Cinemark Holdings, Inc. (CNK) Business
This page reproduces the company's own Item 1 Business text from the linked SEC filing. It is filer text, not grepcent analysis, scoring, or investment advice.
Informational only - not investment advice. See Disclaimer.
Item 1. Business
We are a leader and one of the most geographically diverse operators in the theatrical exhibition industry. As of December 31, 2025, we operated 496 theaters and 5,637 screens in the United States, or “U.S.”, and Latin America. Our U.S. circuit operated 303 theaters and 4,241 screens and our Latin America circuit operated 193 theaters and 1,396 screens across 13 countries. Our significant and diverse presence in the U.S. and Latin America has made us an important distribution channel for movie studios and other content providers. We believe our portfolio of high-quality theaters with multiple platforms and amenities provides a preferred destination for moviegoers.
As of December 31, 2025, we managed our business under two reportable segments: U.S. markets and international markets. See Note 20 to the consolidated financial statements.
Theatrical Exhibition Industry Overview
The success of the theatrical exhibition industry is contingent upon several key factors, including the volume of new film and other content available, the box office performance of new film content released, the duration of the exclusive theatrical release window, and evolving consumer behavior with competition from other forms of in-and-out-of home entertainment.
Domestic
Preliminary estimates indicate that North American industry box office revenues were approximately $8.9 billion for 2025.
Films leading the box office during the year ended December 31, 2025 included A Minecraft Movie, Lilo & Stitch, Superman, Jurassic World: Rebirth, Zootopia 2, Wicked: For Good, Sinners, The Fantastic Four: First Steps, How to Train Your Dragon, and Avatar: Fire and Ash, among other films.
Films scheduled for release in 2026 include The Super Mario Galaxy Movie, Spider-Man: Brand New Day, Avengers: Doomsday, Toy Story 5, Minions 3, Moana, The Mandalorian & Grogu, The Odyssey, Jumanji 3 and Dune: Part Three, among other films.
International
Preliminary estimates for Latin American industry box office revenues in the countries where we operate were approximately $1.2 billion for 2025.
Box office performance in Latin America is dependent upon the quantity, quality and timing of Hollywood film product, and to a lesser extent, alternative content and local film product. Specific to Hollywood content, some topics, characters, and franchises may resonate differently with Latin American audiences, leading certain films to over or under index relative to North America. Box office performance in Latin American markets is also impacted by political, economic and social conditions, growing populations in select markets, and continued retail development.
Drivers of Continued Industry Success
We believe the long-term fundamentals of our industry remain intact:
Consumers Remain Enthusiastic for Theatrical Movie-Going. Consumer enthusiasm for theatrical movie-going remains evident, as audiences consistently engage with compelling content across genres and audience segments. Although box office performance and attendance levels can fluctuate depending on the volume and mix of film releases, the theatrical experience continues to hold a meaningful place in consumer entertainment preferences.
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A Theatrical Release Enhances a Film’s Promotional Impact and Overall Asset Value. Theatrical exhibition has long been the primary distribution channel for launching new major film releases. A theatrical release provides an enhanced promotional platform for filmed entertainment content by heightening its exposure, increasing its perceived quality, strengthening recall, and driving greater viewing interest. Furthermore, experiencing content in a shared theatrical environment elevates emotions and engagement with stories and characters, which builds larger brands, franchises, and cultural moments. The theatrical release of a film generates the initial revenue stream, driving performance in downstream distribution channels, including streaming, which enhances overall asset value.
Resilient Industry Across Technology Innovations and Economic Cycles. Theatrical movie-going remains one of the most convenient and affordable forms of out-of-home entertainment. As such, it has proven resilient during inflationary and recessionary periods and across various technological innovations, including VHS, internet, DVD and streaming. For example, North American industry box office grew in six of the last eight recessions.
