The theater chain’s decision brings it in line with what its biggest competitors, Regal and Cinemark, have been doing since 2019, but it risks irking loyal customers.
It’s a perennial frustration for moviegoers: The lights go out, the theater falls silent and the anticipation of the movie builds.
But wait! Here are a few more ads for you to sit through.
Most cinema enthusiasts know that going to the movies comes with a healthy dose of promotion, from the ads onscreen to the ones plastered on drink cups and bags of popcorn.
But starting in July, AMC will join its major competitors in running even more commercials before movie screenings begin, in an effort to increase revenue without hiking ticket prices as the industry struggles.
The movie theater chain has struck a deal with the cinema advertising company National CineMedia to play commercials in what is known as the “platinum spot” — right before the start of a movie. It is a departure from 2019, when AMC issued a strongly worded statement rejecting the company’s proposal to place ads in that spot. (National CineMedia signed agreements with two of AMC’s rivals, Regal and Cinemark, that year.)
In a statement on Wednesday, AMC suggested it was prepared to receive some backlash. But at a time when movie theaters are struggling to get Americans to start going to the movies again, AMC noted that the decision would not make it any more expensive for customers.
“For the past five years, AMC has sought out crucial revenue that is not reliant on the increase of base ticket prices,” the company said in the statement. Of the new advertisements, it added that “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.”