Survey: Most of Americans prefer watching movies at home

PLANO, TX – In celebration of National Popcorn Month, movie critic Ben Lyons and Smartfood Popcorn went to the polls with a survey on American at-home movie and TV-watching habits, honoring America’s go-to popcorn eating occasion. Among the interesting results, the survey revealed more than two-thirds of respondents are staying home and prefer a movie night from the comfort of their couch over a night out at the movie theater, and 70 percent of respondents indicated they prefer to pace themselves rather than marathon-watch a television or movie series. Additionally, when asked when they would most likely reach for the popcorn while watching a movie, 78 percent of respondents indicated they get a hankering for the snack during exciting or happy moments, as opposed to only 22 percent during sad or scary moments.

“Throughout the year I spend lot of my time at film festivals and big movie premieres, but the truth is, I also love a relaxing night at home enjoying a good movie or my favorite TV shows,” said Ben Lyons. “I’m not surprised that in the survey, Americans agreed that buying the right variety of snacks is the best way to make a movie night at home feel special. So, a fun way for movie fans to celebrate National Popcorn Month is to stay at home with some Smartfood popcorn and enjoy a great film.”

Additional survey results revealed:

Not feeling nostalgia: The all-important decision between watching a new movie or an old favorite swayed in favor of the latest and greatest, with 62 percent of respondents indicating they most often watch new movies versus old ones.

Book vs. movie – A battle of the sexes: With so many literary works turned into movies, men and women stand divided on what should be enjoyed first – the book or the movie. Sixty-two percent of women say reading the book is a must before watching the movie version, compared to 53 percent of men preferring the move first.

Slow and steady beats marathon viewing: When choosing to binge-watch movies or a television series, the average number of episodes enjoyed per sitting is a whopping seven, however, 70 percent of Americans indicate a preference to pace themselves rather than taking on a marathon session.