Why Cinema Ranks #2 Globally in Consumer Ad Preference — And What It Means for China

In 2023, Kantar surveyed roughly 16,000 consumers across 23 markets for its Media Reactions Ad Equity ranking — a measure of which advertising channels people actually appreciate, rather than merely tolerate. Cinema came in at #2 globally, behind only sponsored events, and ahead of out-of-home, point of sale and digital out-of-home. For a brand weighing where to spend a limited China budget, that ranking is worth pausing on.

A channel audiences choose, not one they endure

Most advertising works by interrupting something else — a feed, a video, a search result. Cinema is different: the audience has already chosen to be there, paid for the experience, and settled into a room built for one message at a time. That context shapes how an ad is received before it even starts.

The China numbers back it up

The global ranking matters more once you look at China specifically. A 2023 Statista Consumer Insights survey of 24,511 Chinese consumers found 35% had encountered non-digital cinema advertising in the previous four weeks — the highest recall of the five markets surveyed, ahead of France (23%), the UK (19%), the US (18%) and Germany (15%). The audience behind that recall is real scale: China's National Film Administration reported 93,187 screens nationwide and 1.238 billion urban cinema admissions in 2025, up 22.57% year on year.

What this means for a China market-entry budget

Ad equity is a proxy for something budgets often miss: whether the format itself helps or hurts the message riding on it. A channel audiences actively resent can undercut good creative before it has a chance to land. Cinema starts from a more favorable position with Chinese consumers — and at national scale, not just in a handful of top-tier cities.

If cinema is part of your China market-entry conversation, Above Communication holds exclusive international access to BBT Cinema Media's network outside mainland China. Book a discovery call to see where it fits your plan.

Sources: Kantar, Media Reactions 2023 (c.16,000 consumers, 23 markets); Statista Consumer Insights 2024 (China n=24,511); National Film Administration (China), published 5 Jan 2026.