According to Family Films Fuel the Box Office: A Growing Power in Hollywood Today and Tomorrow by Ampere Analysis, family titles made up one-third (33%) of US studio movies that earned over $100 million in 2024. This shows a rise in the importance of family-oriented films, up from just 20% in 2022.
Families are spending more on streaming, pay TV, and cinema visits. However, as streaming platforms reduce their original family content, they now rely more on nostalgic shows and recent theatrical releases to keep families engaged. Ampere Analysis’s report proves that new family movies not only bring in box office revenue but also offer valuable licensing opportunities for platforms.
Key Findings on Box Office (2024) by Ampere Analysis:
- Families are high-value consumers. They spend more on media and go to the cinema more often. The report emphasizes that 53% of global internet users aged 18–64 attend the cinema live with children, compared to 46% without.
- Streamers have maximised the demand for family-friendly content, especially Disney+. The major streamers have built a strong library of classic and evergreen titles, with a focus on TV series.
- Families want content for all ages, and purchase OTT or pay TV accordingly. 65% of families watch content together, higher than the overall 56% average.
- TV content for families is aging. Two-thirds of scripted Children & Family TV shows on major US streaming platforms in early 2025 were over 10 years old. Streamers have cut back on new shows for kids.
- Platforms depend on evergreen content to keep families engaged. Family films and TV shows now play a bigger role in streaming strategies.
- Studios are bringing big family movies back to theaters. Since 2023, studios have pushed major family films to cinemas to boost box office earnings and revive theater habits. Platforms like Disney+, Peacock, and Paramount+ are delaying streaming releases, keeping films off their platforms for an average of 95 days. Hits like Inside Out 2, Moana 2, and Despicable Me 4 stayed off streaming for over 100 days.
- Family movies now rival Sci-Fi & Fantasy in popularity.
Alice Thorpe, Research Manager at Ampere Analysis, says: “Catering to families has always been a key factor in studio decision-making, but recent years have reinforced just how critical this audience is to the theatrical market.”
Richard Broughton, Executive Director at Ampere Analysis, says: “Sustained investment in family-friendly movies is not just a strategy for near-term box office success in a challenging theatrical market, but also a long-term play to rebuild the cinema-going habit among younger audiences. As these young moviegoers mature, their continued engagement with theatrical releases could shape future patterns of media consumption. For studios, this underscores the importance of treating the development and distribution of kids’ movies not only as a commercial imperative, but as a key part of a long-range audience strategy.”
Family movies have also proven to be successful at this year’s box office. For further information, check out the article Analysis: 2025 Box Office Trends in CEE and Global Markets, where we take a close look at the box office data from January to early May 2025.
