consumed are becoming more dispersed.

Changes in Leisure Activities

Change in Participation Frequency by Leisure Activity Compared to the Previous Year

(Base: Total respondents, Unit: %)

The decline rate for moviegoing is higher than its growth rate, while rest and hobbies/entertainment show higher growth rates than decline rates.

The actual decision-making process for movie viewing reveals a strong preference for safe, well-validated content. In terms of intent, responses indicating “watching on impulse” and “watching as planned” appear at similar levels. However, when it comes to the actual timing of viewing, far more audiences choose to watch films after checking word of mouth, ratings, and reviews, rather than immediately upon release. This reflects a strong desire to minimize the risk of disappointment.

Content selection also favors films with proven box-office performance or established reputations, rather than simply choosing the latest releases. A clear tendency toward “safe choices” emerges.

Viewing preferences are increasingly narrowed around familiar and favored genres, with genre taste becoming the basic framework for selection. Responses regarding preferred viewing platforms further suggest that many audiences adopt a hybrid consumption pattern, alternating between theaters and OTT platforms depending on the nature of the content and viewing context.

Additionally, when leisure activities are grouped by type—hobbies and entertainment, culture, rest, sports, and travel—audience segments with strong cultural content consumption tendencies show a relatively higher increase in theater attendance, identifying them as a key group for theatrical recovery. In contrast, segments that favor travel and outdoor activities display higher rates of decline in moviegoing, suggesting that the expansion of out-of-home leisure and mobility is linked to reduced theater consumption.

Distribution by Movie Viewing Tendencies

(Base: Total respondents, Unit: %)

Viewing decision-making and the choice between theaters and OTT platforms show signs of polarization, with selective consumption driven by word of mouth, box-office performance, and genre preferences.

Change in Theater Attendance by Audience Cluster

(Base: Total respondents, Unit: %)

Audience groups that actively engage in cultural leisure activities show a relatively higher increase in theater attendance, identifying them as the core segment for theatrical recovery.

③ Price Sensitivity Drives Viewers to OTT

An analysis of the factors influencing theater attendance and OTT use—divided into four areas: psychological and emotional motivations, content and technology preferences, price sensitivity, and overall leisure activity levels—shows that people with more active leisure lifestyles who place high value on genre and subject matter, as well as sound and visual effects, tend to prefer theaters. For these viewers, going to the cinema is perceived as a typical out-of-home leisure activity, an experience worth investing time and travel in.

In contrast, price-sensitive groups show a tendency to reduce theater visits. For them, OTT platforms, perceived as more affordable, emerge as a strong alternative. A proactive, price-conscious user base has played a key role in expanding OTT consumption. Beyond price, OTT usage is also influenced by expectations regarding content and technology, the amount of leisure time available, and psychological and emotional motivations such as rest, emotional recovery, and immersive solo viewing. This confirms that OTT is a platform where cost, convenience, and emotional needs operate simultaneously.

Factors Influencing Theater Attendance and OTT Use

(Base: Total respondents)

The more price-sensitive people are, the more likely they are to reduce theater attendance.

Analysis of Content Consumption Factors: How Viewers Choose Movies

① Genre and Subject Matter as the Default Criteria

A survey that classified factors influencing movie selection into five areas—people (cast and creators), content, marketing, production, and technology—found that genre and subject matter (story/content) are the most important considerations when choosing a film. This is followed by audience ratings, reviews, and word of mouth. Compared to the previous year, the importance of ratings, reviews, word of mouth, and the buzz surrounding original source material has increased slightly, indicating that audiences have become more sensitive to others’ opinions and online buzz.

This suggests that when selecting a film, genre and subject matter remain the primary filters, after which factors such as cast, director, ratings, and audiovisual effects come into play. The idea of a “trusted genre” is clearly reflected in actual consumption habits, while trends, recommendations from others, and online visibility exert decisive influence at the final stage of choice.

Factors Considered When Choosing a Movie

(Base: Total respondents, Unit: points, 5-point scale)

Audiences consider genre and subject matter (content) as the main criteria when selecting a movie.

② Japanese Animation Capturing Gen Z and Young Millennials

Japanese animation shows a particularly strong appeal among teens and people in their 20s, positioned at the intersection of taste, platforms, and fandom. Its core audience places high value on visual quality and effects, with genre and the buzz surrounding original source material serving as key selection criteria. In addition, genre diversity, distinctive themes, and narratives built around rich world-building and characters have resonated strongly with younger viewers.

Japanese animation is well optimized for OTT and YouTube environments, where constant exposure through recommendations, rankings, and short clips naturally sustains consumption.

