By Carolyn Giardina
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While most Americans will be watching the 2024 Summer Olympics at home, some will be heading to the movies, from the 137 Imax theaters airing the dazzling opening ceremony to select AMC Theatres showing live popular events like swimming and gymnastics.
This underscores theater owners’ interest in alternative content that can generate additional revenue, particularly during off-peak hours and days — a topic that has long appealed to the moviegoing community. But while it’s not a new topic, it’s perhaps even more relevant this year given how the theater industry has been hit by both Hollywood’s twin strikes in 2023 and the general slowdown in production.
Audience interest in all kinds of non-film experiences in theaters is growing, according to The Cinema Foundation's "Theatrical Audience and Growth Opportunities" study, conducted by The Quorum in August 2022. The results of a survey of 6,000 frequent, occasional and non-active theatergoers found that 77% of respondents were interested in television experiences on theater screens and 63% were interested in watching live sporting events, underscoring the potential of the Olympic Games.