Our Strategy
Our strategic objectives prioritize experiential consumer-based, revenue-generating, and productivity-driving initiatives, including:
Deliver an Extraordinary Guest Experience. We aim to differentiate our theaters through consistent investment in high-demand consumer amenities that provide a larger-than-life, cinematic entertainment experience with top-notch guest service. Examples of amenities include state-of-the-art sight and sound technology, premium large format auditoriums, recliners, and motion seats, as well as expansive food and beverage offerings. We believe our ongoing focus on providing an extraordinary guest experience is a primary factor of our consistent industry-leading results.
Maximize Attendance and Box Office While Expanding Revenue Opportunities. We actively focus on maximizing attendance and box office results through thoughtful pricing strategies, sophisticated showtime optimization and planning, and the pursuit of diverse alternative content that appeals to a broad consumer base. We also continue to invest in strengthening and leveraging our omni-channel marketing platforms and loyalty programs to expand our audience base, increase moviegoing frequency and strengthen loyalty to our brand. Additionally, we seek to drive ancillary revenue through expanding the food, beverage and merchandise products we offer, enhancing speed of service through space management improvements and mobile ordering, and extending the availability of our offerings beyond our theaters utilizing third-party delivery platforms and e-commerce channels. Furthermore, we look to monetize our facilities by offering options such as game rooms and by hosting private events. We are also testing more expansive experiences including bowling, laser tag, arcade games and restaurant and bar spaces.
Maintain a Disciplined Focus on Productivity and Profitability. We remain disciplined in our ongoing pursuit of continuous improvement, seeking opportunities to simplify processes, streamline operations, remove inefficiencies, and drive productivity. Areas of emphasis include further enhancing our workforce management tools and processes, strengthening inventory management, optimizing showtime planning, simplifying or eliminating administrative tasks through the use of technology, leveraging strategic sourcing strategies, and expanding automation opportunities. We continue to enhance data management and analytics to enable a more agile and responsive decision-making process. Furthermore, as part of our ongoing focus on profitability, we continuously optimize our footprint, assessing our global circuit to ascertain the most advantageous strategies for growth, recalibration, and strengthening of our theaters to deliver sustained long-term returns.
Competitive Strengths
We believe the following strengths allow us to compete effectively and position us well to deliver sustainable growth:
High Quality Assets. For more than a decade, we have made significant investments in our guest experience and prioritized ongoing investments that position Cinemark for continued success. By building new venues and continually upgrading our existing ones, we ensure a state-of-the-art movie-going experience. Maintaining high-quality assets remains one of our primary objectives and reinforces our dedication to providing an exceptional guest experience.
We offer our guests a premium large format experience through our 301 XD auditoriums, which represents the largest exhibitor-branded premium large format footprint in the world, along with 16 IMAX auditoriums and 12 ScreenX auditoriums across our worldwide circuit. Our XD auditoriums offer an enhanced experience utilizing the latest in digital projection and enhanced custom sound, including Barco Auro-Max 11.1 sound systems in select
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locations. The XD experience includes wall-to-wall screens, wrap-around sound, plush seating, reclining seats in a majority of our XD auditoriums and a maximum comfort entertainment environment for an immersive experience. A key benefit of our XD strategy includes programming flexibility, as we can show the content of our choice on our XD screens with no additional revenue share component outside of routine film rental. Our ScreenX auditoriums offer a 270-degree viewing experience. The ScreenX technology projects exclusive footage on the side walls of the auditorium during select movie scenes, providing elevated action sequences, breathtaking scenery and heightened emotions.
We are in the early stages of a multi-year project to strategically convert our auditoriums to more energy efficient Barco RGB laser projectors, which provide greater light output than the current technology, further enhancing the movie-going experience. As of December 31, 2025, we have transitioned approximately 22% of our auditoriums globally to the new laser projectors.
We have incorporated Luxury Lounger heated recliner seats into all of our recent domestic new builds and have repositioned many of our existing domestic theaters to offer this premium seating feature. We currently feature these recliner luxury loungers in 69% of our total domestic circuit.
