Movie theaters are an integral part of the entertainment industry, offering people the opportunity to immerse themselves in a cinematic experience. As such, who is the biggest movie theater chain has become an interesting topic of discussion.
The answer to this question depends on how you define ‘biggest’. If you mean biggest by number of screens, then the largest movie theater chain in the world is AMC Theaters with over 8,200 screens across 661 locations in 15 countries.
AMC is owned by Wanda Group, a Chinese conglomerate that also owns Wanda Cinema Line (the second-largest movie theater chain in the world) and Odeon Cinemas Group (the largest cinema operator in Europe).
If you mean biggest by revenue, then the top spot belongs to Cineworld Group. This company operates over 9,500 screens across 786 locations in 11 countries and had revenues of nearly $4 billion USD in 2019 alone. Cineworld has recently acquired Regal Entertainment Group (the second-largest movie theater chain in the US) and is now the largest cinema operator not just in Europe but also in North America.
Conclusion: Both AMC Theaters and Cineworld Group can be considered as contenders for the title of ‘biggest movie theater chain’ depending on how you define ‘biggest’. By number of screens, AMC Theaters takes first place while by revenue it’s Cineworld Group that reigns supreme.