AMC Entertainment Holdings, Inc. (d/b/a AMC Theatres, originally an abbreviation for American Multi-Cinema; often referred to simply as AMC and known in some countries as AMC Cinemas or AMC Multi-Cinemas) is an American movie theater chain headquartered in Leawood, Kansas, and the largest movie theater chain in the world.
Founded in 1920, AMC has the largest share of the U.S. theater market ahead of Regal and Cinemark Theatres.
After acquiring Odeon Cinemas, UCI Cinemas, and Carmike Cinemas in 2016, it became the largest movie theater chain in both the world and the United States. It has 2,866 screens in 358 theatres in Europe and 7,967 screens in 620 theatres in the United States.
The company is listed on the New York Stock Exchange; from 2012 to 2018, the Chinese conglomerate Wanda Group owned a majority stake in the company. Private equity firm Silver Lake Partners made a $600 million investment in AMC in September 2018, but the voting power of AMC shares is structured in such a way that Wanda Group still controls the majority of AMC’s board of directors.
As of March 18, 2020, all AMC theaters were temporarily closed because of the COVID-19 pandemic, however, the company reopened a majority of its theaters on August 20, 2020. As of July 28, 2020, AMC Theaters has also signed on “a multi-year deal” with Universal Pictures on releasing new films on VOD streaming after three weekends.
Traded as: NYSE: AMC (Class A); Russell 2000 Component
Industry: Entertainment
Predecessors:
- General Cinema Corporation
- Loews Cineplex Entertainment
- Carmike Cinemas
Founded: 1920 (as American Multi-Cinema) Kansas City, Missouri, U.S.
Founders: Edward Durwood, Maurice Durwood, Barney Durwood
Headquarters: Leawood, Kansas, U.S.
Owner: Wanda Group (38%); Silver Lake Partners (28%)
Divisions: Odeon Cinemas Group
Subsidiaries:
- AMC Entertainment, Inc.
- AMC Loews
- Fork & Screen Dine-In Theatres
- The Café at AMC
- AMC Cinema Suites
- AMC Red Kitchen
- Carmike Cinemas (Defunct)
- Screenvision (20%)
- National CineMedia (22.5%)
- Odeon Cinemas
- UCI Cinemas (except in Brazil)
- Starplex Cinemas Eastwynn Theatres, Inc.
- George G. Kerasotes Corporation
- GKC Indiana Theatres, Inc.
- Michigan Theatres, Inc.
- GKC Theatres, Inc.
- Military Services, Inc.
- Nordic Cinema Group
Website: www.amctheatres.com