AMC Theaters, the largest cinema chain in the U.S., will soon extend its pre-show experience by adding more commercials directly before feature films, further increasing the time moviegoers spend watching ads beyond the standard 20-minute block of trailers.
The “Platinum Spot” Strategy
According to a report by Bloomberg on June 3, AMC has entered a new agreement with National CineMedia, a leading cinema advertising firm. The deal introduces what the agency calls a “platinum spot”—a prime advertising slot that runs immediately before the film begins. Because this content airs just minutes before the movie starts, it is significantly harder for audiences to skip, potentially pushing the total duration of pre-show trailers and advertisements to 25 minutes or longer.
Rollout and Revenue Motivation
The nationwide implementation of these “platinum” ads is scheduled to begin on July 1. AMC, which will receive a share of the resulting ad revenue, has officially labeled the move as “vital revenue” for the company.
A Shift in Policy
For nearly six years, AMC stood as the lone major theater chain refusing to allow National CineMedia to place advertisements between the final trailers and the start of the movie. At the time, the company’s leadership argued that moviegoers would react “quite negatively” to such an intrusive placement. During that period, rivals like Regal and Cinemark had already integrated these spots into their own pre-show lineups.
However, following several challenging years for the box office exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic, AMC has reversed its stance. In an internal email viewed by Bloomberg, the company noted, “While AMC was initially reluctant to bring this to our theaters, our competitors have fully participated for more than five years without any direct impact to their attendance.”
What This Means for Viewers
For audiences already accustomed to sitting through a significant volume of trailers and commercials, this change represents a further encroachment on the moviegoing experience. Even those who intentionally arrive late to avoid the initial block of advertisements may now find themselves seated just in time to face additional commercial content right before the feature presentation begins.
