BEIJING, China and KANSAS CITY, Mo., Sept, 4, 2012 — Dalian Wanda Group Co., Ltd. (“Wanda”), a leading Chinese private conglomerate and China’s largest investor in cultural and entertainment activities, and AMC Entertainment Holdings, Inc. (“AMC”), a preeminent U.S. movie exhibitor, today announced the successful completion of Wanda’s acquisition of AMC, creating the world’s largest cinema owner. The transaction is valued at approximately US$2.6 billion.
Wanda Chairman and President Wang Jianlin said, “We are very pleased to have completed the acquisition of AMC and begin this new chapter in Wanda’s international development. Throughout this entire process we have been impressed with the expertise and dedication of AMC’s management team and associates. We now look forward to working with AMC’s CEO Gerry Lopez and his team to invest in and build on the company’s widely-recognized brand and the incomparable entertainment experience AMC offers to its millions of customers.”
Gerry Lopez, chief executive officer and president of AMC, said, “All of us at AMC are thrilled about our future with Wanda. It allows us to continue expanding and innovating in what is the world’s largest movie market. More so, we are enthusiastic about combining AMC’s leadership in the US with Wanda’s leadership in China, the world’s fastest-growing market. We strongly believe in our shared common interests in advancing the movie industry and we feel this partnership creates one of the world’s premier location-based entertainment companies.”
Wanda will operate AMC as a wholly owned subsidiary under its existing brand while investing up to an additional US$500 million in the unit over time to fund strategic and operating initiatives. AMC will continue to control film programming and remain headquartered in the Kansas City metropolitan area, with more than 17,000 associates operating theaters in 32 states across the United States.
The transaction creates the world’s largest global cinema owner by combining Wanda’s 94 theatres, 805 screens and large-scale stage show, film production and distribution, entertainment chains with AMC’s 338 multiplex theatres and 4,865 screens, including 2,171 3-D screens and 124 IMAX screens, making it the world’s largest operator of IMAX screens. Approximately 200 million people watched movies in AMC theatres in 2011.



How do regulators let such a large portion of film content distribution fall under Chinese ownership? Would the US ever allow this kind of purchase made of a tv broadcast network? Not to mention, the CEO of this company has been under arrest at least a couple times in the last year due to his ties to Bo Xilai. I’m confused about how regulators scrutinize these transactions in order to approve or not approve them.
LOL. Exactly. No American company would be allowed to own a major Chinese media company. Chinese law prevents foreign ownership of major assets. Why shouldn’t the U.S. have reciprocal laws in place?
Will AMC prevent any films that might show China in a bad light from being distributed? We already know that the new film “Red Dawn” changed its villain from China to North Korea. What other films follow suit for fear of not finding a home at one of the U.S.’s largest theater chains?
Oh well. Regulations are bad.
and so the take over by the Chinese begins.
They have no idea how hard it is to be an Exhibitor.
Between our staggering debt to China and selling off our land, our companies and assets to China….what’s left?? The only way I can express my dissatisfaction is to add AMC to the list of companies I will not patronize. If you care at all about the future of America try not to buy Chinese products and avoid patronizing Chinese owned companies if possible. I know it’s difficult when in some stores you can hardly find an item NOT made in China. But it’s worth the effort to try.
Well you know when you hear people bitching about the Americanization of their culture. This. This is what it feels like.
So, having a Regal Card suddenly makes me a patriot?
One of the largest Chinese banks (ICBC) recently purchased an American based bank (Bank of East Asia in NY)…this purchase was recently approved by the FDIC and represents a first in American Banking. So yes, indeed, the take over by the Chinese has begun.
Don’t panic, remember when everybody thought that Japan was buying up America and it’s food belt? What happened there will repeat itself.
@Confusing, I know, huh … have we already forgotten that $2Billion of the purchase price was to clear up debt? AMC has been grossly mis-managed. If any of the management team believe they have a future there they are failing to look at their past! They are further not looking at the new owners, their culture and belief systems. The Chinese are far more interested in exceeding quotas than they are in keeping agreements, or even meeting regulations, contractual or legal.
Wanda bought real estate; a whole pile of real estate in downtown areas of every major market in the U.S. That’s what they bought. That along with the infrastructure to deliver content to U.S. ticket buyers. Oh, and 200 million people did not go to the movies in the U.S. last year; 13 million saw 14 or 15 movies each, that’s the reality of it.
The most relevant point this purchase makes is this; U.S. exhibitors are getting out of the business. The exhibitors are the most conservative in the food chain. They know exactly what is going on with the audiences and they are getting out. Wanda had enough money to get them out so out they went, debt free, and a little something for the stockholders. Look for a quiet sell off in AMC stock over the next few days/weeks.
Watch now as Wanda starts selling off prime retail locations around the country to recoup their payout. In the next ten years we’ll see a wide-release reduced to 500 screens. Ticket prices will be as high as they are for the NFL. Going to see a movie will be a major family outing that may include travel, a hotel stay, and will certainly mean 3D/IMAX/Surround Sound Pounding Action! Spectacles sell better than stories these days and the numbers bear all that out.
Everything else will go to internet and satellite/cable distribution, PPV, PPC, etc., then free on Netflix. Look for advertising and promotional budgets to go from double to triple the production costs as distributors are forced to reach the broadest possible audience. Watch the Satellite channels now. Satellite distribution is going to grow by 850% in the next five years; something along the order of 1,300 channels will be providing service. That’s over a billion hours a year in content needed and you can only have so many junk sports and re-run channels. The studios will do 20 films a year and rent out production space for everyone else.
The internet has flattened the playing field for movie makers. Imagination is driving a ton of non-physical (digital) delivery, and the results so far are astounding. The next five years are going to be very exciting from the perspective of possibility. Remember, the studios make the movies the exhibitors will buy and the exhibitors buy the movies for which their audiences will pay. Innovation and imagination have now become the exclusive territory of we, the people. Your dentist will make a movie that goes directly to internet.
Wide screen now means turning your Android sideways.
You may quote me but only if you give me credit.
Have you ever talked to a theater owner?
Frankly I find these comments very nationalistic in a globalising environment. Do you Americans only recognise globalisation when it suits you. The fact of the matter is that money talks or else walks. China has the war chest of cash whilst the Americans and Europeans are drowning in debt, because of their consumption driven growth path. The structure of the world investment is changing, the chinese dragons are going to invest in prime cheap assets from you American and Europeans, whether you like it or not
AMC= American Multi-Cinema. What happened to the AMERICAN??
Really
Exhibition in the US will always be around but AMC overbuilt and over leased for what is coming next. Have fun. At the same time not thrilled with this