Despite blockbuster holiday offerings like “Avatar: Fire and Ash” and “Zootopia 2,” AMC Theatres suffered a 10% drop in attendance in the fourth quarter and saw revenues dip 1.4% to $1.28 billion.
In reporting earnings for the quarter, the world’s largest theater chain said its attendance was 56.3 million, down from the 62.4 million in 2024. The company pointed to fewer tentpole releases early in the quarter as a key driver of reduced traffic, while performance improved later in the period alongside major holiday titles.
Shares of AMC tumbled to a new low of $1.16 on Monday after the earnings report was released.
AMC recorded a net loss of approximately $127 million in the quarter, narrowing from a loss of roughly $136 million in the same period of 2024. The company said the bottom line remained pressured by interest expense and restructuring-related costs tied to its debt load.
Quarterly Adjusted EBITDA reached about $134 million, though that figure trailed the prior-year period as operating leverage weakened amid a softer film slate.
Admissions and food-and-beverage spending per patron remained resilient, however, helping offset the attendance dip and supporting overall revenue stability.
AMC Theatres CEO Adam Aron touted all-time per-patron records in admissions revenue in a statement, noting the company “is exceptionally well positioned to capitalize on a recovering box office. And as I have said many times before, the not-so-secret formula to a full box‑office recovery is straightforward, we need more great movies from our studio partners.”
That recovery in 2026 is already underway with a strong start to the year, as titles like “Send Help,” “Wuthering Heights” and “Goat” are delivering solid box office results. Things are expected to kick into high gear in April with the release of “The Super Mario Galaxy Movie,” but before that “Scream 7” and Pixar’s “Hoppers” offer opportunities for the kind of rebound theater owners have been clamoring for year-round.
