THOUSANDS of movie fans nationwide could soon see longer advertisement periods before showtime.
The controversial change is set to affect consumers who frequent a beloved cinema chain as part of a new deal.
Starting this month, those who head to their local AMC Theaters location for the latest blockbuster may encounter 25 to 30 minutes worth of ads and trailers before it starts, per CNN.
AMC made an agreement with National CineMedia in June that resulted in ads placed in what’s known as the “platinum spot,” the brief period that immediately takes place before a movie begins.
Typically, a screening will feature advertisements beforehand, trailers for upcoming films, and then a final brief note from the theater itself before the movie officially starts.
It would seem that that brief could moment could now again feature ads instead.
National CineMedia is a company that provides ads to several top competitors along with AMC, but the deal will now allow AMC to get additional ads and generate more revenue, something it sorely needs.
Aside from the pandemic era, when AMC nearly went bankrupt, the company recently saw its worst first-quarter earnings report in nearly 30 years, per The Hollywood Reporter.
The deal with National CineMedia is also kind of a 180 degree turnaround from AMC’s original position on ads in 2019.
Regal Cinemas and Cinemark Theatres had signed similar agreements with the company at the time but AMC refused.
At the time, AMC even noted that it “flatly rejected” the offer, detailing concerns that “US moviegoers would react quite negatively to the concept.”
AMC said in June that research determined this assumption wasn’t accurate.
“While AMC was initially reluctant to bring this to our theaters, our competitors have fully participated for more than five years without any direct impact to their attendance,” the company told Bloomberg.
While movie ticket sales are overall rebounding from the complete shutdowns in 2020, other challenges like the 2023 actors and writers strikes disrupted schedules and added more pressure on top of the streaming platform issues that have already been ever-present.
To cut costs, AMC has closed around 169 theaters since 2019, according to comments from CEO Adam Aron in an interview with The Wrap.
It currently has a footprint of around 540 nationwide.
Brief AMC Theatres History
AMC began in 1920 after Edward and Barney Dubinsky purchased the Regent Theatre in Kansas City, Missouri By 1961, Stanley Durwood took over as CEO and renamed it American Multi-Cinema (AMC) A year later, AMC opened the first multiplex in the world in Kansas City In 1981 AMC was also the first to add cupholder armrests The world’s first megaplex arrived in 1995 In 2007, AMC implemented 125 IMAX screensCredit: AMC Theatres
CINEMA SUMMER
Box office ticket sales overall were also at about $8.7 billion in 2024, down 3.3% year over year, per Variety.
This is also down 23.5% since 2019’s total of $11.3 billion.
Still, the summer box office in 2025 has giants like Jurassic World: Rebirth, Superman, and Fantastic Four: First Steps.
Current numbers show the 2025 box office at just under $4 billion an 18% increase from the same time last year, per data from Comscore.
About $380 million of this can be attributed to Disney’s Lilo & Stitch live action remake alone.
DELIVERY DEBACLE
This time last year, AMC also made waves among moviegoers after TikToker KiknTiger (@KiknTiger) spotted a sneaky hidden surcharge on his receipt.
The influencer showed screenshots in a video, which showed a $2 “delivery fee” on top of purchases of a popcorn bucket and two drinks.
“Delivery fee INSIDE a movie theater is insane,” he exclaimed.
A total was listed at over $24, and several fellow customers were furious.
“Add to the list of reasons why I never go to the movies anymore,” someone wrote.
“Sounds like they don’t want me to go see movies,” another added.
AMC did not respond to The US Sun’s request for comment.
Regal Cinemas also stunned customers in December after a 12-screen location abruptly shuttered after 28 years.
The US Sun also has an inside look at the oldest drive-in movie theater that operates year-round with $12 tickets for double features.
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