On Thursday, Cinemark was the first of major cinema chain to report its first quarter earnings, and the results confirmed what most have been expecting, that it was a very bad period for exhibitors. Even though Cinemark is widely viewed as the best run of the big three U.S. exhibitors, its poor performance showed that even a well-run operation can’t outrun a depressed box office.
Cinemark posted $541 million in revenue for the period, a 7% decline from the first quarter of 2024, and a loss of $39 million compared to a $25 million profit in the same period last year. Revenue from ticket sales dipped 8.9% to $264.1 million, and concessions revenue fell 6.2% to $210.4 million. The total number of attendees fell 7.8% to 36.6 million patrons. These numbers were in line with overall quarterly trends in the domestic exhibition industry.
In a statement to investors, Cinemark CEO Sean Gamble gave an upbeat framing of the down quarter. After admitting that the first quarter was a disappointment, he emphasized the strong rebound of the past five weeks, which resulted in “nearly doubling their admissions in April.”
Gamble was also optimistic about the prospect of a strong film slate for the remainder of 2025 and touted the increased presence of Amazon in the marketplace, with its “highly encouraging” plan to release 14 titles theatrically in 2026.