AMC Theatres CEO Blames Strikes for Weak Q2 Financial Results

As a long-time cinephile and industry observer, I have witnessed my fair share of challenges facing the movie theater business over the years. However, the recent actors and writers strikes and their impact on the release calendar have been particularly noteworthy. Adam Aron, the charismatic CEO of AMC Theatres, has accurately predicted and bravely addressed these issues in his company’s quarterly results.


The disruptions from last summer’s actors and writers strikes are still being felt in the movie theater industry, as reported by AMC Theatres CEO Adam Aron. These labor actions forced Hollywood studios to shuffle their 2024 release schedules significantly, delaying several major films that weren’t yet ready for premiere. Consequently, cinema operators have faced a reduced lineup of offerings for their audiences during the first half of the year.

AMC Theatres, the global leader in movie exhibition, experienced a significant shortfall during the second quarter of 2024 due to the absence of major box office draws. Consequently, the company’s revenue declined by 31% compared to the previous year, reaching $1.030 billion from $1.347 billion. Additionally, AMC reported a net loss of $32.8 million in contrast to the net income of $8.6 million during the third quarter of 2023.

According to AMC’s chairman Adam Aron, the extended actors and writers strikes in 2023 significantly impacted the movie industry. Consequently, fewer films were released in cinemas during the first months of 2024 than expected. This reduction in new film offerings explains the lower preliminary financial results for Q2 2024 compared to the same period in the previous year.

As a film lover, I’m thrilled to share some exciting news about AMC Theatres! This week, they announced reaching a deal to restructure part of their debt. They’re looking at extending maturity dates by at least three years. Right now, they’re dealing with a massive $4.5 billion debt load, and a significant chunk of that, over $2.8 billion, was moved from maturing in 2026 to 2029 and 2030. This restructuring gives them some much-needed breathing room and financial flexibility as we navigate through these challenging times for the movie industry.

“I’m increasingly optimistic about our company’s future, and we’ll keep making strategic moves to help AMC succeed even better in an improved business landscape.”

During May and June in 2024, movies like “Inside Out 2,” “Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes,” and “Bad Boys: Ride or Die” from Disney and Pixar, as well as other studios, were standout hits that brought excitement to the otherwise lackluster moviegoing experience. On the other hand, earlier summer releases such as “Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga,” “The Fall Guy,” and “Horizon: An American Saga – Chapter 1” did not perform well, starting off the popcorn season with a disappointing start rather than a promising one. Despite a 17% drop in domestic revenues compared to the same period in 2023 and a 35% gap from 2019, there’s reason for optimism among exhibitors. This is because the North American box office is showing signs of improvement with the upcoming releases of “Despicable Me 4,” “Twisters,” and “Deadpool & Wolverine.”

“During the second quarter, there was some remarkable progress that a casual onlooker might overlook when solely focusing on the complete quarter. However, there’s encouraging news for movie theaters as AMC reported a notable revenue boost in June 2024 compared to April and May 2024. This positive trend persisted into July. Moreover, AMC remains optimistic about the industry’s financial growth in the second half of 2024 and beyond.”

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2024-07-24 18:46