Boxoffice - February 2017

THE GIANTS
OF EXHIBITION
S I G N A T U R E S P O N S O R
Paul Yanover
SVP of Affiliate Partnerships
National CineMedia (NCM)
n Congratulations to the Giants of Exhibition, our valued
partners who are doing incredible things to enhance the moviegoing
experience and drive more consumers to theaters.
There has been so much innovation across the industry,
from the movie-ticket purchasing experience on mobile devices
and social platforms to exhibitors creating new in-theater
experiences like reserved seating and dine-in options, to name
a few. It has been exciting working together to introduce new
ways to incentivize fans to purchase tickets in advance. We
look forward to continuing to support you with the very best
movie discovery, planning, and ticket-buying innovations to
super-serve your guests.
At Fandango, we are constantly looking for new ways to
help consumers discover movies and buy tickets. Our recent
social ticketing innovations for Apple’s messaging platform on
iOS 10, Facebook, and Snapchat enable friends and families
to easily plan a night out at the movies and purchase tickets
without leaving their mobile chat or social media conversations.
These experiences fit organically into the way movie fans
are already communicating and making plans with friends or
significant others. Thanks to additional technology partners
like Amazon, Google, Samsung, Microsoft, and many others,
we are building tools for movie discovery and ticket buying
across every platform to help you fill more seats.
It is a thrill for us to work closely with such an amazing
group of exhibitors. Many thanks are due to all of you for your
passion, teamwork, and incredible devotion to making moviegoing
such a fantastic, unbeatable, and memorable experience.
entertainment market through its Cineplex Store, a digital
platform available across multiple platforms that enables athome
and mobile VOD viewing. This allows Cineplex to take
full advantage of SuperTicket offerings, which enable viewers
to purchase a movie ticket and pre-order a digital download
in the same transaction. The service is linked to its Cineplex
Scene loyalty program, currently represented in a third of
Canadian households—making it one of the top five loyalty
programs in Canada. Cineplex has also focused investment
on gaming, not necessarily confining those activities to lobby
arcades. World Gaming, Cineplex’s foray into the e-sports
market, works in conjunction with the concept, with Cineplex
hosting a series of events across its circuit.
Premium experiences accounted for 46.5 percent of
Cineplex’s box office revenue from July to September 2016.
Its Ultra AVX concept is available in 85 auditoriums and
is responsible for 14.6 percent of the circuit’s box office.
Ultra AVX combines wall-to-wall screens, Dolby ATMOS
immersive sound, reserved seating, and rocker seats.
Cineplex is also active with VIP cinemas, having 17 open
sites as of October, with another pair of locations scheduled
to open in 2017.
5
SCREENS
SITES
883 68
MARCUS THEATERS
Milwaukee, Wisc.
n Marcus made a big splash before the end of the year
by announcing the acquisition of 14 Wehrenberg Theatres
locations, lifting its presence to over 800 screens across a
total of 68 locations. Even without the additional screens,
Marcus was reporting steady growth across its existing
circuit. The chain averaged 12.7 screens per location in seven
midwestern states. An $165 million investment over the last
three years was dedicated to enhancements like recliner
seating, large-format screens, and expanded concessions
offerings. That three-year period has resulted in 21 locations
featuring recliner seating, 51 large-format auditoriums, and
more than 35 locations with expanded concessions. Recliner
seating is now available at nearly half of its screens, and
there are plans to continue deployments through 2017.
When it comes to food and beverage, we focus on Marcus
Theatres’ winning strategy in this issue’s Concessions Stand
section (page 36).
The circuit has found continued success with initiatives
it has introduced in recent years. Following its launch in
March 2014, the Marcus Magical Movie Rewards loyalty
program has been embraced by more than 1.6 million
members who take advantage of its perks—including a free
popcorn for its $5 Tuesday campaign. Marcus launched
its $5 Tuesday value proposition at the tail-end of the
economic recession, and the concept has proven to be a
hit with audiences, essentially creating an extra weekend
day of business without cannibalizing regular weekend
sales. With the momentum of the Wehrenberg acquisition
behind them, the 1,000-screen milestone is now within
reach for Marcus Theatres.
30 BoxOffice ® FEBRUARY 2017