We also have auditoriums that offer seats with immersive cinematic motion, which we refer to as motion seats, in 548 auditoriums throughout our circuit. These motion seats are programmed in harmony with the audio and video content of the film and further immerse guests into the on-screen action.
We offer enhanced food and beverages such as beer, wine and cocktails, Pizza Hut pizzas, burgers, sandwiches, and many other chef inspired dishes, all of which can be enjoyed in the comfort of the auditoriums, at a majority of our theaters. We also offer full bars or dine-in areas in many of our locations and we are continuing to expand these amenities to additional locations. In the U.S., we offer mobile concession ordering at all of our U.S. theaters allowing guests to pre-order select concession products and pick them up at the concession stand upon arrival or have them delivered to their seat. In addition, through third-party delivery partnerships, customers are able to order concession favorites to be delivered to their homes. We also offer mobile concession ordering in most of our Latin American theaters and delivery to seats in a select number of our premier Latin American theaters.
Distinctive Global Footprint. We have a distinctive global footprint with nearly 500 locations and over 5,600 screens in 14 countries that provide valuable scale, attractive diversification, and access to growth opportunities in under-penetrated markets.
We have a leading market share in most of the U.S. markets we serve, which includes a presence in 42 states. For the year ended December 31, 2025, we ranked either first or second, based on box office revenues, in 21 of our top 25 U.S. markets, including Dallas, the San Francisco Bay Area, Houston, Salt Lake City, Sacramento, Cleveland, Austin and Las Vegas.
We have a significant presence in major cities in Latin America, with theaters in 15 of the 20 largest metropolitan areas in Latin America as of December 31, 2025. We are the largest exhibitor in Brazil and Argentina and have significant market presence in Colombia, Peru and Chile. Our geographic diversity makes us an important global distribution channel for the movie studios.
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Balanced Approach to Investment and Capital Allocation. Our balanced and disciplined investment approach centers on thoughtfully and actively pursuing strategic, financially accretive investments including reinvesting in our existing theaters, building new venues and exploring potential acquisitions of quality assets that complement our circuit. We have long believed in maintaining a strong balance sheet to enhance flexibility and risk management and in ensuring our capital investments earn a solid return. This philosophy has proven to be successful for us over varying economic cycles and industry challenges. We remain disciplined with our cash management and capital resource allocation strategies, while continuing to invest in the long-term health of our circuit.
Industry-Leading Operating Capabilities. Our operating philosophy focuses on creating an extraordinary guest experience, maintaining favorable theater-level economics, controlling operating costs and effectively reacting to changes in economic and market conditions. Our sophisticated operating tools, procedures, and rigor with meaningful strategic advances have led to Cinemark consistently outperforming the North American industry in 15 of the past 17 years based on gross box office data for the North American industry as published by Comscore. We remain highly focused on enhancing these operating initiatives to drive efficiencies and maximize our box office performance going forward.
We maintain a sophisticated technology support center that monitors sight and sound technology and provides technical support to our theaters to ensure a top-notch guest experience. We also utilize an advanced omni-channel marketing platform with significantly enhanced digital and social capabilities to target audiences and drive attendance.
We continue to leverage strategic pricing mechanics, guided by data and analytics on a per-theater basis that aim to maximize attendance, box office, concession incidence, and overall revenue. Additionally, we have implemented a continuous improvement program and deployed various sourcing strategies to drive efficiencies and help mitigate varied inflationary and supply chain-oriented headwinds. Furthermore, we have enhanced our operating practices to optimize showtimes, staffing, and operating hours theater by theater based on fluctuating weekly demand.
Loyal Customer Base with Extensive Reach. We have established a highly loyal customer base and an extensive marketing reach. Over 27 million members now participate in our global loyalty programs, and we consistently derive approximately 30% of our domestic box office from our nearly 1.5 million paid Movie Club subscription members. Furthermore, we have an addressable reach to over 33 million customers across our global circuit with whom we can actively communicate to spread awareness of upcoming events, deliver unique and personalized offers, and drive increased movie-going frequency.
