AMC Entertainment posted record quarterly revenue of $1.71 billion in the July-September period, powered by the blockbuster openings of “Spider-Man: Brand New Day” and Christopher Nolan’s “The Odyssey,” the theater chain said Wednesday.
Net income reached $109.3 million, or 13 cents a share. Adjusted EBITDA hit a record $347.5 million, the second straight quarter the chain broke that mark after a $321.4 million result in the spring. Admissions revenue rose to $953 million and concessions to $589 million, with moviegoers spending $8.85 on food and drink per person.
The numbers mark a sharp turn for a company that spent years fighting to stay solvent. “Today, we can finally say that AMC has recovered,” CEO Adam Aron said, thanking studios, lenders and shareholders for sticking with the chain through what he called a long and at times brutal road. Survival was never the goal, he said, and AMC now aims to thrive.
The quarter’s biggest moment came in early August. “Spider-Man: Brand New Day” opened to a media-reported $355 million domestically and $927 million worldwide. AMC counted more than 10.2 million moviegoers across its U.S. and Odeon theaters from Wednesday through Sunday, setting company records for weekend admissions and food and beverage revenue. The food mark beat the old high from the 2019 opening of “Avengers: Endgame.”
“The Odyssey” supplied steady demand on premium screens. AMC, IMAX and Universal extended 70mm IMAX engagements into September, and the chain’s Lincoln Square theater in New York ran IMAX 70mm showings around the clock for three straight weekends.
The recovery has limits. The company still carries billions of dollars in debt from the pandemic, and record adjusted earnings can coexist with weak results on other measures, since the adjusted figure strips out interest and depreciation. Shares jumped about 14% in July after the company reported its spring results.
The industry is rising alongside AMC. Rival Cinemark passed $1 billion in quarterly revenue for the first time in the spring. Aron has said the remaining 2026 slate, with “Dune: Part Three” arriving Dec. 18 and “Avengers: Doomsday” to follow, could make this the strongest year for theaters since the pandemic.
