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AMC Theatres announced it will be adding commercials before movies, in addition to the already lengthy amount of trailers and in-house ads it already shows before films, affecting movie start times even more. Needless to say, moviegoers are not happy about this news.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, AMC Theatres has signed a new deal with National CineMedia to show pre-movie commercials that will begin on July 1 of this year.
AMC Theatres, the largest movie theater chain in the United States and Europe, and in-theater advertising company NCM will share revenues from these new ads that will run in a “Platinum Spot” before feature films.
“For the past five years, AMC has sought out crucial revenue that is not reliant on the increase of base ticket prices,” AMC Theatres said in a statement announcing the deal. “We’ve done this through more and better moviegoing enhancements like our significant expansion of PLFs, a greater selection of food and beverage offerings, and the introduction of movie-going merchandise like popcorn buckets and other collectable concession vessels. During that same time, others in our industry have taken in revenue through their partnership with NCM, via these so-called Platinum Spots.
“While AMC was initially reluctant to bring this to our theaters, our competitors have fully participated for more than five years without any direct impact to their attendance. This is a strong indication that this NCM pre-show initiative does not negatively influence moviegoing habits.
“Our participation delivers us vital revenue as we continue on our recovery path and allows us to continue offering significant value on ticket prices through initiatives like Discount Tuesday, 20 percent off matinee pricing, and the upcoming 50 percent off Wednesday ticketing program,” AMC continued.
In January of 2025, frustrated moviegoer Martin Looney, a Democratic state senator from Connecticut, proposed a bill that would “require that each movie advertisement or listing include, and separately list, the scheduled start time for (1) the movie trailers and advertisements that precede the advertised or listed movie, and (2) the advertised or listed movie.”
Two months later, a court ordered a movie theater chain to list the exact time its movies start and not the time when the commercials begin thanks to a lawsuit filed by another angry moviegoer. In that case, the court ruled that PVR INOX, which operates more than 900 screens in 173 cinemas, could no longer “engage in unfair practice and waste moviegoer’s time by showing long commercial ads during the time slot meant to exhibit the movie itself.”
Based on those two cases and the plethora of negative comments related to this announcement, it seems rather dubious for AMC Theatres to claim this move to add commercials before movies won’t “negatively influence moviegoing habits.”
“Having the movie start 30 minutes after the announced time certainly does not aid the theater experience,” one moviegoer said on X (Twitter).
“Regal already does this s—,” someone else wrote. “A 6pm movie starts at 6:30, with [so] much crap before.”
“Cineplex does this s— too,” another person commented. “Just give me like 5 trailers along with the annoying texter commercial and start the movie at the actual fucking time its supposed to start please.”
“If they do this then they need to start showing times like a concert lineup,” read another comment. “Doors: 5:00. Previews: 5:30. Movie: 6:15.”
Content shared from brobible.com.