Experienced Management. Our global management team is comprised of experienced leaders with significant industry experience and proven track records. We have numerous executives with more than 20 years of industry experience, including key department heads, in areas such as Film, Operations, Theater Technology, and Real Estate, as well as each of our general managers of our Latin American countries. Our country general managers are local citizens familiar with political, social, cultural and economic factors impacting their country, which enables them to more effectively manage the local business. Our global management team has successfully navigated us through many industry and economic cycles.
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Theater Operations
As of December 31, 2025, we operated 496 theaters and 5,637 screens in 42 U.S. states and 13 Latin American countries. We opened our first theater in the U.S. in 1984. We first entered Latin America when we opened a theater in Santiago, Chile in 1993. Since then, through a focused international growth strategy, we have developed into one of the most geographically diverse theater circuits in the region. We have balanced our risk through a diversified international portfolio, which included theaters in 15 of the 20 largest metropolitan areas in Latin America as of December 31, 2025. We are a market leader in Brazil and Argentina, where we are the largest exhibitor. We also have significant market presence in Colombia, Peru and Chile.
The following table summarizes the geographic locations of our theater circuit as of December 31, 2025.
| Country | Total Venues | Total Screens | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| United States | 303 | 4,241 | |||||
| Brazil | 84 | 615 | |||||
| Argentina | 23 | 196 | |||||
| Colombia | 31 | 185 | |||||
| Chile | 20 | 143 | |||||
| Central America (1) | 17 | 114 | |||||
| Peru | 15 | 115 | |||||
| Bolivia | 1 | 13 | |||||
| Paraguay | 2 | 15 | |||||
| Total | 496 | 5,637 |
(1)
Includes Honduras, El Salvador, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Panama and Guatemala.
Content
We offer a wide variety of content at our theaters. We monitor upcoming film releases and other content and work diligently with film distributors to license content that we believe will be most successful in our theaters. We play mainstream films from many different genres, such as animated films, family films, dramas, comedies, horror and action films. We offer content in both 2-D and 3-D formats in all of our theaters, and in many locations, we offer either our XD premium large format, IMAX or ScreenX. We also offer a format that features motion seats and added sensory features.
We offer a variety of alternative entertainment content for our guests, such as foreign, independent and faith-based films, as well as concert events and other special events in our theaters. In certain Latin American markets where we operate, we also offer local film product to our guests. Additionally, we have the functionality and technological infrastructure to live-stream events via satellite network across our portfolio of theaters in the U.S. and Latin America.
In addition, AC JV, LLC, our joint venture with Regal Entertainment Group and AMC Entertainment, Inc., provides marketing and distribution of live and pre-recorded entertainment programming to augment theaters’ feature film schedules. AC JV, LLC, referred to as Fathom Entertainment, is the largest distributor of documentaries and inspirational content as well as classic films and performing arts, such as the Metropolitan Opera.
Film and Content Licensing
In the U.S., our corporate film department negotiates with film and content distributors to license content for our domestic theaters. Local film personnel in our international offices negotiate with local offices of major film distributors, local film distributors and independent content providers to license films for our international theaters. Film distributors determine film release dates as well as plan and fund the related film marketing campaigns, while we are responsible for scheduling the films at each of our theaters at the optimal showtimes for our guests.
In both our domestic and international locations, film rental fees are based on a film’s box office receipts. The majority of film rental rates are negotiated on a sliding scale formula, under which the rate is based on a standard rate matrix that is established with each content provider prior to a film’s theatrical run. We may also negotiate some film rental rates on a firm terms formula, a percentage of box office receipts negotiated prior to a film’s theatrical run, or a rate that is negotiated after a film’s theatrical run.
