What does Exit Poll mean?
Exit Poll refers to audience research conducted immediately after film screenings — typically at opening weekend theaters — in which audience members are surveyed about their satisfaction and likelihood to recommend the film. Exit polls generate CinemaScore grades (A+ through F) that studios and distributors use to evaluate a film’s commercial trajectory and word-of-mouth potential.
Example:The family film received an A CinemaScore from opening weekend exit polls — an exceptional grade that the distributor used to justify expanding the film’s theater count in its second weekend.
Example: The producer explained that exit poll data was more useful than critic reviews for predicting commercial performance — audiences who had actually seen the film provided a direct indicator of word-of-mouth that reviews and social media could not substitute for.
Did you know?
The CinemaScore system was developed by Harold Mintz in 1979 and has become one of the film industry’s most cited audience metrics. CinemaScore grades correlate strongly with theatrical longevity — films that receive A grades from exit polls typically hold their box office from week to week more strongly than films with lower grades.
