• by Aaron Baar , February 15, 2013

Maybe it’s all the content they consume through their devices, but tablet and smartphone owners are more likely to attend movies and spend more on that entertainment than the general public. 

According to Nielsen NRG’s 2012 American Moviegoing report, mobile-connected moviegoers are more engaged in the overall moviegoing process (including spending more and consuming more content) than the average moviegoer. According to the research, smartphone owners attend 9% more movies overall in a year than the average moviegoer, while tablet owners attend 20% more films. 

Tablet owners watched an average of 47 movies over the past year -- 10 more than the average moviegoer, according to the report. They also spent 35% more on entertainment in a one-month period than the average U.S. consumer and were 27% more likely than non-connected moviegoers to see a film more than once. They were also 24% more likely to buy tickets to the film online. 

This increased connectivity is also having an effect on what movies consumers are choosing to see. About 30% of moviegoers said their decisions to attend certain movies were affected by comments about those films in their social networks.

Although social networks’ influence increased among moviegoers between 35 and 44, it declined among those between 18 and 24. (The younger set, however, is more likely to text, tweet or post right after seeing a movie than the average moviegoer -- 51% vs. 35%). 

“Viewing previews is the most frequently cited source of online movie information. Marketers still have the ability to substantially shape the messages that audiences are seeing and hearing about their movies,” says Kathy Benjamin, SVP, Nielsen NRG, in a statement. “As mobile connectivity continues to increase, they’ll want to take advantage of the great avenue that social networks offer to connect directly with potential moviegoers.”

"People at the Movies photo from Shutterstock"