Movie Theaters NAICS 512131
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Industry Summary
The 1,800 movie theater firms in the US provide entertainment venues that exhibit motion pictures or videos. They operate about 41,000 movie screens at over 5,800 cinema sites. Major sources of revenue include ticket sales, concessions, and merchandise resale. Some theaters specialize in a particular genre, such as foreign, art house, and documentary films.
Conversion to Digital
The film industry’s conversion from celluloid to digital projection technology involved considerable costs, and created significant financial obstacles for small, independent theaters.
Dependence on Movie Production Industry
Movie theaters depend on the production houses and distributors to develop appealing motion pictures and support releases with marketing and advertising.
Recent Developments
May 7, 2026 - Box Office Revenue Rebounds
- US domestic box office revenue increased 23% year over year during the first quarter of 2026, according to Comscore. It marks the strongest first quarter since the coronavirus pandemic, according to Comscore. Theaters have struggled to regain their footing as annual ticket sales have yet to reach the $9 billion mark, according to Box Office Mojo. At the current pace, $9 billion is well within reach this year.
- 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.
- 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 remained significantly below pre-pandemic levels in early 2026 while average wages for nonsupervisory employees have rebounded to pre-pandemic levels, according to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics. Movie theaters sales are forecast to increase at a 3.14% compounded annual rate from 2026 to 2030, slower than the growth of the overall economy, according to Inforum and the Interindustry Economic Research Fund, Inc.
Industry Revenue
Movie Theaters
Industry Structure
Industry size & Structure
The average movie theater employs 65 people and generates $7.1 million dollars.
- There are over 1,800 cinema sites in the US that employ 118,500 workers.
- There are about 41,000 movie screens in the US - about 1.3% of these are outdoor screens.
- The industry is concentrated; the top 50 firms account for about 80% of industry sales.
- Large companies include Regal Entertainment, AMC Entertainment, and Cinemark Holdings.
Industry Forecast
Industry Forecast
Movie Theaters Industry Growth
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