Why Movie Theaters Are Becoming the Most Underrated Brand Stage

Stacy Jones | January 7, 2026 at 9:19 AM

Quick Answer

Movie theaters have recovered. AMC's record 2026 results show why brands should treat theaters as experiential platforms, not just screens.

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Same Content, Different Experience

Last New Year's Eve, millions of people watched the final episode of Stranger Things from their living rooms, which is exactly how streaming was designed to be consumed. A different group of fans made another choice. More than a million of them went to a movie theater to watch the same episode on a big screen, with big sound and a room full of people who cared about it as much as they did.

That contrast captured where theaters were headed at the start of 2026. They had stopped trying to compete with streaming as a replacement and started earning their place as an upgrade, something audiences choose when the moment feels worth leaving the house for. Ten months later, the numbers have caught up with that idea. In this article, Hollywood Branded looks at how theaters are evolving into experiential platforms, what AMC's record 2026 results tell us, and why the shift matters for brands and publicity teams.

Updated November 2026 with AMC's third quarter 2026 results and the latest box office outlook.

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The Narrative Missed the Shift

For years, theaters were framed as casualties of the streaming wars. Release windows shortened, budgets shifted and at-home viewing became second nature, so the assumption followed that theaters were losing relevance.

What actually happened is more interesting. Theaters adapted. They became flexible, experience-driven venues where fandom, commerce and community meet in real life. For brands and studios, the useful question stopped being whether theaters still matter and became how they matter now.

Photo Credit: Adobe Stock

The Biggest Theater Chain Says It Has Recovered

In early November 2026, AMC Entertainment, the largest movie theater company in the U.S. and the world with about 840 theaters and 9,500 screens, told investors something the industry has been waiting to hear since the pandemic shutdowns. "Today, we can finally say that AMC has recovered," CEO Adam Aron said on the company's third quarter earnings call.

The results back him up. AMC reported $1.71 billion in third quarter revenue, up 31.6% from a year earlier, and adjusted EBITDA of $347.5 million, nearly triple the $122.5 million it posted in the same quarter of 2025. It was the second quarter in a row that AMC set all-time company records for both. Nearly 75 million guests visited its theaters around the world during the quarter, and the company set third quarter highs for food and beverage spending and total spending per guest.

Some context is useful. Part of the jump comes from comparing against a soft 2025 for the industry, and AMC's attendance is still below its record quarters from 2019. What has changed is how much each guest spends once they walk in the door. The momentum is carrying into the holidays too. AMC said October domestic box office was up about 35% over last year, and it expects the rest of the 2026 slate to push both domestic and global box office to their highest full-year levels in seven years.

What's Driving the Comeback

Aron didn't credit the movies alone. He pointed to AMC's loyalty programs, its growing number of premium large format and extra large format auditoriums, and disciplined cost management. The premium screen number is the one brands should pay attention to. Those auditoriums made up 8% of AMC's U.S. screens in the quarter but generated 31% of its domestic admissions revenue, and revenue from them grew 62% year over year.

Audiences are paying more to make a movie feel like an occasion. They're choosing the biggest screen available and spending more once they're inside, and loyalty programs are giving theaters a direct relationship that keeps those guests coming back. That's the same behavior the Stranger Things finale showed in January, now showing up in the financials of the biggest exhibitor in the world.

Not a Screening - An Event

The Stranger Things finale didn't land in theaters by accident. Netflix treated the ending like a cinematic moment and worked with theater chains to play the two-hour episode in more than 600 theaters over New Year's Eve and New Year's Day, at the same time it premiered on the platform. Instead of traditional tickets, fans bought concession vouchers to reserve their seats (at AMC, the voucher was $20). The Duffer brothers said 1.1 million seats were sold, and Variety reported that theaters brought in an estimated $25 million to $28 million. For comparison, Avatar: Fire and Ash, the country's top film at the time, grossed $23.7 million over the same two days.

The bigger impact was what it signaled. A streamer used theaters to turn a series finale into a shared cultural moment, the exhibitors kept the concession revenue, and nobody had to give up the streaming premiere to make it happen. Both sides got something they wanted, which is the kind of partnership that tends to get repeated.

Photo Credit: Deadline

Theaters as Cultural Venues

If Stranger Things showed how streaming IP can behave theatrically, Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour showed something else. Fans treated it like a live concert. They dressed up, sang along and made content, turning theaters into concert venues, retail environments and social stages at the same time.

