With movie theaters closed since March and major movie releases delayed, audiences have had to rely more on streaming and video-on-demand platforms.
The premium video-on-demand service Movies Anywhere noticed a shift in user behavior that is evident in data it tracked from March to May this year, after coronavirus-related safety guidelines were introduced.
Movies Anywhere provided Business Insider exclusive data that provide a snapshot of the kinds of movies people were watching while staying indoors and social distancing.
It also announced on Tuesday a new feature called Watch Together, which offers users co-viewing across mobile, web, and most smart TV platforms. For those participating in the Screen Pass beta, they will be able to send a Screen Pass-eligible movie to others who did not purchase it for co-viewing, at no additional cost.
Total digital purchases from Movies Anywhere for April and May were up 65% compared to last year, the company said, but the increase for specific genres was even more notable.
"We are seeing the largest spikes around family animation and sports, as well as escapist movies such as horror and thrillers," said Karin Gilford, the Movies Anywhere general manager.
Movies Anywhere said that family films were still the top genre for the service, but other genres saw significant spikes.
"Contagion," a 2011 movie about a deadly pandemic, saw a surge in popularity during the early months of the coronavirus pandemic, which was clear for Movies Anywhere, too. It was the top movie for the thriller and disaster genres, which were up 149% and 143%, respectively, in year-over-year sales in May.
Sports movies saw a dramatic increase in sales of 339% in May compared to last year, suggesting audiences were starving for that content while real-life sports took a hiatus.
Movies Anywhere also saw spikes in the amount of time users spent watching on certain devices in April, year-over-year:
Below is how much each genre increased in sales for May compared to last May, and the top three movies in each genre: