Chinese people watch more movies amid COVID-19 outbreak

A recent survey showed that Chinese people have watched more movies on average over the last two months than the same period in previous years as they spent longer hours at home amid the COVID-19 outbreak.

According to the survey of 1,530 respondents by the China Film Association and Maoyan, a leading film database and ticketing platform, each respondent watched an average of six films outside of cinemas in March. In February, the number was seven.

The result indicated that the increase in films watched by people, either online or on TV, will in turn help cultivate their viewing habits, the survey said.

Moreover, more than 70 percent of the respondents have paid to watch movies online, which has increasingly become a popular option for viewers.

As the epidemic continued to show positive momentum in China, more people are looking forward to watching movies at cinemas, with 34 percent saying their anticipation was "very high".

Nearly 60 percent of those surveyed would be more willing to go to the cinema if proper epidemic control measures were in place and discounts on tickets were offered.