Fandom and peer effects also play a crucial role. Personal motivations such as “watching because it’s fun” operate alongside social motivations like “watching because everyone else is,” allowing these works to function almost as a shared language within communities and meme culture. Thanks to this structure—where world-building, characters, platforms, and fandom reinforce one another—Japanese animation demonstrates high rewatch rates and a strong tendency toward multiple viewings of the same title.

Preference for Japanese Animation by Age Group

(Base: Total respondents, Unit: points, 5-point scale)

Rewatch Rate

(Base: Total respondents, Unit: %)

Japanese animation is highly favored among younger audiences and shows a high rewatch rate.

③ Independent and Art-House Film Audiences Value Artistic Merit and Craft

Although independent and art-house film viewers make up a relatively small portion of the overall audience, they form a clearly defined group with distinct value criteria. Their selection standards differ markedly from those of mainstream commercial film audiences. For this group, the director’s style and filmography, awards at international and domestic film festivals, cinematography, sound, and overall artistic quality and completeness are the most important factors in deciding what to watch. These elements function as strong signals for independent film viewers.

Rather than focusing simply on whether a film is entertaining, they consider the issues a work addresses and whether it offers new approaches or forms. As a result, conventional marketing tools such as price discounts alone are insufficient to attract this audience. Instead, curation, contextual explanations, and programming that clearly highlight artistic value are likely to be more effective.

Differences in Movie Selection Criteria Between Independent Film Viewers and Non-Viewers

(Base: Total respondents, Unit: movie selection score, 5-point scale)

Independent and art-house film audiences place greater importance on cinematic quality than general viewers, with the director’s reputation and film festival awards emerging as key factors influencing viewing decisions.

④ YouTube as a Key Source of Film Information

An analysis of the main channels through which audiences obtain information about films—both for theatrical and non-theatrical viewing—clarifies how viewers first encounter and become aware of movies.

For theatrical releases, the top sources of information are YouTube and video content (26.4%), followed by portal searches and news articles (18.4%) and social media (16.9%). This suggests that the driving force that brings audiences to theaters is no longer trailers or posters inside cinemas, but rather film-related content repeatedly encountered through online videos, articles, and social feeds.

For non-theatrical viewing, the leading sources are OTT platforms (35.6%), followed by YouTube and video content (18.7%) and recommendations from acquaintances (11.7%). In other words, theatrical attendance is fueled by buzz generated in external digital media, while OTT consumption is sustained by internal systems of recommendations, rankings, and notifications. Even for the same film, consumption patterns differ: theatrical viewing follows external buzz, whereas OTT viewing follows internal algorithms.

Across both theatrical and non-theatrical movie consumption, YouTube accounts for the largest share as the primary channel through which audiences obtain film information.

The Korean Film Industry Must Recognize Structural Changes in Film Consumption

The film consumption structure and content consumption factors revealed in this survey offer several key implications for how the Korean film industry should respond from a consumer perspective beyond 2026.

First, strategies must be built on the premise of a multi-layered consumption structure.

It is unlikely that theater attendance will return to its former levels. Rather than focusing solely on box-office recovery, the industry needs to consider how to grow overall film consumption dispersed across theaters, OTT platforms, YouTube, hotels, travel, and other contexts. This calls for a shift in perspective: theaters as premium experiential hubs, OTT as everyday film infrastructure, and YouTube and short-form platforms as key supporters that expand film discourse and word of mouth.

Second, audiences can no longer be defined simply as “heavy” or “light” viewers.

Some viewers rarely go to theaters but watch a great deal of OTT content, while others selectively attend theaters but barely use OTT platforms. Consumption behavior now varies according to platform combinations, and future marketing and policy approaches must reflect this segmentation. Effective responses may include pricing and promotions that lower barriers to theater visits, experience design that encourages movement between theaters and OTT, and IP extensions such as limited-edition merchandise and fandom programs.

Third, the industry must consider how to expand “taste-based markets,” as exemplified by Japanese animation and independent art-house films.

Both groups share a common trait: audiences with clear tastes and value standards. For these viewers, price is less important than world-building, artistic completeness, external recognition, and curation.

Even as theater attendance declines, film consumption continues by reshaping its structure. By recognizing these shifts—repositioning theaters as spaces for special experiences and OTT platforms as connectors of taste and everyday life—Korean cinema can continue to grow alongside audiences’ evolving leisure patterns.

By Jeong Yeon-mo (Team Lead, CX Planning Center, CX Innovation Division, 

Korea Productivity Center) (CLICK for Original Report)