Casual audiences are staying away from movies, sports, live events, and other entertainment because streaming options at home are cheaper and easier, while high ticket prices only make sense for big franchise hits or special occasions. People used to go to the theater or watch full games on TV a dozen times a year or more, but now they limit outings to just 2 to 4 times annually, picking only blockbuster spectacles like superhero franchises that feel worth the $50 to $100 family cost. This shift started with the pandemic, which locked in habits of watching everything on demand from couches, killing off routine visits that once supported smaller films, mid-budget dramas, and regular sports broadcasts. For details on this box office split, see https://www.insighttrendsworld.com/post/entertainment-box-office-bifurcation-when-only-franchises-and-ip-survive.
Streaming services add to the problem with too many subscriptions, leading to fatigue where folks cancel often because the content does not seem worth the monthly fees anymore, with 41 percent saying video on demand prices exceed value. Cable TV subscriptions have dropped from 63 percent to 49 percent of consumers in just three years, mainly over cost, as people chase deals or switch to free short clips instead. This makes it hard for theaters, arenas, or TV to pull in crowds for anything less than a must-see event. Check Deloitte’s findings here: https://allthingsinsights.com/content/consumers-embracing-new-media-entertainment-reality/.
In sports like the NBA, viewership on traditional TV has fallen sharply, with national broadcasts down 45 percent since 2011, not because fans lost interest but because younger people prefer quick highlights on TikTok, Instagram Reels, or YouTube over sitting through full linear games. Attention spans have shortened as apps train users to jump between fast bites of content, fragmenting audiences and pushing casual viewers to piracy or social media snippets rather than live attendance or cable packages. More on NBA trends at https://econreview.studentorg.berkeley.edu/the-nbas-paradox-fewer-viewers-bigger-paydays/.
Even live venues feel the pinch, with music arenas, theme parks, and family spots seeing less foot traffic as caution over costs keeps people home, especially amid economic squeezes. Hollywood’s own production slowdown after strikes has not helped, with sound stage use at just 63 percent in 2024 versus 90 percent before, as work moves to cheaper spots like Georgia or Canada. See venue caution data https://www.streetinsider.com/Insights+News+Wire/The+Changing+Landscape+of+Travel+and+Entertainment+During+National+Challenges/25732269.html and stage stats https://laist.com/brief/news/arts-and-entertainment/la-sound-stages-have-yet-to-rebound-after-hollywood-strikes.
Publishers and media face audience fragmentation too, as content spreads across social platforms, podcasts, and newsletters, weakening old ad and paywall models hit by ad blockers, cookie phase-outs, and subscription overload. Consumers now pick just a few services they truly value, skipping the rest for on-demand flexibility. Gaming shows a contrast, building loyal crowds through ongoing community chats that Hollywood’s one-and-done releases ignore. Read about media shifts https://rtcamp.com/handbook/publishing-industry-challenges/audience-centric-monetizing/ and gaming dynamics https://superjoost.substack.com/p/irrelevant-play.
Sources
https://www.insighttrendsworld.com/post/entertainment-box-office-bifurcation-when-only-franchises-and-ip-survive
https://allthingsinsights.com/content/consumers-embracing-new-media-entertainment-reality/
https://econreview.studentorg.berkeley.edu/the-nbas-paradox-fewer-viewers-bigger-paydays/
https://laist.com/brief/news/arts-and-entertainment/la-sound-stages-have-yet-to-rebound-after-hollywood-strikes
https://www.streetinsider.com/Insights+News+Wire/The+Changing+Landscape+of+Travel+and+Entertainment+During+National+Challenges/25732269.html
https://rtcamp.com/handbook/publishing-industry-challenge