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Food and Beverage
Concession sales are our second largest revenue source. We have dedicated concession category teams that manage the success and profitability of our products, as well as analyze market trends and optimize pricing and promotions. These teams develop and manage short-term and long-term strategies that include the deployment of new products, film related events and programs, and the management of product assortments at a local and national level. We have expanded concession sales by enhancing our offerings and adapting to our customers’ changing preferences, as discussed below.
Product Mix. Our core concession product offerings include various sizes and types of popcorn, soft drinks, frozen carbonated drinks, candy and pre-packaged snacks and other quick-serve food items, such as hot dogs, pretzel bites, nachos and ice cream. We leverage internal and external data sources to customize menus by market or location based on guest preferences. In many markets, we offer enhanced food and beverage options for our guests including beer, wine and cocktails, freshly-made Pizza Hut pizzas, burgers, sandwiches, specialty desserts, and many other chef inspired dishes. We also aim to provide healthier snack options and diverse globally inspired foods based on market demographics. In addition to our food offerings, we also offer unique current and classic movie-themed merchandise to our guests, which continues to be a growing portion of our product mix.
New products and promotions are introduced on a regular basis to maintain and expand concession purchase incidence from our existing consumer base as well as to attract new consumers. In all of our domestic theaters and certain international countries, we offer a free loyalty program that routinely offers food and beverage promotions and rewards. Our paid subscription programs allow our guests to receive exclusive concessions discounts.
Innovation. We offer unique movie-themed merchandise to customers both in our theaters and online to enhance their experience and drive incremental revenue. Our online store offers unique merchandise to allow guests from across the country to enjoy our unique offerings without leaving the comfort of their homes. On an annual basis, we host a weeklong session focused on new food and beverage innovations across all core concession categories that allows us to better embrace new products and technologies. We are also the first major theater exhibition company to have partnered with all of the major third-party delivery services to allow consumers to have many of our concession products delivered to their homes from almost all of our U.S. locations. Our proprietary mobile concession ordering capability allows moviegoers to purchase their movie snacks in advance and have them waiting to be picked up upon arrival or delivered directly to their seat. This functionality, available at all of our U.S. theaters, streamlines the guest experience, adding convenience and enhanced guest service for our customers. Similarly, guests in our Latin American locations can pre-pay for select concession products online or at kiosks within the theater and pick them up at the concession stand.
Theater Design. Our theaters are designed to optimize the guest purchase experience at the concession stands to facilitate serving guests in an expedited manner. We strategically design our concession stands to maximize product visibility, reduce the length of concession lines, and improve traffic patterns around the concession stands to optimize guest traffic flow. We incorporate queue lines, self-serve candy cases, grab-and-go food cases, dynamic digital menu boards and bottled drink coolers at our concession stands to help provide convenience for our guests, drive impulse purchases and increase product visibility and appeal across all our core categories. We also have self-service cafeteria-style concession areas in many of our domestic theaters which allow customers to select their own food and refreshments and then proceed to the cash register when they are ready. This design allows for more efficient service and superior visibility of concession items. We also have lobby bars and VIP lounges in many domestic and international locations that provide guests space to socialize outside of the auditorium.
Staff Training. Employees are continually trained on the latest proper sales techniques, food safety, preparation and handling, and maintaining the quality of our concession product offerings. Many employees are also certified in food safety protocols and serving alcoholic beverages.
Cost Management. We negotiate concession prices and rebates that are volume or promotional-based directly with our suppliers. Concession products are generally managed through a distribution network, with all locations placing and receiving orders directly through a distributor. We monitor inventory levels at every location to ensure proper stock levels are maintained to appropriately serve our guests.
Supply chain interruptions, inflationary pressures, and tariffs, as well as growth in lower margin items such as merchandise and enhanced food options, may impact costs and limit product availability. Our food and beverage costs have been especially susceptible to inflationary pressures in more recent years, particularly for core commodities. In
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an effort to mitigate these pressures, we focus on identifying alternative products and suppliers as well as implementing strategic pricing actions.
