For decades, going to the movies was one of the most popular ways to spend a night out. Friends of all ages would meet at the theater, buy popcorn, soda, candy and watch the latest blockbusters on the big screen. Today, however, watching a movie is as simple as a few swipes on your phone or clicks on your laptop to open Netflix, Hulu or any of the countless streaming services becoming a part of everyday life. This shift in preference has created an important question: Are movie theaters losing their place in the entertainment industry?
Well, the numbers suggest that they are facing a serious challenge; one that can’t be ignored any longer. According to Pew Research Center’s March 2026 report, almost 770 million movie tickets were sold in the United States and Canada in 2025. Compared to the 1.23 billion tickets sold in 2019, this represents a decline of ~37%. Although the pandemic was a major factor in this decrease, the numbers have still not rebounded to their previous highs (DeSilver and Jackson).
The biggest reason people are choosing streaming now more than ever is convenience. Instead of driving to a theater, planning with friends, and paying for tickets, viewers can just invite a couple friends over and watch from the comfort of their couch whenever they want. A poll from The Associate Press in September 2025 found that 75% of American adults had chosen to watch a newly released movie through a streaming service rather than a theater in the last month. Meanwhile, only 16% said they had actually gone to the theater (Hurry). More research from S&P Global backs up this idea. In October 2025, their analysis found that the percentage of adults who attended a movie theater fell from 39% to 17% from 2019 to 2025. With ⅓ of the respondents admitting they went to the movies less frequently than the year before (Nissen).
However, contrary to the data, this does not mean theaters are becoming irrelevant. Watching a movie from a 40’ screen will never match the experience of a massive screen with surround sound and a packed audience. The only barrier theaters must overcome is convincing people that the experience itself is worth the price and better than the flexibility of streaming services. Personally, I think they need to focus more on major releases, and special screenings, but I also think the movies themselves need to be marketed better for audiences to be more inclined to spend their money. For example, during winter 2025, Marty Supreme had one of the most viral and talked about marketing campaigns ever, convincing millions of Americans to visit the big screen. On the other hand, during this recent summer, Supergirl had barely any marketing or buzz on social media, causing it to flop in the box office. Theaters had nothing to do with the marketing yet one movie clearly did better than the other due to external factors out of the theaters control.
Ultimately, streaming services are changing how people watch movies, but that does not mean the disappearance of theaters is inevitable. Moviegoing will mostly likely keep that same decline as it’s seen in the past couple of years, creating a new question: Will the experience be special enough to make the audience leave the comfort of their own homes?
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