Exhibition giant Cinemark reported revenue of $541 million, down 7 percent year-over-year from $579 million, for the first quarter of 2025 and swung to a quarterly loss of $39 million, compared to a year-earlier profit of $25 million.
But the company touted: “North American industry box office momentum accelerated in April, nearly doubling year-over-year, leading into a blockbuster summer film slate.”
Quarterly admissions revenue decreased 8.9 percent to $264.1 million, while concession revenue dropped 6.2 percent to $210.4 million, as Cinemark posted a 7.8 percent decrease in attendance to 36.6 million patrons. Worldwide average ticket price came in at $7.22, and concession revenue per patron amounted to $5.75.
The company also posted quarterly adjusted earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization (EBITDA), another profitability metric, of $36.4 million, down from $70.7 million in the year-ago period.
“Cinemark once again delivered outsized box office results in the first quarter, surpassing industry benchmarks both domestically and internationally, despite a suppressed box office environment that was impacted by lingering effects of the 2023 Hollywood strikes,” CEO Sean Gamble said in the press release. “We continue to expect a favorable rebound in our industry’s recovery trajectory this year, and the second quarter is already pacing well ahead of 2024’s box office results, showcasing the strong, sustained enthusiasm consumers have for experiencing a diverse range of compelling, well-marketed films in theaters.”
He added: “As we look ahead, we remain highly encouraged about the future direction of our industry and company based on resilient consumer trends, a continued resurgence of wide release volume, Cinemark’s advantaged financial and competitive positions, and meaningful opportunities we have to generate incremental value creation through our ongoing strategic initiatives.”
On the earnings call, Gamble said momentum starting picking up with A Minecraft Movie, which delivered Cinemark’s highest three-day opening of all time for a family film, and continued with the faith-based film King of Kings, Sinners and The Accountant 2.
Moving forward, Gamble said that he also expects Cinemark and the film industry would be able to continue on an upswing during “an uncertain and evolving macroeconomic landscape,” due to the fact that in six of the past eight recesssions, North American box office has grown. “Based on our observations during strained economic periods, people continue to pursue out of experiences, and they tend to prioritize value and affordability,” he said.
Concluded Gamble: “Considering the health of our company and our positive outlook, we paid our first dividend since the pandemic during the quarter and executed $200 million of share repurchases. This marks our first-ever stock buyback program and has put us out in front of managing potential dilution related to our upcoming convertible notes settlement.”