Screen Advertising
Our U.S. theaters are part of the in-theater digital network operated by National CineMedia, LLC (“NCM”). NCM provides advertising to our theaters through its branded “Noovie” pre-show entertainment program and also handles certain lobby promotions and displays for our theaters. We believe that the reach, scope and digital delivery capability of NCM’s network provides an effective platform for national, regional and local advertisers to reach our audiences. We receive a monthly theater access fee for participation in the NCM network, which includes screen rental revenue on a per patron basis and on a revenue share basis depending on the placement of the advertisement.
Throughout our international markets, we have developed our Flix Media brand that handles screen advertising functions in all of our Latin American countries. Our Flix Media marketing personnel work with local agencies and advertisers to coordinate screen advertising in our theaters as well as other theaters in our markets. In addition, we continue to expand Flix Media’s services to include, among other things, alternative content, digital media and other synergistic advertising products.
Marketing and Promotions
Digital Marketing. Our investment in digital marketing and customer experience over the past several years has enabled us to expand our reach to our guests, communicate with them on a consistent basis, and streamline their digital customer journey. We continue to adapt our platforms to engage movie-goers more effectively and make it as compelling and simple as possible for them to purchase their next movie ticket and concessions from us. We keep our millions of guests informed with emails, push notifications, social media, website and mobile app updates, in-theater trailers and advertising to promote upcoming content and keep Cinemark elevated in the moviegoer consideration set.
Transforming the digital customer journey has enabled us to more effectively reach movie-goers through targeted and refined search engine optimization and provides the customer a better experience once they are directed to our website or app. We regularly conduct comprehensive analysis of the customer journey on our channels, making updates that reduce clicks and decrease the friction from search to ticket purchase. Ongoing enhancements result in higher traffic volume to our digital channels and increased ticket and concession purchases.
In an effort to more deeply engage with our guests, the visual identity and physical flow of our theaters are regularly assessed. This includes keeping all signage, merchandise, food and beverage vessels and employee attire updated and reflective of the modern experience.
Campaigns and Promotions. We market our theaters and special events, including new venue grand openings, remodel re-openings and VIP events, using email and in-app push messaging, social media communications, digital advertising, and various forms of traditional media advertising and hyper local activations. We exhibit previews of coming attractions and current films as part of our on-screen pre-feature program. We offer guests access to movie times, the ability to buy their tickets and reserve their seats in advance, and purchase concessions, merchandise and gift cards at our website, cinemark.com, via our mobile applications and our merchandise store at shop.cinemark.com. Guests can subscribe to our emails and push notifications to receive information about current and upcoming films and events at their preferred Cinemark location(s), including details about upcoming XD movies, advanced ticket sales, screenings, concert and other special events, live broadcasts, contests, promotions, and our latest concessions and merchandise offerings. We partner with film distributors on a regular basis to promote upcoming films through local, regional and national programs, many of which are exclusive to our theaters.
Social Media. In the evolution of our external communication strategy, we are meeting movie-goers where they are and ensuring we are present as they scroll throughout the day. We interact with moviegoers every day on social media platforms, such as Instagram, Facebook, X, TikTok and Snapchat to provide advanced ticketing, promotions, and event information, and to monitor and respond to guests’ questions and feedback.
Membership and Loyalty. Our domestic subscription membership program, Movie Club, offers guests a standard monthly ticket credit, waived online fees, member-pricing for a companion ticket and concession and other transaction discounts for their choice of a monthly or annual fixed price. Movie Club is a unique option to reward our loyal guests and allows us to stay informed of frequent moviegoers’ preferences. Movie Club includes a premium tier, Movie Club Platinum, allowing members with a high visit frequency and/or high volume of ticket purchases during the year to earn additional movie ticket credits, receive an increased concessions discount, and the ability to purchase additional
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tickets at a discounted price. Movie Club also includes an upgrade option where, for an additional fee, guests can subscribe to premium screen upgrade credits to be used on Cinemark XD, IMAX, and ScreenX premium formats, as well as motion seats.
