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Author Topic: AMC and Regal merge...of sorts Stephen LaPadula Film Handler Posts: 50 From: New York, Ny Registered: Mar 2005 posted 04-01-2005 07:09 PM                     Seems like a fandango type deal where other theatre companies will be able to get in on the action too......this comes the same day Loews signs with Screenvision. Scroll down for both stories ----------------------------------------------- AMC ENTERTAINMENT INC.® AND REGAL ENTERTAINMENT GROUP ANNOUNCE THE FORMATION OF NATIONAL CINEMEDIA, LLC. New National Digital Distribution and Media Company Will Reach 11,200 Screens Kansas City, Mo. and Denver, Col. (March 29, 2005) - AMC Entertainment Inc. and Regal Entertainment Group (NYSE:RGC), two of the world’s leading theatrical exhibition companies, announced today that they are combining their respective cinema screen advertising businesses into a new joint venture company called National CineMedia, LLC. The new company will focus on the marketing and sale of cinema advertising and promotions products; business communications and training services; and the distribution of digital alternative content. National CineMedia combines the operations of Regal CineMedia, Regal Entertainment Group’s (“REG”) media and new business development subsidiary, and National Cinema Network (“NCN”), AMC’s cinema advertising subsidiary, both pioneers in the development of in-theatre digital distribution technology, pre-show entertainment and cinema advertising. The new company will provide the foregoing services to owner circuits AMC and REG, as well as other affiliate theatre circuits. National CineMedia will represent approximately 11,200 North American theatre screens (8,200 digital), reaching more than 450 million movie guests annually. Kurt Hall, co-chairman and co-chief executive officer of Regal Entertainment Group and president and chief executive officer of Regal CineMedia will be assuming the role of chief executive officer of National CineMedia after a short transition period. Hall has been CEO of Regal CineMedia since its formation in 2002, and has an extensive background in the theatre industry as CFO and then CEO of United Artists Theatres prior to its combination with REG. National CineMedia’s Board of Directors will be comprised of its CEO and representatives from owner circuits, and AMC and REG equity sponsors. “An innovative national digital network is being created that will provide improved cinema advertising and marketing products, training and communications services and a new type of digital platform for the distribution of live and pre-recorded entertainment content,” said Hall. “National CineMedia will continue the transformation and growth of the cinema advertising industry initiated by NCN and Regal CineMedia over the last few years.” “With its industry leading digital distribution technology, focused sales and marketing teams, and broad geographic reach, the new company is perfectly positioned to deliver more revenue to our owner circuits and other exhibitors, while at the same time providing a high quality entertainment experience for theatre patrons,” Hall added. National CineMedia will have its headquarters in Denver, Col. with offices in New York City, Chicago, Detroit and Los Angeles. “National CineMedia will quickly become the cinema media industry’s premier player in terms of value and quality,” said Peter C. Brown, chairman and chief executive officer of AMC. “The strength of our combined assets creates an unmatched in-market depth that advertisers seek and ensures a high quality pre-show entertainment experience that our guests expect.” “We look forward to working with this new entity the way we have in the past with Regal CineMedia and continue to explore new ways to create incremental shareholder value through the better utilization of our theatres,” said Michael L. Campbell, co-chairman and co-chief executive officer of REG. In addition to Hall, after a short transition period, National CineMedia’s senior management team will include Cliff Marks as president of sales and chief marketing officer and Tom Galley as chief operations and technology officer. Marks currently serves as Regal CineMedia’s president, marketing and sales. Galley currently serves as Regal CineMedia’s chief technology officer. About Regal Entertainment Group Regal Entertainment Group (NYSE:RGC) is the largest motion picture exhibitor in the world. The company's theatre circuit, comprising Regal Cinemas, United Artists Theatres and Edwards Theatres, operates 