Overview

• Starting July 1, AMC will show up to five minutes of commercials plus a 30- to 60-second platinum spot before films under its National CineMedia agreement and now alerts ticket buyers that movies start 25–30 minutes after the listed showtime.
• The move reverses AMC’s 2019 stance when it flatly rejected in-theater ads, bringing it in line with Cinemark and Regal, which have run similar programs since late 2019.
• Executives say the expanded ad slots will help offset the impact of pandemic-era closures, a faltering Hollywood recovery and the company’s weakest first-quarter earnings outside the pandemic since 1996.
• AMC points to more than five years of National CineMedia participation by competitors with no measurable drop in attendance as proof that additional ads won’t deter moviegoers.
• An EntTelligence study found only 60% of patrons are seated when trailers begin, raising concerns that longer preshow ad blocks could further undermine trailer visibility and audience convenience.