Big Screens & Business: The World’s Largest Cinema Chains
UK-based Cineworld announced today that it will acquire US cinema chain Regal in a $3.6bn (£2.7bn) deal that will create the world’s second largest cinema group.
The tie-up will give the combined group more than 9,500 screens.
Go deeper with GlobalData
Verdict takes a look at some of the biggest cinema chains in the world.
1. AMC Theatres
Founded in 1920, the biggest cinema chain in the world is majority-owned by China’s richest man Wang Jianlin’s Dalian Wanda Group.
AMC was acquired by Wanda for $2.6bn in 2012.
AMC clinched three big deals in recent months and it now operates 636 theatres with 7,623 screens across eight countries.
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By GlobalDataIn July 2016, the company agreed to buy Odeon, Britain’s biggest cinema chain for £921m, followed by its US rival, Carmike Cinemas for $1.2bn five months later and Stockholm-based Nordic Cinema Group for $929m at the beginning of this year.
In January, Adam Aron, AMC chief executive, said:
For the third time in the past 12 months, we believe we have discovered a substantial acquisition that gives AMC yet another opportunity to further expand and diversify our geographic reach and more firmly establish AMC as the undisputed leader in movie exhibition worldwide.
2. Cineworld
Cineworld was founded in the UK in 1995 and has benefited from making a series of acquisitions since.
In 2014, Cineworld became the second-biggest cinema company in the world when it bought Poland-based Cinema City for just over £500m.
Global City Holdings — a group controlled by Israel’s Greidinger family — is Cineworld’s largest shareholder.
Building on its strength in countries across Europe, the Regal deal announced today represents Cineworld’s first big step into North America, which has the largest box office market in the world.
3. Cinemark
Cinemark, headquartered in Texas, operates theaters under several brands, including its flagship Cinemark, Century Theatres, Tinseltown USA, CinéArts, and Rave Cinemas.
Cinemark is also the largest movie theatre chain in Brazil, with a 30 percent market share.
4. Cinepolis
Founded in 1947, Cinepolis is the fourth largest cinema group in the world, with over 335 theaters, 4566 screens and over 27,177 employees.
It is also the biggest cinema chain in Mexico.
5. Cineplex
Cineplex, headquartered in Toronto, operates 162 theatres across Canada.
The company, with a market cap of $2.46bn, branched out beyond film two years ago when it announced plans to buy Tricorp Amusements.
New Jersey-based Tricorp distributes and services the arcade games that are found at venues including rival theater chains AMC and Carmike, as well as AMF bowling centers and mini-golf facilities.
