Recession Puts Moviegoing in Peril

A new study by a market research company called Interpret LLC suggests that the economic downturn may have a negative impact on moviegoing. This is interesting because past history suggests (and this summer’s robust box office seems to confirm) that when money is tight, folks still spend their money on inexpensive entertainment like going to the cineplex. From today’s WSJ story:

But Interpret’s recent study suggests that in the face of financial turbulence, a night at the movies might be one of the first leisure activities consumers give up. Surveying about 1,000 U.S. consumers, ages 18-54, Interpret found that 52% of respondents said they were seeing fewer movies at the multiplex, significantly more than the 35% of respondents who said they were attending fewer live sports events.

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