CULTURAS IN VITRO - A Graying, Growing Audience: [D]uring the last 10 years, only one moviegoing age group had not shrunk or stagnated: moviegoers older than 50. According to a survey by the Motion Picture Assn. of America, between 1990 and 2000, moviegoers in the obsessively sought-after 16-20 age group had dropped from 20% to 17% of total viewers. Moviegoers in the 25-29 category dropped from 14% to 12%. Even 12- to 15-year-olds, who are supposed to be part of the biggest demographic bulge since baby boomers, dipped from 11% to 10%.
Meanwhile, moviegoers ages 50-59 didn't just stay steady, they shot up from 5% to 10% of total audience. A second survey I found on the MPAA Web site, which interviewed frequent moviegoers, found that during the last four years, attendance of over-40 moviegoers was up as well.
For demographic researchers, these numbers are no surprise. Thanks to the graying of the baby boom generation, 38% of American adults are 50 or older, a number that will grow to 47% by 2020. More important, these older moviegoers behave very differently from their parents when it comes to entertainment. The baby boom generation remains loyal to its generation of film and rock stars--after all, who do you think goes to all those Eagles reunion concerts?