Futuresource Perspectives: In movieland, the story doesn’t end when the lights come up

by Rachel Mitchell, Market Analyst, Futuresource Consulting 

Explore how overlapping cinema and digital audiences are reshaping the modern film lifecycle. 

When the lights come up at the cinema, the film is far from finished. People talk about it on the way home, they recommend it to friends, and sometimes they revisit it when it arrives on digital. Families watch it again months later, and fans return to earlier instalments before the next sequel lands. 

The cinema trip might be the first moment in a film’s life with audiences, but it is rarely the last. 

For the film industry, that behaviour has always been the foundation of the business. Movies travel through a sequence of release windows, each one extending the commercial life of the same piece of content. 

But what’s changing now is how those moments connect together. In our latest Perspectives report, From Big Screen to Buy Button: The Overlapping Cinema & Transactional Audience, we explore how cinema and digital transactional viewing are increasingly being driven by the same audiences rather than competing for them.  

A market still built on scale 
Despite years of disruption, the theatrical market remains remarkably resilient. Global box office revenues reached $33.2 billion in 2025, with China driving particularly strong growth and several major territories stabilising after a volatile few year.  

Meanwhile, transactional video continues to play a significant role in the post-theatrical window. Taken together, theatrical and transactional markets represent a global opportunity of around $41 billion, built on the same underlying demand for film entertainment. 

Yet the most important development is the growing number of people consuming the same content in both these markets. Our recent Living with Digital research shows that around 24% of consumers now both go to the cinema and transact digitally, up from 19% the previous year.  

The rise of the crossover viewer 
These crossover viewers are becoming the most valuable group in the movie ecosystem. They discover films in theatres, then extend their engagement later through digital purchases, rentals or premium early-window releases. In many cases they also revisit catalogue titles or earlier franchise instalments ahead of a new theatrical release. 

Right now, instead of replacing cinema attendance, digital transactions often represent a continuation of interest that started on the big screen. 

Premium behaviour is shaping both sides of the market 
Another common thread that we’re seeing between theatrical and digital viewing is the growing role of premium experiences. In cinemas, audiences are increasingly leaning towards large format screens, premium seating and event-style screenings. IMAX, for example, recorded its strongest ever year in 2025.  

At home, the same willingness to pay appears in premium transactional formats, where viewers purchase higher-priced early releases for the convenience of watching new titles shortly after theatrical debut. 

When we dig a little deeper, one group stands out. Adults aged 26 to 45 sit at the centre of the crossover market. They show the highest engagement across theatrical visits, digital purchases and premium formats. This cohort combines spending power, established viewing habits and confidence navigating digital platforms. Many are also family households, where film consumption becomes a shared activity across different environments. 

Their behaviour helps extend the commercial life of films well beyond opening weekend. 

The new road ahead 
With a stronger release slate expected in 2026, both theatrical and transactional markets are forecast to grow again. More importantly, we expect the overlap between audiences to deepen further. 

For studios, distributors, retailers and exhibitors, the opportunity now lies in recognising the new complexities of this continuum, and designing strategies that support audiences across the entire film lifecycle.  

To find out more about the data and audience insights behind these trends reach visit here.