We think entertainment is costing more, and it's impacting behavior

The Ipsos Consumer Tracker asks Americans questions about culture, the economy and the forces that shape our lives. Here's one thing we learned this week.

Why we asked about entertainment prices: Our friends at the Conference Board suggested we do some polling about ticket prices for live entertainment. And having just bought some concert tickets for one of my kids as a Christmas present (shhhh, don’t tell) I can understand why this topic is a good one to dive into.

What we found: First, we asked who has attended live sports, concerts and in-theater movies. Half of us report seeing a movie in a theater in the past six months. 38% going to a live sports event and 35% to a concert. Maybe some sort of combined that by seeing the theatrical release of the epic Talking Heads concert film, “Stop Making Sense” or pre-buying tickets to the Eras tour concert film from Taylor Swift. Side note: people should go to more concerts. Ipsos data shows that most of you know that music is good for your mental health. But prices could be impacting how frequently we attend.

Of those who have been to live events, about half in each case (representing a majority or plurality) think prices are going up. In actuality, movie prices have been flat this year but are at record highs. Concert ticket prices are high and the resale market is strong as concerts remain a priority splurge for many, leading to high demand, too. Some big tours are driving that (Taylor, Beyonce, looking at you) but demand is spread across genres and venue sizes, too. Almost no one thinks prices are going down, though it’s plausible they are for some sporting events. In the next question, we’ll dive into if that’s impacting behavior. 

Why we asked: Are higher prices impacting our behavior, or not so much?

What we found: Data suggests that yes, prices are impacting our behaviors. About half (51%) report that higher ticket prices mean they are going to fewer events. Many say they are spending less on concessions (38%) or merch (35%) when they do attend. And 34% are opting to watch or stream events instead. Fewer people are changing their timing in terms of buying tickets earlier (17%) or later (9%). Notably, only 19% say they are not changing any of their behaviors. Lower-income households are pulling back more. Interestingly, women more likely to say they are going to fewer events than men.

More insights from this wave of the Ipsos Consumer Tracker:

Americans still think gas prices are rising (but they’re not)

Here's what mixed signals in personal debt look like

Our holiday shopping attitudes are quite consistent

The Ipsos Care-o-Meter: What does America know about vs. what does America care about?

See the full data and methodology here.