The silver screen: analysing the film consumption habits of seniors in Singapore
The Department of Statistics predicts that one in four persons in Singapore will be aged 65 and above by 2030, amounting to nearly one million individuals in the country. Seniors have already become a highly valued market segment yet cinemas and video-on-demand platforms within the local film landscape struggle to keep its seniors entertained with appropriate content and relevant programming. This dissertation provides a primary analysis into the film consumption habits of seniors aged 55 and above in Singapore. In employing a mixed-method approach, it dissects the behavioural patterns of the elderly consumer, taking into account their entertainment preferences, examining their economic situations and understanding their motivations towards forming long-term habits of film consumption. This dissertation interprets that the rate of film consumption will be pursued more aggressively on video-on-demand platforms than in cinemas. Seniors are predicted to become more price-sensitive as they age, gravitating towards platforms that offer a wide variety of content, age-friendly user interface adjustments and on-site support with infrastructural adaptations. Based on the continuity theory of normal ageing, this habit is expected to further amplify over the next decade – thus presenting commercial opportunities for the film landscape to capitalise on the senior market segment, while keeping them entertained throughout their silver years.