6,273 screens in 558 locations in 40 states. Regal operates approximately 18% of all indoor screens in the United States including theatres in 44 of the top 50 U.S. markets and growing suburban areas. The size, reach and quality of the company's theatre circuit not only provides patrons with a convenient and enjoyable movie-going experience, it is also an exceptional platform to realize economies of scale in theatre operations. Additional information is available on the company's Web site at www.REGmovies.com. About AMC Entertainment AMC Entertainment Inc. is a leader in the theatrical exhibition industry. Through its circuit of AMC theatres, the company operates 230 theatres with 3,554 screens in the United States, Canada, France, Hong Kong, Japan, Portugal, Spain, and the United Kingdom. The company, headquartered in Kansas City, Mo., has a Web site at www.amctheatres.com. # # # Media Contacts: Lauren Leff, Regal CineMedia (212) 931-8107 lauren.leff@regalcinemedia.com Pamela Blase, AMC Entertainment Inc. (816) 480-4749 pblase@amctheatres.com ----------------------------------------------------- \Loews Cineplex Entertainment Joins Screenvision's Digital Network [More:] NEW YORK, NEW YORK, (NAMC) – Screenvision, the world leader in cinema advertising, today announced that it has extended its long-standing partnership with Loews Cineplex Entertainment Corporation, the premier major market movie-theatre circuit. Under the agreement, Screenvision is funding and installing its High Definition digital cinema advertising management system in select Loews Cineplex Entertainment theatres within the top 25 DMAs. The agreement also continues Screenvision’s exclusive rights to on-screen slides and rolling stock advertising on Loews Cineplex Entertainment’s 1,424 screens across the country, including 148 Star Theatre screens in the Detroit area and 30 new screens to open later this year. “Without question, Loews is one of the most prestigious movie houses and we are delighted to grow our partnership,” said Matthew Kearney, CEO of Screenvision. “We are extending our digital network to their top-tier theatres and believe that, together with Mann, Colorado Cinemas and Malco, we are keeping our promise to the exhibition and advertising communities to rapidly build out our digital network in top markets and in high-quality theatres.” Earlier this month, Screenvision initiated a 24-month plan to build a High Definition digital cinema advertising network consisting of more than 5,000 screens nationwide. “We feel that there are a lot of strengths to our major market presence,” commented Travis Reid, CEO of Loews Cineplex Entertainment, “and that these assets will be optimized, when part of the leading cinema advertising network. Screenvision brings us their successful track record in revenue generation as well as their commitment to digitize our theatres, a powerful combination.” Screenvision will introduce its digital network across Loews Cineplex Entertainment theatres in New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Philadelphia, Boston, San Francisco, Dallas, Washington DC, Detroit, Seattle, Orlando, Pittsburgh and Baltimore. The operational backbone of the network, SkyArc™, is a secure High Definition digital cinema advertising inventory management and satellite-based delivery system created and managed by Thomson through its Technicolor Digital Cinema business. “Our job is to provide a complete, turnkey range of advertising services for our exhibitor partners,” said Darryl Schaffer, Executive Vice President, Theatre Operations and Exhibitor Relations, for Screenvision. “Through the implementation of our digital network and preshow, we can drive increased revenue for Loews while helping to improve the overall movie-going experience of their customers.” The self-titled Screenvision Digital Preshow began airing in Mann theatres March 4, 2005. The hosted program includes a mix of entertainment content, exhibitor content and local and national advertising and runs in advance of movie previews and the film. “Screenvision has been a very valuable partner for Loews, and we feel that their approach to the preshow will not only enhance the movie-going experience, but generate greater revenue and increase the opportunities for current and future advertising partners,” said John McCauley, Senior Vice President, Marketing, of Loews Cineplex Entertainment. About Screenvision Screenvision provides cinema marketing solutions to its advertising clients through on-screen sight, sound and motion (Cinema Spots), still image