The International Union of Cinemas (UNIC), the trade body representing the interests of cinema operators across 39 European territories, and Boxoffice Pro, the world’s leading trade publication covering the global theatrical exhibition industry, today published the second edition of the Giants of Exhibition: Europe listing, ranking the top 50 European cinema groups by screen count. A ceremony honouring the circuits will be held on June 20 in Barcelona during CineEurope, the biggest and longest-running convention dedicated to cinema operators in Europe, the Middle East, and Africa.
After the successful launch of the first edition in 2022, UNIC renewed its partnership with Boxoffice Pro for this second iteration of Giants of Exhibition: Europe, each group or company’s ranking being determined by its total screen count in Europe as of 31 December 2022.
Once again in the lead of this year’s ranking is ODEON Cinemas Group, the UK-based European subsidiary of AMC Theatres, with nearly 2,500 screens across the United Kingdom and Ireland, Finland, Germany, Italy, Norway, Portugal, Spain, and Sweden.
The top four is rounded out by Cineworld (UK), Vue International (UK), and Pathé Cinémas (France).
Each of the top four circuits on this year’s list have a multi-national European presence of over 1,000 screens across the region.
Welcoming today’s announcement, UNIC President Phil Clapp said:
“On behalf of all UNIC members, I would like to congratulate each of the fifty companies featured in the second edition of Giants of Exhibition: Europe ranking, which celebrates the biggest cinema operators in Europe.
The Top 50 circuits represent almost 20,000 screens and over 2,600 cinemas across Europe. With headquarters based in 20 countries and operating in 38 territories, this ranking demonstrates the strength and diversity of the European cinema industry. Eleven groups are present in three or more countries, confirming their role as key regional or European players.”
“In the face of the remarkable rebound of the box office across Europe, we witness the extraordinary resilience and unwavering spirit of the cinema chains”. added Julien Marcel, CEO of The Boxoffice Company. “As we unveil the ranking of the 50 largest cinema chains in Europe, let us take a moment to salute the profound contribution of these theaters to our society. Beyond their economic significance, they embody the very essence of our cultural landscape and heritage. In celebrating their resurgence, we acknowledge the remarkable role played by movie theaters in shaping our collective journey, and we embrace the transformative power of cinema in our lives.”
This year’s Giants of Exhibition: Europe list includes circuits based in 20 different markets across the region. UK and France are the most represented markets on the list with seven circuits each, followed by Spain and Turkey (five), and Germany (four). Other territories featured in the list are Portugal and Ireland (both with two circuits), and Austria, Netherlands, Czech Republic, Denmark, Italy, Poland, Serbia, Slovakia, Sweden, Switzerland, Estonia and Ukraine (each with one circuit).
This year again, as a statement of solidarity with Ukrainian exhibitors as well as with the Ukrainian people, UNIC and Boxoffice Pro’s corporate parent, The Boxoffice Company, have jointly agreed not to include the names and screen counts of the Russian companies that would otherwise have featured in the top 50.