Why do we go to the cinema?-A qualitative study of cinema attendance motivation in Sweden and Korea

Abstract: Due to COVID-19 and the penetration of OTT services, the cinema industry is suffering from audience loss. With this contextual change, the question of whether the cinema industry will survive is constantly rising. As motivation is known as the driving force for behaviour, this thesis focuses on the audiences who still visit the cinema and explore their motivations for cinema attendance to find what cinema should be providing to remain competitive in the market. The Uses and Gratifications Theory and A priori dimension of the motive concept form the framework for understanding motivations and interpreting the analysis. Empirical data from 13 semi-structured interviews help us to grasp the perception of cinema today and the motivations for cinema visits. Further comparing two countries showing different industry prospects, Sweden and Korea, adds insight to the findings. The findings indicate that audiences perceive cinema as an experience and that entertainment, escape, and socialisation are the prominent motivations for cinema visits nowadays. Further, this study suggests that there are some external factors influencing cinema visits that need to be researched in the future.