Cinema has always been a shared experience, but for families today, it’s becoming even more powerful.
Busy schedules, endless screens, and constant distractions pull parents and children in different directions, yet the desire to connect and create meaningful moments has never been stronger.
That’s why cinema remains one of the few places where families truly come together.
To understand the power of that moment, we combined multiple data sources including live cinema audience measurement, online research with moviegoers, box office intelligence and in-depth interviews with families to explore the role cinema plays in modern family life, and the commercial impact that creates for brands.
Here’s what we uncovered.
Shared moments create stronger connections.
Cinema is a powerful storytelling moment, where parents and children experience the same emotions, characters and messages at the same time.
For brands, that means messages aren’t received in isolation, they’re experienced together, in a positive, receptive mindset.
Those shared moments drive stronger emotional connection and higher recall, because brands become part of the experience rather than an interruption. And because families trust the environment, that trust extends to the brands within it.
of parents trust and enjoy cinema as a shared family experience*
*Source: CineTAM PLUS, “When you watch a family / animated movie with your children in a cinema, how much do you enjoy them?”, Primary – High school children in HH, Been to cinema Summer 25/26, n= 141Family movies don’t end when the credits roll.
Those moments carry on at home, through conversations, jokes, play, and shared references, becoming part of everyday family life.
This carryover turns films into larger cultural moments, giving brands the opportunity to become part of the stories families keep sharing long after they leave the cinema.
Of families often talk about the movie together afterwards.*
*Source: CineTAM PLUS, ‘Which of the following do you associate with going to movies?’, Primary – High school children in HH, Been to cinema Summer 25/26, n= 141Shared influence drives purchase decisions.
When families spend time together, decisions are often made together too.
Cinema puts brands into those shared moments, where conversations and decisions naturally follow. So, not only does cinema build awareness, it helps drive both immediate purchase impact and longer-term loyalty.
Agree children have an influence on household purchasing decisions.*
*Source: CineTAM PLUS, Parents with Children at School, 2025, ‘Do you agree with the following statements…’, n= 500 / Primary – High school children in HH, Been to cinema Summer 25/26, n= 141