advertising (Cinema Slides) and in-theatre promotional opportunities (Cinema Extensions). Nationally, Screenvision is the largest cinema network, exclusively providing Cinema Spots to advertisers on more than half of the nation’s available movie screens. On the regional level, the company’s Screenvision Direct business unit offers Cinema Slide and promotional opportunities to small and mid-sized businesses in local markets around the country. In addition to its US-based operations, Screenvision has an extensive pan-European presence. Screenvision is a joint venture between ITV plc (LSE: ITV), the UK’s leading free to air commercial television broadcaster with divisions operating television and cinema advertising sales and one of Europe’s largest commercial television production businesses as well as a major distribution business exploiting an extensive film and program library; and Thomson (Euronext: 18453) (NYSE: TMS), the world leader in integrated solutions (technologies, equipment and services) for the entertainment and media industries. About Loews Cineplex Entertainment Corporation Loews Cineplex Entertainment Corporation (www.enjoytheshow.com) is the third largest movie theatre chain in the world, with 200 theatres and 2,176 screens worldwide and is privately held by Bain Capital, The Carlyle Group and Spectrum Equity Investors. Loews maintains operations in the U.S., Mexico, South Korea and Spain. The company operates under the names of Loews Theatres, Cineplex Odeon, Star Theatres and Magic Johnson Theatres in the United States, as well as Cinemex in Mexico, Megabox in South Korea and Yelmo Cineplex in Spain  |  IP: Logged Scott Norwood Film God Posts: 8146 From: Boston, MA. USA (1774.21 miles northeast of Dallas) Registered: Jun 99 posted 04-01-2005 07:16 PM                         |  IP: Logged Thomas Dieter Expert Film Handler Posts: 234 From: Yakima, WA Registered: Jun 2004 posted 04-01-2005 07:41 PM                     Does anyone here see a Monopoly growing. Lets see. Regal has taken out Edward Theatres, United Artists, Hoites, and now AMC (who bought out some of the GCC). And to top that all off, Century has offered their theatres up for sale to both AMC and Regal, meaning no matter what, they will all be one soon. I can just see it now. Once all the large theatre companies are under one umbrella, the MPAA is going to buy the chain and it will no longer be Regal, or AMC, or National CineMedia. I don't know, I just see this going to far, and getting to big. And being someone that would like to own their own small theatre chain, this really erks me as it's bound to happen.  |  IP: Logged Mike Spaeth Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1129 From: Marietta, GA Registered: Jul 2000 posted 04-01-2005 08:52 PM                        This is just screen advertising ... the two companies are not merging their operations ...  |  IP: Logged Thomas Dieter Expert Film Handler Posts: 234 From: Yakima, WA Registered: Jun 2004 posted 04-01-2005 08:57 PM                     Oh, then I mis understood that.  |  IP: Logged Mike Olpin Chop Chop! Posts: 1852 From: Dallas, TX Registered: Jan 2002 posted 04-01-2005 09:07 PM                     In short, the 2Wenty will be headed to a AMC near you - and eventually that mom and pop theatre down the street.  |  IP: Logged Jesse Skeen Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1517 From: Sacramento, CA Registered: Aug 2000 posted 04-01-2005 10:01 PM                     Well, I expect this will result in the lowering of ticket prices, since this will bring in even more ad revenue. After all, Regal has the utmost respect for its customers and I'm sure they will pass some of this revenue back on to them.  |  IP: Logged Monte L Fullmer Film God Posts: 8367 From: Nampa, Idaho, USA Registered: Nov 2004 posted 04-02-2005 02:16 AM                     quote: Mike Spaeth This is just screen advertising ... the two companies are not merging their operations ..but I can see the clock ticking away when this COULD be a reality of operational mergers-being the agressive company as REG is-to monopolize. -Monte  |  IP: Logged Chase Hanson Expert Film Handler Posts: 172 From: San Diego, CA Registered: Oct 2004 posted 04-02-2005 03:21 AM                     quote: Mike Olpin In short, the 2Wenty will be headed to a AMC near you - and eventually that mom and pop theatre down the street. Negative...Our pre show advertisements will still be called "MovieWatcher Pre Show Entertainment"...and yours will likely remain "The 2wenty". They will just now bare adverts for National Cinemedia, instead of NCN or Screenvision.  |  IP: Logged Mike Spaeth Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1129 From: Marietta, GA Registered: Jul 2000 posted 04-02-2005 06:34 AM                        While the name may not change, I'd be willing to bet the format is more like Regal's pre-show ... with the specially produced segments and stuff like that, rather than just commercials.  |  IP: Logged Eric Hooper Jedi Master Film Handler Posts: 532 From: Fort Worth, TX, USA Registered: May 2003 posted 04-02-2005 10:55 AM                     Oh, this all just makes me sick. I went to a Century theatre last night and there were NO commercials, and only two previews/trailers. I really enjoyed that! As far as big mergers and such go, like I've said in other posts, it's going to come down to the studio's owning their own screening chains to show a 2 hour 'preview' commerical of their new DVD coming out in a month. So no, movie theatres are not going to 'die', but there are certainly going to be fewer of them, and it's not going to be like it is today. Screenvision and Cinemedia and such better make whatever money they can now. I certainly wouldn't buy stock in 'em. Plus, why invest in a company that pisses people off. These people are no better than the low lifes that install pop-ups and spyware on peoples computers. They really are violating people's privacy, IMO. From now on, I'm boycotting any theatre chain that shows commercials. And if Century (or whoever buys them) starts in, I'm just going to wait for the DVD. all of 'em!  |  IP: Logged Mike Olpin Chop Chop! Posts: 1852 From: Dallas, TX Registered: Jan 2002 posted 04-02-2005 02:49 PM                     I went to an AMC and watched their "Movie Watcher Network Preshow" last night. It will be interesting to see what hapens in regards to the content formating, since they are so different. Here is what I would like to see stay, and what I think needs to go. I really liked the animated trivia slides that are onscreen between the previous movie and the PreShow countdown. I would like to see National Cinemedia incorporate that into the Regal 2wenty, which just has a blank screen and "WideScreen Radio" up untill the 2wenty. Also this allows for local advertising, a market I think Regal is somewhat missing out on as spots inside the 2wenty can be prohibitively expensive for many small buisinesses. Believe it or not, I hope MovieTunes stays. As unbearable as it is, it's head and shoulders above Five Alarm Music's "WideScreen Radio". Plus they have music video sequences that can be sprinkled into the preshow. Content Segments - This is what Regal's show has that AMCs does not. A set of primary sponsers like NBC produces a 2-4 minute segment going behind the scenes of whatever their latest show is. While still advertising, it helps break up the string of 15 short 30 second spots from Rebock, Axe, M&Ms, etc. I hope that the new company replaces some of NCNs hardware. The projector they used was unbearably low resolution. It will be interesting to see how much the final product differs at the two chains. [ 04-02-2005, 04:33 PM: Message edited by: Mike Olpin ]  |  IP: Logged Jesse Skeen Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1517 From: Sacramento, CA Registered: Aug 2000 posted 04-02-2005 04:23 PM                     It'll also be interesting to see just how much more of this crap people will put up with before they stop going to the movies for good! (Quite a few people in the town of Davis have been pretty angry since the 2 Signature theatres there were Regalized.)  |  IP: Logged Brad Miller Administrator Posts: 17775 From: Plano, TX (36.2 miles NW of Rockwall) Registered: May 99 posted 04-02-2005 05:20 PM                     The problem really boils down to the fact that there is sync audio on the 2Wenty more than anything else. (I've never seen an AMC preshow.) If it was purely visual with some form of generic non-sync music playing, it wouldn't be nearly as bad because if you're alone and kinda bored, you can watch it. If you're with friends and want to chat before the show starts, it's not an intrusion. Filmmakers created entire features for many years without audio. I'm sure these commercial guys can handle it.  |  IP: Logged Dean Kollet Jedi Master Film Handler Posts: 591 From: Florida State University Registered: Jul 2003 posted 04-02-2005 08:58 PM                     even though they aren't merging operations, couldn't this still be considered a monopoly?  |  IP: Logged

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