Moviegoers showed up this summer, and AMC Theatres has the receipts. The theater chain reported record revenue of $1.71 billion for the third quarter of 2026, its second record-setting quarter in a row, TheWrap reported Wednesday.
AMC also turned a profit for the second consecutive quarter, posting net income of $109.3 million, or 13 cents per share. The company credited record box office grosses during the quarter, led by Sony and Marvel's Spider-Man: Brand New Day and Christopher Nolan's The Odyssey.
The numbers behind the comeback
Admissions brought in $953 million, while concessions added $589 million, with guests spending an average of $8.85 per visit on food and drinks. Adjusted EBITDA reached $347.5 million, another company record and the second straight quarter AMC set that mark.
CEO Adam Aron framed the results as a turning point. "Today, we can finally say that AMC has recovered," he said.
The results matter well beyond Wall Street. AMC has spent the years since the pandemic shutdowns fighting debt and questions about whether audiences would return to theaters. A record quarter signals that big-screen events still pull crowds, which helps keep the theatrical window alive for the mid-budget and independent films, including many by Black and Latino filmmakers, that depend on screens being open and full.
Both of the quarter's big drivers have been on our radar. Read our take on Spider-Man: Brand New Day and our report on how The Odyssey rewrote box office history.
Next up at the box office: Godzilla Minus Zero and The Cat in the Hat face off this weekend. See our weekend box office preview.
