Student Cinema & Streaming Insights: What UK Students Told Us

Cinema isn’t dead. In fact, among UK students, it is thriving!

RockBox ran a quick-fire student survey in December 2025, capturing 111 responses to understand how often students go to the cinema and which streaming services they actually pay for.

The results show one clear thing: students still love the big screen, and at the same time the “streaming wars” are being won by a small number of dominant platforms.

Here’s what we found, what it means for brands, and why campuses remain a powerful place to reach Gen Z.

Key Findings at a Glance

• 49% of UK students go to the cinema at least once per month

• 23% go more than once per month

• Netflix dominates paid streaming with 76.6% penetration

• Amazon Prime Video is second at 60.4%

• Disney+ (45%) and Spotify (44.1%) are both major players

• 13.5% report no paid streaming subscriptions

Cinema Habits: Students Love the Big Screen

One of the strongest headlines from the survey is cinema frequency.

Nearly half of students (49%) visit the cinema once a month or more, and 23% go more than once per month.

That matters because students are often assumed to be “digital-only” audiences who prefer streaming at home. In reality, cinema remains a regular habit, not just an occasional treat.

The Streaming Wars on Campus

The second part of the study looked at paid subscriptions across streaming platforms.

Netflix is the default subscription for students

76.6% of respondents said they personally have a paid Netflix subscription.

That makes Netflix the clear winner on campus. It is essentially the “default” choice in student households, suggesting strong brand stickiness and cultural relevance.

Prime Video shows the power of bundling

At 60.4%, Amazon Prime Video comes in second.

This is important because Prime is not just purchased for entertainment. It is often justified as part of a broader value bundle, with delivery perks and other benefits. In other words, Prime’s position shows that students respond strongly to value propositions, not content alone.

Disney+ is a major contender

45% of students pay for Disney+.

That is a huge number for a newer platform competing in a crowded market and suggests Disney+ holds a strong position in student life through franchise loyalty, family-friendly content, and big releases. Our previous streaming Survey in 2021 showed Disney with 13% of the student market.

Beyond the Big Platforms: A Winner-Takes-Most Market

After the top platforms, the drop-off is sharp.

No other service reaches 15%. Apple TV+, Channel 4+, Paramount+ and YouTube Premium all sit below the 11% mark, while niche platforms remain lower still.

This reflects a wider pattern: students concentrate spend into a small number of subscriptions, and additional platforms are typically purchased only when they serve a specific need, such as ad-free viewing, niche fandom content, or one particular must-watch show.

It’s also worth noting that 13.5% report no paid streaming subscriptions, suggesting a meaningful segment relying on shared accounts or free alternatives, and highlighting ongoing price sensitivity among part of the student audience.

How the Research Was Conducted (Methodology)

This survey was conducted in December 2025, collecting 111 responses from UK students.

The research was gathered using:

• Direct response to screen via QR code, making it fast and mobile-friendly

• A £100 Amazon voucher prize incentive to encourage participation

This method provides a realistic snapshot of student behaviour without heavy friction, and mirrors how students engage with campus campaigns in real life. Mor eimportantly it exclusivley polls the same audience that is exposed to RockBox on screen adverting.

The story here is not “cinema vs streaming”. It is “cinema and streaming”.

For brands, platforms and entertainment marketers, campuses remain one of the best environments to influence choice. Student audiences are engaged, social, and actively spending on experiences and subscriptions, as long as the offer feels worth it.