Settle in, but don’t get too comfortable—AMC’s pre-movie show is about to feel like its own feature-length event. Starting this July, moviegoers at AMC Theatres may find themselves sitting through up to 30 minutes of ads and trailers before the feature presentation even begins. The theater chain, once vocal about limiting pre-show clutter, is now doing an about-face, reversing its 2019 anti-ad stance in a bold bid to boost revenue as it faces ongoing financial pressures. With the help of cinema advertising giant National CineMedia (NCM), AMC is betting that a captive audience and a few extra minutes of screen time can help plug some serious fiscal holes.
AMC Follows Rivals in Stretching Pre-Movie Ad Time
Beginning July 1, 2025, AMC Theatres will delay the start of its movies by 25 to 30 minutes after the listed showtime to accommodate an expanded block of advertising and trailers. This extended pre-show now includes a new “platinum spot”—a premium advertisement delivered through AMC’s advertising partner, National CineMedia—alongside the standard slate of trailers and promotional content.
In preparation for the change, AMC has updated its website and ticketing platforms to clearly warn customers that “movies start 25–30 minutes after showtime.” The full ad segment now features trailers that already took up roughly 25 minutes, the new platinum spot, and potentially up to five additional minutes of ads that may even run after the scheduled showtime has passed.
AMC’s shift comes after observing similar ad strategies at competing chains like Cinemark and Regal, which have used extended pre-show advertising since 2019 with no significant dip in attendance. In effect, AMC is aligning with its rivals by increasing in-theater ad time, while being more upfront about the delay moviegoers can expect.
“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,” AMC said in a statement.
AMC Leans on Advertising Deal to Fund Discounts and Recovery Plans
AMC and NCM’s new long-term partnership is aimed at generating fresh revenue streams and stabilizing operations following years of pandemic-related disruptions and a still-uneven recovery across the film and advertising industries.
In a statement, AMC emphasized that the agreement is a critical step in its broader financial recovery strategy. “This partnership provides us with essential revenue as we continue rebuilding post-COVID,” the company noted, highlighting that the deal helps preserve consumer-friendly programs like Discount Tuesdays, 20 percent off matinee pricing, and an upcoming 50 percent-off Wednesdays ticket initiative.
Over the past few years, AMC has actively worked to diversify its revenue sources beyond ticket sales and concession stand staples. These efforts include enhanced food and beverage offerings and the introduction of branded merchandise, such as collectible popcorn buckets.
While NCM did not provide a direct comment on the new agreement, the company did confirm during its latest earnings call that it had signed a long-term extension with AMC Theatres through 2042. The deal includes expanded advertising rights within AMC locations.
“The integration of AMC’s pre-show format with NCM’s advertising platform will unify and elevate the value of our in-theater ad inventory,” NCM told investors in its first-quarter earnings statement.
Source: The Hollywood Reporter