So which holiday movies are people watching this season? Peel surveyed 1,500 US smartphone users about their holiday viewing preferences and combined this with actual tune-in data captured from its smart remote technology.
Viewers said that they planned to watch an average of 3.4 holiday movies, but the selection of movies differs between boomers and millennials, and more, between stated preferences and actual viewing habits.
While boomers chose classics such as‘ It’s a Wonderful Life,’ ‘Miracle on 34th Street,’ and ‘White Christmas,’ millennials said that they would be watching ‘Elf’ and ‘The Santa Clause.’ Still, among both groups, ‘Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer’ was a favorite among both groups.
“Childhood memories, nostalgia for the past, a desire for the familiar are among the many reasons nearly everyone loves a good holiday movie,” said Peel CEO and co-founder Thiru Arunachalam. “The subtle differences in preferences and viewing behavior apparent in our data speak volumes about both the commonalities and disparities among generations. As programming becomes more niche and targeted, it is refreshing to see traditional programs that appeal across all demographics, even though the long-term trend networks are adapting to is greater and greater audience fragmentation.”
There’s a distinction between what people say they want to watch and what they actually watch. 71% of viewers were still watching ‘The Santa Clause’ after 30 minutes while only 62% of viewers remained tuned into ‘Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer’ after 30 minutes.
