Boxoffice Pro - February 2020

2020 GIANTS OF EXHIBITION / TOP 5
#4
SPONSORPROFILE
Congratulations to all of this
year’s Giants of Exhibition!
There’s a common thread
among all of you on this list—you
strive to differentiate your properties
and add exciting features to
attract patrons to your theaters.
Investing in new technologies like
immersive sound, luxury recliner
seating, and technologies that enable
creative
use of the
cinema helps
to grow the
bottom line
that fuels
investment,
which is,
JOE PHAM
after all, why
you’re among the “Giants.”
Visionary exhibitors like you
know that it’s not just about the
movies. With so many entertainment
options and ways to
consume content, it’s important
to expand the possibilities of the
cinema complex to successfully
compel people out of their homes.
You recognize that today’s cinema
complex is an entertainment
complex and also a venue for
business meetings, parties, and
other events.
For over 50 years, QSC has
taken pride in this same legacy of
innovation and quality. We’re also
proud to be among your technology
partners. We stand on your
shoulders to envision and deliver
your technology needs for sound,
image, and control, and thank you
for letting us play a role in your
achievement of this honor to be
among the Giants of Exhibition.
Joe Pham, President & CEO
CINEPLEX
ENTERTAINMENT
Toronto, Ont.
Founded ........... 2003
Screens: ...........1,695
Locations: ........... 165
›› In what might be remembered as the biggest exhibition story
of 2019, Cineplex became the third domestic top 5 circuit to be acquired
by another major since 2016. U.K.-based Cineworld had already
made major headlines in December 2017 with its acquisition of Regal.
It doubled down on that strategy two years later with the announcement
of its intent to acquire Cineplex, Canada’s leading circuit and
the fourth-largest in the domestic market. Once the acquisition closes
(expected in Q1 2020), Cineworld will become the largest circuit in
the North American market through its stewardship of the Cineplex
and Regal brands.
Cineplex had already established itself as the dominant player in
Canadian exhibition by the time Cineworld came into the picture.
According to the company’s Q3 investor presentation, Cineplex
claimed 75 percent of the market share in Canada’s box office through
September 2019. Over 40 percent of the circuit’s revenue in the same
period came from premium experiences such as premium large format
(Imax, ScreenX, and its in-house UltraAVX), immersive seating (4DX
and D-Box), and VIP auditoriums.
At the concession stand, Cineplex has seen continued growth in
food and beverage revenues since 2011, reaching a peak of $441 million
(Canadian) in 2018. Its concessions per patron rate nearly doubled in the
10-year span between 2008 and 2018, going from $3.96 per patron to
$6.36. An expanded concessions menu has been a key part of that growth,
with fare such as pizza, poutine, and wraps available at select locations.
36 / FEBRUARY 2020