
AMC Theaters (AMC) had a tough begin to 2025. The theater chain suffered a significant loss because it struggled to draw moviegoers, regardless of main releases reminiscent of “Captain America: Courageous New World,” “Snow White,” “Wolf Man,” and “Canine Man.”
In its first-quarter earnings report for 2025, AMC revealed that its complete revenues fell by about 9% year-over-year, whereas movie show attendance within the U.S. dropped by 11%.
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AMC additionally reported a web lack of $202.1 million in the course of the quarter, which is increased than the $163.5 million web loss it suffered throughout the identical quarter final 12 months.
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“Setting apart these first quarters immediately impacted by Covid and its aftermath, the January to March business field workplace in 2025 was the bottom it has been since 1996,” stated AMC CEO Adam Aron within the report.
The dip in attendance comes after AMC’s common film ticket worth within the U.S. reached $12.31 in the course of the first quarter of this 12 months, which is increased than the $12.19 common it reported for a similar quarter in 2024.
Film ticket costs have been rising over the previous few years amid inflation. In response to recent data from The Numbers, the typical film ticket worth within the U.S. was $11.31 in 2024, which is 3% increased than the $10.94 common in 2023.
As costs improve, some customers have been avoiding film theaters just like the flu. A latest survey from the Wall Avenue Journal discovered that 65% of customers stated they like to observe films at dwelling, whereas 35% stated they like to observe movies in theaters.
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AMC prospects are in for an disagreeable shock
Amid this development, AMC has made a daring transfer to dodge additional worth will increase; nevertheless, prospects might not be thrilled concerning the resolution.
The theater chain has reportedly landed a take care of cinema promoting firm Nationwide CineMedia to run extra commercials earlier than film screenings start, in line with a recent report from The New York Instances.
AMC claims this deal will permit it to rely much less on rising film ticket costs to spice up its income.
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“For the previous 5 years, AMC has sought out essential income that isn’t reliant on the rise of base ticket costs,” stated AMC in an announcement to the Instances, including “whereas AMC was initially reluctant to convey this to our theaters, our opponents have totally participated for greater than 5 years with none direct influence to their attendance.”
The transfer from AMC comes after its prime rivals, Regal and Cinemark, signed the identical take care of Nationwide CineMedia in 2019.
AMC was additionally supplied the deal that very same 12 months; nevertheless, it “flatly rejected” it attributable to its considerations that “U.S. moviegoers would react fairly negatively to the idea,” in line with a press launch.
The deal is anticipated to make pre-show ads final, on common, 20 to half-hour lengthy.
AMC has been desperately attempting to draw again film followers
It’s no shock that AMC is continuous to dodge rising its ticket costs because it has lately made a number of makes an attempt to make moviegoing extra reasonably priced for customers, who’re battling inflation and better prices of dwelling.
A couple of months in the past, the theater chain added a brand new A-Record Basic tier subscription to its flagship subscription service AMC Stubs A-Record. The brand new tier gives a lower-price plan for visitors preferring to observe a most of 1 film per week at AMC Basic places.
It additionally made a number of tweaks to AMC Stubs A-Record to draw extra frugal prospects, reminiscent of increasing A-Record weekly film entry from three titles per week to 4, and reducing the age eligibility from 16 to 13 to draw extra teenagers and households into theaters.
Throughout an earnings call in Might, Aron stated these modifications are “designed to ease the ache of a wholesome worth improve.”
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