The coronavirus pandemic has had a devastating effect on movie theaters and other venues, even as certain areas across the world begin to lift the lockdown restrictions imposed to slow down the spread of COVID-19. Now, a new survey conducted by Performance Research in partnership with Full Circle Research reveals that although most people in the U.S. believe movie theaters are one of the industries that have been hit hardest by the pandemic, nearly half do not support providing federal relief to these venues.
In order to slow down the spread of the coronavirus and prevent hospitals from surpassing their maximum capacity, governments across the world ordered non-essential businesses to close and many remain shut down or are operating at limited capacity. While movie theaters are beginning to open in countries and areas that are showing a steady decrease in the number of new COVID-19 cases, concerns regarding safety measures and the lack of new Hollywood releases are making it difficult for movie theater owners to draw in audiences.
According to the Performance Research and Full Circle Research survey, which polled over 1,000 people in the U.S. between August 3rd and 10th, 70% of consumers believe movie theaters have been negatively impacted by the pandemic. However, just 16% of these respondents said they were “very supportive” of movie theaters receiving federal financial aid while 35% said they were “moderately supportive” of such measures. While only 51% of those surveyed were in favor of movie theaters receiving federal aide, initially, support for taxpayer dollars going being used to bail out cinemas jumped to 63% when respondents were asked, “if it was a matter of life or death.”
For comparison’s sake, 69% of those surveyed believe music concert venues have been negatively impacted by the pandemic while 65% feel the same way towards fairs and festivals and live theater, 61% for airlines, 57% for sit-down restaurants, 50% for hotels and museums, and 44% for independent and non-profit arts organizations. However, 80% of respondents supported sit-down restaurants receiving federal aide, 49% moderately supportive, and 31% very supportive. Museums received the second-highest levels of support at 64% of those surveyed followed by hotels with 58%, independent and non-profit arts organizations at 57%, and airlines with 56% net support. Faring worse than movie theaters in terms of bailout support among respondents were music concert venues at 36%, live-theater at 46%, and fairs and festivals with just 39% support.
The economic devastation felt by movie theaters has been on the radar of the United States Congress since the pandemic first hit North America. In March 2020, filmmaker Christopher Nolan even penned an open letter to U.S. lawmakers urging them to provide financial relief to cinemas so they can survive this crisis, arguing that people will need the movie theater experience once the pandemic has subsided.
Unfortunately, both the United States House of Representatives and the Senate are in recess for the month despite being unable to work out a new deal on economic stimulus legislation. So, it appears exhibitors will have to hope audiences feel safe enough to return to cinemas once new films are released in select theaters in the coming weeks, including Nolan’s mysterious and highly-anticipated spy film Tenet.
Source: Variety
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