Movie Theaters NAICS 512131

Sep 9, 2025 - Gen Alpha may Boost Attendance

• Gen Alpha, which consists of people born from roughly 2013 to 2025, is more interested in seeing movies in theaters than older generations, according to entertainment researcher firm NRG. Roughly 59% of Gen Alpha members said that they enjoy watching movies in theaters more than at home, compared to 48% of Gen Z (people born between 1997 and 2012), 45% of Millennials (people born between 1981 and 1996) and Gen X (people born between 1965 and 1980). The study’s authors suggest that the ubiquity of smartphones and streaming services has made younger consumers more interested in a night out at the multiplex.
• Cinemaworld of Florida, the operator of Majestic and CW-branded theaters, has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. Cinemaworld is seeking to restructure its finances while keeping operations running. Several major movie theater chains have filed for bankruptcy since 2020 amid mounting financial pressures following the COVID pandemic, according to the New York Post. Decreasing ticket sales, competition from streaming platforms, and changing consumer habits have negatively impacted many theater chains.

• The unique architecture of movie theaters may help them avoid closure during lean times, according to The Wall Street Journal. Movie theaters are built with a sloped concrete floor for stadium seating to provide a clear view of the movie for all viewers. They also have no windows, which makes it difficult to convert them to another purpose. Retail landlords may not be able to use movie theaters for anything else unless they demolish them, so they often agree to rent reductions rather than leaving the spaces vacant when theater chains go into bankruptcy or leases are up for renewal.
• Movie theater industry employment and average wages for nonsupervisory employees remained significantly below pre-pandemic levels in early 2025, according to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics. Personal consumption expenditures, an indicator of expenditures on entertainment, increased 2.7% year over year in February 2025, according to the US Bureau of Bureau of Economic Analysis. Movie theaters sales are forecast to increase at a 5.79% compounded annual rate from 2025 to 2029, faster than the growth of the overall economy, according to Inforum and the Interindustry Economic Research Fund, Inc.