We offer a free domestic loyalty program, Movie Fan, to our guests in the U.S. Movie Fan allows our moviegoers to earn one point for every dollar they spend. Points can then be redeemed for tickets, concession items, merchandise, sweepstakes entries and discounts.
We also have membership and loyalty programs in most of our international markets that either allow customers to pay a monthly or annual fee for a membership card that provides them with certain admissions and concession discounts or that allows guests to earn loyalty points for each purchase. Similar to the Movie Fan program, our points-based international programs offer discounts on movie tickets and concessions.
Our global loyalty programs put us in direct contact with our moviegoers and provide opportunities for us to partner with the studios and our suppliers through targeted promotions. Our membership and loyalty programs are closely monitored, and new strategies are consistently tested to incentivize consumers to prioritize visiting our theaters.
Competition
We are a leader in the theatrical exhibition industry. We compete against local, regional, national and international exhibitors with respect to attracting guests, licensing films and developing new theater sites. Our primary U.S. competitors include Regal and AMC and our primary international competitors, which vary by country, include Cinépolis, Cine Colombia, CinePlanet, Kinoplex (GSR), UCI, Royal Films and Araujo.
We are generally able to book films at our theaters without regard to the film bookings of other exhibitors. Our success in attracting guests can depend on customer service quality, location, theater capacity, quality of projection and sound equipment, film showtime availability and ticket prices.
We compete for new sites with other movie theater exhibitors as well as other entertainment venues. Securing a potential site depends upon factors such as commercial terms, available investment resources, theater design and capacity, revenue potential and financial stability of developers as well as exhibitors.
We face competition from other forms of out-of-home entertainment competing for the public’s leisure time and disposable income, including family entertainment centers, concerts, theme parks and sporting events. We also face competition for guests from a number of alternative film distribution channels, such as streaming services, digital downloads, video on-demand and network television.
Seasonality
Our revenues have historically been seasonal, coinciding with the timing of releases of motion pictures by the major distributors. The most successful motion pictures have historically been released during summer months in the U.S., extending from May to July, and during the holiday season, extending from November through the end of the calendar year. In our Latin American markets, while Hollywood content has generally similar release dates as in the U.S., local holidays and seasons vary. The unexpected emergence of a hit film during other periods or the failure of an expected success at a key time could impact this seasonality trend. The timing, quantity and quality of film releases can have a significant effect on our results of operations, and the results of one quarter are not necessarily indicative of results for the next quarter or for the same period in the following year.
Corporate Operations
Our global headquarters, referred to as the Cinemark Service Center, or CSC, is located in Plano, Texas. Personnel at the CSC provide oversight and support for our domestic and international theaters and includes our executive team and department heads in charge of film licensing, food and beverage, theater operations, theater construction and maintenance, real estate, human resources, marketing, legal, finance, accounting, tax and information technology. Our U.S. operations are comprised of several regions throughout the U.S. headed by 19 regional vice presidents. We have eight regional offices in Latin America responsible for the local management of theaters in 13 countries as of December 31, 2025 (Honduras, El Salvador, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Panama and Guatemala are managed out of one Central American regional office). Each regional office is headed by a general manager with
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additional personnel responsible for film licensing, marketing, human resources, information technology, operations and finance. We also have divisional or regional chief financial officers in several of our international regional offices.
Human Capital
Our business is seasonal and therefore, our headcount can vary throughout the year depending on seasonality and our expectations for the performance of movie releases. We do not have unionized employees within our domestic employee base, however many of our international locations are subject to union contracts.
We currently have approximately 18,300 employees in the U.S., approximately 21% of whom are full-time employees and 79% of whom are part-time employees. We have approximately 9,600 employees in our international markets, approximately 48% of whom are full-time employees and approximately 52% of whom are part-time employees.
