Boxoffice Pro Q1 2021

industry GIANTS OF EXHIBITION
SPONSOR
PROFILE
1
AMC THEATERS
Location: Leawood, KS
Founded: 1920
Screens: 7,800 ↘ -3%
Locations: 600 ↘ -5%
What was supposed to be a festive year
for AMC Theatres quickly devolved into
a nightmare scenario. The circuit entered
2020 ready to celebrate its centennial
anniversary but was forced to focus
its energies on making it through the
biggest economic crisis in its history.
The circuit was among the first major
circuits in the United States to cease
operations, announcing on March 16 that
it would voluntarily close all its domestic
locations for six to 12 weeks. It would
take considerably longer than expected
for AMC to get back to business, waiting
until August 20—five months after
closing its doors—to resume operations
at 100 of its 600 locations.
The closures didn’t mean AMC was
quiet during the spring and early summer.
In April, the circuit was the first to speak
out against Universal’s decision to adopt
a dramatically shortened theatrical
exclusivity window, vowing not to
book any of the studio’s titles under the
policy. By July, it reversed its stance
and welcomed back Universal titles by
agreeing to a deal that would give the
circuit a portion of the films’ digital
streaming revenues. In June, the circuit’s
decision to suggest, though not require,
the wearing of face masks for patrons
returning to their theaters helped spark
a national debate about mask-wearing
policies at businesses reopening during
the pandemic. The circuit reversed
course a week after announcing its
original policy, citing public demand, and
required face masks at all their locations
once they reopened. In both instances,
AMC effectively used its position as the
country’s and world’s leading cinema
chain to influence the reopening effort.
It was also one of the first circuits in the
nation to announce a comprehensive
series of health and safety protocols
ahead of reopening, AMC Safe & Clean,
developed in collaboration with current
and former faculty members of Harvard
University’s School of Public Health and
in partnership with The Clorox Company.
AMC weathered significant stress in
instituting policies and changes that
will reverberate throughout the industry
for years—decisions that weren’t easily
made but were necessary to ensure its
survival. The circuit enters 2021 as the
only cinema chain in North America with
over 7,000 screens.
Kevin Shepela
EVP, Chief Commercial Officer
Fandango
It’s been an incredibly challenging
time for everyone involved in
theatrical moviegoing. Today, we
honor the Giants of Exhibition,
who, we know, with their leadership
and unwavering dedication to the
industry, will help us go back to
the movies bigger and better than
before. At Fandango, we remain
steadfast as your partner in helping
film fans return to your theaters at
the right time, with exuberance,
confidence, and peace of mind.
We are proud of the work we’ve
done together over the past year
to offer moviegoers new health and
safety content and product features
on Fandango, including social
distance seat maps, occupancy
guides, search filtering for reopened
theaters and access to more than
100 health and safety protocols,
provided by theaters. With
Fandango’s mobile ticketing, we’re
also able to help reduce the number
of contact points for moviegoers
and cinema employees at the box
office and throughout the theater.
When new movies, event screenings,
and showtimes are scheduled at
your theaters, we will make sure
millions of moviegoers nationwide
are the first to know, so they can
grab tickets for their favorite seats in
your auditoriums.
Our industry is resilient. There’s
nothing like the thrill of watching
a film on the big screen with an
appreciative audience in a safe
environment. We are optimistic
about the future as we work together
to ensure that the moviegoing
experience will always be the first
choice in entertainment, with fans
more excited than ever to return to
your wonderful theaters. We can’t
wait to get back to the movies!
20 Q1 2021