Movie theaters seem to be making a comeback, at least if you look at the money. By late August, North American box-office revenue in 2026 was up roughly 20% from the same point in 2025. But ticket sales tell a slightly different story. During the first 30 weeks of 2026, theaters sold an estimated 470.9 million tickets, compared with 747.3 million in the same period of 2019. This creates a strange contradiction: theaters are making more money while fewer people are actually going. Through providing a unique social and cultural experience unable to be replicated at home, theaters have managed to remain relevant even as streaming continues to grow in popularity.
There are obvious reasons why people choose streaming. In many cases it is cheaper, easier, and there is no need to leave home or plan around a showtime. According to a 2025 survey from the Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research, a partnership between the Associated Press news organization and NORC at the University of Chicago, about three-quarters of adults had streamed a recently released movie instead of seeing it in theaters in the past year, while about two-thirds had gone to a theater. Even more telling, about 3 in 10 streamed new movies at least monthly while only 16% went to theaters that often. With some movies becoming available at home only weeks after release, people are left to decide whether seeing a movie immediately is actually worth the trip and the cost.
But watching a movie at home and watching one in a theater are not the same experience. There is the obvious difference of a huge screen and sound system, but there is also the audience. A horror movie in a silent living room is different from watching an entire theater tense up at the same time, just as a comedy can feel different when everyone around you is laughing. Film scholars Jodi Brooks of the University of New South Wales and Claire Perkins of Monash University explore this in their research on film studies education, arguing that collective viewing can create experiences and interpretations different from watching alone.
This is especially important for independent theaters, which often exist as more than just places to buy a ticket. They show independent, international and older movies and can hold festivals, discussions and other community events. Researcher Ringo Rösener describes independent theaters as cultural institutions with a social and cultural role beyond showing movies. Judging whether theaters are still relevant only through box-office numbers misses part of what theaters actually provide.
Americans haven’t stopped going to the movies altogether; they may just need a stronger reason to make the trip. Blockbusters, horror and comedy movies, family films, concerts, anime and special screenings can all give people something they can’t necessarily get from casually choosing a movie at home. There have also been signs of a partial box-office recovery, meaning ticket revenue is rebuilding after the pandemic disrupted moviegoing. In September 2025, the Associated Press reported that North American box-office revenue was up more than 4% from the previous year, although it remained more than 22% below 2019 levels. Those numbers don’t mean theaters are back to where they were, but they do show that people are still willing to go. The challenge is making the movie feel like a worthwhile event.
The biggest problem may be cost. AP-NORC found that 72% of adults making at least $100,000 had recently gone to a theater compared with 54% making under $50,000. Between tickets, food, transportation and premium screens, moviegoing can easily become a luxury instead of regular entertainment. Theaters have responded with better screens, reclining seats, subscriptions and discount days, but have done little to make moviegoing more accessible for the occasional viewer. Theaters are still relevant, just differently than they used to be. Their future depends on giving people something streaming cannot, a reason to leave their homes and experience a movie together.