On Thursday, Cinema United released its “Cinema Investment Report” to highlight the continued investments exhibitors are making in their theatres. As exhibition’s leading trade organization, Cinema United catalogs the activities and investments of its members, which include spending $2.7 billion in facility upgrades over the last two years. This includes the installation of premium large format (PLF) auditoriums, the addition of family entertainment centers (FEC) amenities and continued expansion of concession and dining offerings. Cinema United points to these investments critical for enhancing the appeal of movie theatres in the increasingly competitive entertainment space.
The report from Cinema United builds on the positive momentum that theatrical exhibition is experiencing in 2026. Coming off a record-breaking summer at the box office, exhibitors are currently enjoying the first extended period of positive coverage in the media since the disruptions of the COVID-19 pandemic. Headline stories such as Bloomberg’s “The Year We Went Back to the Movies” have set a positive narrative for the industry, which is crucial for the general public to feel excited about taking a trip to their local theatre. This is also crucial for exhibitors as they seek loans to make the investments highlighted by Cinema United in their report. At times, exhibitors have struggled to get the financing necessary based on lenders’ concerns about the health of the movie theatre industry. The success of the 2026 box office provides evidence on the strength of the market, when then makes it easier to justify spending to upgrade their facilities.
