40 S C T / A P R I L 2 0 1 7
ADAM ARON MADE HIS DEBUT IN THE MOVIE THEATER
business in January 2016, when he took the helm of one
of America's oldest and largest cinema chains, AMC The-
atres. What a difference a year (and a half) makes.
Under Aron, the former CEO of Starwood Hotels &
Resorts, AMC has made three successive acquisitions that
transformed it into the largest movie theater operator in
the U. S., not to mention the world. AMC, a subsidiary
of Beijing-based Wanda Group, now has some 900 the-
aters with about 10,000 screens across the globe.
AMC has also pushed ahead with an ambitious reno-
vation program, adding recliner seats, IMAX screens and
bars to many of its theaters, among other upgrades. This
year, AMC will invest more than a half billion dollars to
improve its theaters.
AMC has become bigger and bolder at a relatively
healthy time in the cinema business. Despite competitive
pressures from streaming and on-demand platforms, last
year proved to be a record year at the box office, with
global revenues rising to nearly $11.4 billion, according
to industry tracker comScore.
Last year was also a record year for AMC. Total revenues
B Y A N N A R O B AT O N
AMC'S
A D A M A R O N
C O M I N G S O O N …
ON THE
CHANGING MOVIE THEATER
BUSINESS