According to Nielsen NRG’s 2012 American Moviegoing report, owners of wireless mobile devices go to movie theaters at a higher rate than the average cinema fan. The report also suggests that smartphone and tablet users spend more money on entertainment in general. Interestingly, about 30 percent of moviegoers explained that comments on social media sites had affected their choice of films to attend.

“According to the research, smartphone owners attend 9 percent more movies overall in a year than the average moviegoer, while tablet owners attend 20 percent more films,” reports MediaPost.

“Tablet owners watched an average of 47 movies over the past year — 10 more than the average moviegoer, according to the report. They also spent 35 percent more on entertainment in a one-month period than the average U.S. consumer and were 27 percent more likely than non-connected moviegoers to see a film more than once. They were also 24 percent more likely to buy tickets to the film online.”

The influence of social networks has increased for those 35-44, and decreased for those 18-24. However, the younger group is more likely to text or tweet after seeing a movie.

“Viewing previews is the most frequently cited source of online movie information. Marketers still have the ability to substantially shape the messages that audiences are seeing and hearing about their movies,” says Kathy Benjamin, SVP, Nielsen NRG. “As mobile connectivity continues to increase, they’ll want to take advantage of the great avenue that social networks offer to connect directly with potential moviegoers.”