On Tuesday, AMC Theatres reported results for the fourth quarter of 2024, showing significant improvements across key indicators including revenue from concessions and ticket sales. Global attendance at its theatres was up, and its stockpile of available cash also increased. AMC CEO Adam Aron expressed a positive outlook about the company’s future, despite the challenges of managing considerable debt.
The company was buoyed by a strong slate of theatrical releases within the quarter, including GLADIATOR II, WICKED, MOANA 2, and SONIC THE HEDGEHOG 3. The company posted a total revenue of $1.3 billion, 18% higher than the matching quarter in 2023. They rang up $721.4 million in movie ticket sales and $446.2 million from concessions.
AMC’s international attendance rose by 17% to 62.4 million admissions, while domestic attendance increased by 17.5% to 42.95 million. The company also increased its free cash flow by $113.9 million during the quarter, a critical win when considering the massive debt load that the company is carrying.
A confident Adam Aron praised his company’s improved standing, indicating that he was “pleased by our impressive finish to the year.” Aron used the platform of his quarterly earnings call with analysts to challenge studios to lengthen the theatrical window, saying that the 17- or 30-day window is “too short.”
The debate over the optimal length for an exclusive theatrical window is an active discussion between studios, streamers, and exhibitors. Aron praised Amazon and Apple for working with theatres to land on the best compromise while challenging Netflix to do the same.
He argues that a theatrical release improves the total financial return for a movie, not just from the box office earned in theatres but also from the buzz that is created when the movie becomes available on streaming.
