Frequent moviegoers are all too familiar with the worsening problem of lengthy preshow runtimes at a theater before the film begins. The trend has become so widespread that AMC now features a disclaimer on their website stating “movies start 25–30 minutes after showtime,” something that recently led to some spirited discourse on social media. Partly, this problem stems from the fact that theaters have begun cramming more advertisements in alongside the usual coming attractions. Nowadays, you’re not just greeted with a handful of trailers for upcoming films when you sit down in a theater, you’re forced to endure a couple of commercials as well.
The phenomenon largely started in late 2019 when two of the nation’s top theater chains—Cinemark Theatres and Regal Cinemas—struck a deal with ad company National Cinemedia to show up to five minutes of commercials after a film’s stated start time and another “Platinum Spot” before or in between the last two trailers. Unfortunately, for anyone who rolls their eyes at these ads while taking a sip of their soda or shoveling some preshow popcorn into their mouth, things are about to get worse. The country’s largest theater chain, AMC, has just recently signed a similar deal that goes into effect on July 1, meaning more commercials are coming to thousands of screens across the U.S.
AMC Initially Came Out Against In-Theater Commercials, But Has Since Changed Their Stance
When NCM reached its deal with Cinemark and Regal in 2019, CEO Tom Lesinski referred to it as “the most significant strategic announcement since the company was founded in 2003,” while purporting to be in active talks with AMC as well. AMC quickly refuted that notion with a press release which stated, “NCM proposed this concept to AMC of commencing a platinum advertising position during the end of trailer play, which AMC flatly rejected at the time because of AMC’s concerns that U.S. moviegoers would react quite negatively to the concept.” The statement went on to proclaim that “AMC has no plan to introduce commercial advertising close to the start of a movie’s commencement at its theaters in the United States.” Well, never say never, I suppose. Because, in the face of financial pressure, AMC has now implemented the exact thing they came out strongly against six years ago.
In a statement given to The Hollywood Reporter regarding the new deal, AMC recently said, “Our competitors have fully participated for more than five years without any direct impact to their attendance.” Obviously, this agreement acts as a way for the struggling theater chain to conjure up some short-term profits, something they also hinted at in their statement by saying, “The new deal between AMC and NCM allows both companies to drive new revenues to offset the impact of being hit by the shutdown of cinemas due to the COVID pandemic, followed by an at times faltering Hollywood industry recovery since the reopening of theaters and advertising being affected by macroeconomic headwinds.” While it’s true that this deal will create some new revenue for AMC without harming their business to a substantial degree at the outset, the negative long-term effects these added commercials may have on the potential future of moviegoing is worth exploring. There are clear downsides to making people wait up to half an hour to get to Nicole Kidman, welcoming them to the theater, let alone the start of the film itself.
Advertisements Take Away From the Magic of the Theatrical Experience
Movie theaters have always provided an escape for people. They are an inviting place for folks to come to and, at least for roughly two hours, completely remove themselves from the outside world and any potential hardships plaguing their own lives. Not to invoke the spirit of Kidman in her famed AMC spot too much, but they are a place of comfort and entertainment, one with the power to transport us to somewhere completely new. That is precisely why they are not a place for commercials, especially in today’s age when advertising feels like a dominant and inescapable pox on every aspect of our society, from our social media feeds to our television screens.
The main reason people go to the cinema is to have a viewing experience different from the one they can have on their couch. Even at a time when the theater industry is stuck in a constant state of panic about dwindling box office numbers, we’ve seen that there’s still a large demand for films being shown in IMAX and other specialty formats. That is because people know they are getting an experience they can’t replicate on their living room TV or laptop with those screenings. But the more ads you start putting on the big screen, the less unique the whole endeavor starts to feel. Admittedly, it’s a bit sad and ironic that one of the few places we have left to unplug, disconnect from the internet, and get away from everything for a while is a dark room where crowds of people all quietly stare up at giant screens. However, in the same way, we don’t want cell phones ruining that environment, so we should push back on advertising taking up space as well.
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There is also something that feels especially sinister about pumping more ads into movie theaters right now, given that one of the primary reasons people have become averse to the theatrical experience is because of how much it costs. You can’t really blame someone for not wanting to pay upwards of $50 for a ticket and concessions, only to immediately have to sit through an extended series of commercials.
Preshow Ads Undermine Theaters’ Ability to Drive Repeat Business from Trailers
While it’s true that the key to skipping out on these ads is to simply show up to the theater 20 or so minutes later, many film fans consider the trailers to be a treasured part of the moviegoing experience. The more comfortable people start getting with sacrificing trailer-watching for missing out on unwanted ads, though, the more problems arise for theaters. While the act of someone discovering and deciding to see a new film based on an in-theater trailer may not be as common an occurrence as it once was, preshow trailers are still an effective form of marketing that powers moviegoing.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, EntTelligence recently ran a study that showed that only 60% of moviegoers in 2025 were in their seats when the trailers started playing. THR also reported that just 42% of moviegoers in Los Angeles have been seated to see every trailer, compared to 55% last year. In New York City, the number is also 42%, a drop from 47% last year. Theatergoers are an observant bunch, and they are well aware of what the industry is up to with these prolonged preshow runtimes and abundance of advertisements. They will happily show up later to the theater if it means missing a Verizon ad or two.
The downside here is that theaters are creating a world where people miss out on trailers completely. While this may not have a massive impact on the box office, it is not hard to imagine some smaller and mid-budget films—ones without massive marketing budgets that rely on excitement built from trailers—losing out on potential business. Even though AMC was technically correct in their statement that this experiment hasn’t greatly harmed Cinemark and Regal since they signed the deal, there is no guarantee that more advertising won’t steadily lead to fewer moviegoers in the future.