In our Purpose, Mission, Vision and Values Statement, our employees form the core of our Cinemark Values. We strive to (i) act with honesty and integrity, (ii) respect and care for each other, our guests, communities, and partners, promoting a positive and inviting environment for all, (iii) continuously challenge the status quo, embrace innovation, and aim to excel in all we do, (iv) provide clean and safe environments for our employees and guests, (v) empower our people to own their roles and take accountability, because every detail matters, and (vi) maintain an unwavering commitment to operational discipline and profitable growth. Guided by our Cinemark Values, we are committed to creating a company where everyone is included and respected, and where we support each other in reaching our full potential. We take pride in the fact that many of our employees, ranging from field employees to executive management, have significant tenure with the Company.
To attract and retain the most qualified talent, we offer competitive benefits, including market-competitive compensation, healthcare benefits, paid time off, parental leave and free movie passes. In the U.S. we also offer a 401(k) retirement savings and investment plan with a generous Company match. Additionally, many of our CSC and international non-theater employees are eligible to work a hybrid schedule. We support the continuous development of professional, technical and leadership skills of our employees by offering tuition assistance, skills development courses and leadership development training in partnership with reputable institutions.
To foster a corporate culture of transparency and collaboration, our senior management regularly conducts “town-hall” style meetings with employees to share, among other matters, the Company’s performance, business conditions and market challenges, strategies and initiatives, and to respond to employee concerns through question-and-answer sessions. Employees in the U.S. are also encouraged to provide feedback about their experience through periodic employee engagement surveys. Specifically, a survey goes out to our theaters twice a year to get a pulse on the employee experience in the field. A separate survey is conducted for employees at the CSC every two years. These voluntary surveys provide overall and department-specific reports and enable us to improve employee experience and culture. We aspire to provide a safe, open and accountable work environment for our employees. As a result of these engagement initiatives, the Company was recognized as one of USA Today’s Top Workplaces in 2025. In addition to these engagement initiatives, we also provide a hotline for all employees to report workplace concerns and violations with the option to report on an anonymous basis. We address such concerns and take appropriate actions that uphold our Cinemark Values.
In recognition and gratitude for our moviegoing communities, we strongly encourage team members to give back to the community and host periodic service days for team members. Through Cinemark Cares, we support local and national charitable organizations through monetary and product donations, or donations of employees’ time or expertise. We are a proud long-term partner of several charities and host an annual golf tournament to raise funds for these and other selected charities.
Regulations
The distribution of motion pictures is largely regulated by antitrust laws and was the subject of numerous antitrust cases in the past. The manner in which we can license films from certain major film distributors has been influenced by consent decrees and other court orders resulting from these cases. Consent decrees that bound certain major film distributors expired during 2022. These consent decrees required distributors to offer and license films to exhibitors, including Cinemark, on a theater-by-theater and film-by-film basis. Consequently, exhibitors have not entered into long-term arrangements with major distributors but must negotiate for licenses on a theater-by-theater
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and film-by-film basis. While the consent decrees may no longer be in effect, we are still subject to the antitrust laws, and we do not anticipate a material shift in the way films are licensed.
We are subject to various general regulations applicable to our operations including the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, or the ADA, and regulations promulgated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and certain state laws that require nutrition labels for certain menu items. Our domestic and international theater operations are also subject to federal, state and local laws governing such matters as data privacy, wages, working conditions, citizenship, health and sanitation requirements, trade compliance, and various business licensing and permitting.
Financial Information About Geographic Areas
We currently have operations in the U.S., Brazil, Argentina, Chile, Colombia, Peru, Honduras, El Salvador, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Panama, Guatemala, Bolivia, and Paraguay, which are reflected in the consolidated financial statements. See Note 20 to the consolidated financial statements for segment information and financial information by geographic area.