Theaters loosened the usual rules and encouraged participation, and the energy in the room became part of the product. For brands and publicity teams, the takeaway is that theaters can host fandom-driven experiences where people actively participate, which is a very different value proposition from a spot that runs before the trailers.

From Screens to Stages

Zoom out and the pattern is clear. Much of what's working in theaters right now is built around events: finales, premieres, concert films, sports screenings, anniversary re-releases and fan nights. Theaters already have the infrastructure these moments need, including premium sound and picture, built-in dwell time and audiences who showed up ready for an experience.

Concessions are starting to behave like pop-up retail, and lobbies are becoming activation space. For marketers, that creates room for real-world product trial, storytelling context and data grounded in physical behavior. For publicity teams, it opens the door to earned media moments that feel cultural rather than commercial.

Photo Credit: The Madlab Post

What Brands Should Do With This Now

Early 2026 was about proving theaters still had a pulse. The back half of the year has shown they have the audience and the spending power to earn a real place in a marketing plan. Here's how we'd think about it.

Plan around the slate. The remaining holiday releases and the 2027 calendar are where the attention will be. Promotional partnerships tied to a film release are usually planned many months out, and product placement inside the films is often locked before cameras roll, so 2027 conversations should be happening now.
Follow the premium audience. When 8% of the screens drive nearly a third of admissions revenue at the largest chain in the world, that tells you a lot about who is in those seats and what they're willing to spend.
Think in events. Fan screenings, finales, anniversary nights and concert films give brands a reason to show up with sampling, lobby activations and content that feels like part of the night.
Treat concessions as a channel. The Stranger Things run was monetized through concessions, and AMC is setting records for food and beverage spending per guest. For food, beverage and snack brands, that's a direct line to purchase.
Build the PR story in from the start. A theatrical moment gives publicity teams a real event to pitch, so plan the amplification alongside the activation rather than after it.
Keep expectations grounded. Some of this year's growth comes from a soft 2025. Theaters are a strong stage right now, and the smart move is to test with clear goals and measurement before making big commitments based on one great year.

The Opportunity Is Openness

Movie theaters are still in a period of reinvention, and reinvention creates openness. Exhibitors are exploring new programming models, partnerships and formats that don't rely only on ticket sales, which gives brands room to experiment without massive risk.

For brands, the move isn't to rush in with big buys. It's to ask better questions about which moments fit your audience and what you want people to do after the credits roll. For publicity teams, it's a chance to rethink what theatrical support can look like. And for theaters, it's a reason to keep choosing collaboration over tradition.

The teams that engage now will help define what this next chapter of theatrical becomes. At Hollywood Branded, we help brands find the right entertainment moments, build the partnerships behind them and measure what happened. If you want to see where theatrical fits for your brand, enroll free in [HB]Box to get matched with pop culture partnership opportunities.

ny times Photo Credit: NY Times

Frequently Asked Questions

Are movie theaters making a comeback in 2026?

Yes, by the measure of the largest chain. In November 2026, AMC said it has recovered from its pandemic-era struggles after posting record revenue and adjusted EBITDA for the second straight quarter, and it expects 2026 domestic and global box office to reach their highest full-year levels in seven years. Attendance is still below 2019 levels, but spending per guest is at record highs.

Why do premium large format screens matter to brands?

At AMC, premium large format and extra large format auditoriums were 8% of U.S. screens in the third quarter of 2026 but generated 31% of domestic admissions revenue. Audiences are paying more for an elevated experience, which makes theatrical moments a place where people are fully engaged and willing to spend.

How much did the Stranger Things finale make in theaters?

Theaters earned an estimated $25 million to $28 million from the finale over New Year's Eve and New Year's Day, according to Variety. Seats were sold as concession vouchers, and the show's creators said 1.1 million seats were sold.

How can brands partner with movie theaters?

Common options include on-screen cinema advertising, lobby and experiential activations, sponsored fan screenings and events, promotional partnerships tied to film releases, and product placement inside the films themselves. The right mix depends on your audience, your timing and what you need the partnership to deliver.

Eager To Learn More?

Check out these related Hollywood Branded blogs to dig deeper into film, theatrical and entertainment brand partnerships:

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