South cinema audiences visit a theater twice the national average: Report

GroupM has launched the South Cinema Audience Behaviour Report. The report sheds light on the movie-going habits of the South Cinema audience and provides insights to advertisers and marketers.

The South Cinema Audience Behaviour Report provides marketers and advertisers with insights into the preferences and behaviours of Southern state's regular cine-goers. The data and insights from this report will enable advertisers to create more effective marketing campaigns and better connect with the South Indian audience.

According to the report, ‘watching a movie at a theatre’ has the highest monthly average frequency of all outdoor leisure activities among South cinema audiences - with an average of 1.8 visits per month, translating to 22 visits annually. The report also reveals that 8 out of 10 South Cinema audiences visit a theatre at least once a month, which is twice the national average.

The report further highlights that 'heavy' South moviegoers visit the cinema an average of 32 times annually, which is 20 visits more than the national average. Further, the heavy cross-section of South Cinema audience from Andhra Pradesh & Telangana and Kerala watches 36 movies in a year.

The report also throws a light on language preferences among the South Cinema audience.

In Karnataka, Telugu is the second most preferred language among those preferring Kannada, while in Kerala, Tamil is the second most preferred language for those preferring Malayalam. The report also suggests that horror/thriller is the top genre for visiting a cinema in Andhra Pradesh & Telangana and Kerala.

Andhra Pradesh & Telangana cine-goers prefer to watch a movie on the first day with a preference of 66% for any show on the first day. Apparently, all South cinema audiences consider nearby theatres. 

Commenting on the report, Ajay Mehta, MD - Cinema and OOH, GroupM India said, "Our report is a game-changing tool for marketers and advertisers looking to engage with South Cinema audiences. By shedding light on the unique preferences and behaviours of this audience, we can now tailor our campaigns to resonate with them on a deeper level. A noteworthy example is the exceptional success of 'Jailer,' starring Rajinikanth, which has become the top-grossing Tamil film in India. Impressively, 'Jailer' ranks as the second-fastest Tamil film to amass an astonishing ₹550 crore worldwide at the box office. The fact that a heavy cross-section of South Cinema audience is watching 32 movies in a year highlights the immense potential of this market. With the South Cinema Audience Behaviour Report, we are equipped with the insights needed to tap into this potential and drive real business results."