Roughly equal amounts of Americans prefer Star Trek or Star Wars, but the two franchises have significant differences in the ages of their fans
With the release of Star Trek Into the Darkness on Friday and the recent announcement that new Star Wars movies are in planning, both hallowed Sci-Fi franchises are back in the spotlight.
New YouGov research reveals that the majority of Americans have a preference for either one or the other, but this preference is split roughly down the middle. 32% of Americans prefer Star Trek, while 29% prefer Star Wars. This finding is similar to the results of a parallel poll done in the UK.
The numbers do reveal interesting trends, however. Men are more likely than woman to have a preference for one franchise: 70% of men selected one of the franchises, while only 51% of women did.
Most striking was the generational gap. Those below 45 are more likely to prefer Star Wars while those above 45 were more likely to prefer Star Trek.
45-64 year-olds were most likely to be Trekkies, with 46% saying they prefered Star Trek. On the other end of things, the largest disparity between fans was found among those 18-29, who were three times as likely to prefer Star Wars to Star Trek.
The new Star Trek film, Star Trek Into Darkness, premieres in the US on Friday and is the second entry in a movie reboot of the original TV show. The new Stars Wars films, starting with Episode VII, are slated to begin release in 2015. Rumors have circulated that some of the leads from the first three movies, including Harrison Ford and Carrie Fisher, will reprise their roles.
Full results can be found here.
Not yet a member of YouGov? Make your opinion count by joining today!
