The International Union of Cinemas (UNIC), the trade body representing the interests of cinema operators across 39 European territories, and Boxoffice Pro, the world’s leading trade publication covering the global theatrical exhibition industry, today released the inaugural Giants of Exhibition: Europe listing, ranking the top 50 European cinema groups by screen count. A ceremony honoring the circuits will be held on June 21 in Barcelona during CineEurope, the biggest and longest-running convention dedicated to cinema operators in Europe, the Middle East, and Africa.
Modeled after Boxoffice Pro’s long-running Giants of Exhibition ranking of the top 50 exhibition circuits in North America, Giants of Exhibition: Europe serves as an iconic industry reference, recognizing Europe’s largest cinema chains. Each group or company’s ranking is determined by its total screen count in Europe as of January 1, 2022.
This year’s ranking is led by ODEON Cinemas Group, the UK-based European subsidiary of AMC Theatres, with nearly 2,500 screens across the United Kingdom and Ireland, Finland, Germany, Italy, Norway, Portugal, Spain, and Sweden.
The top four is rounded out by Cineworld (UK), Vue International (UK), and Les Cinémas Pathé Gaumont (France). Each of the top four circuits on this year’s list have a multi-national European presence of over 1,000 screens across the region.
Welcoming today’s announcement, UNIC CEO Laura Houlgatte said:
“On behalf of all UNIC members, I would like to congratulate each of the fifty companies featured in the 2022 inaugural Giants of Exhibition: Europe ranking, which celebrates the biggest cinema operators in Europe. With headquarters based in 18 territories and operating across more than 35 territories, this ranking serves to demonstrate the strength and diversity of the European cinema industry. These companies have played a central role in bringing audiences back to the big screen in recent months, illustrating their resilience and underpinning our confidence in the sector’s ability to come back stronger from this pandemic.”
“Building on the success of our Giants of Exhibition rankings, we are very happy to inaugurate this European list to recognize the circuits that have been so pivotal in the recovery of the wider European cinema market,” added Julien Marcel, CEO of The Boxoffice Company. “It is incredible to see the diversity of operators among European leaders in terms of region of origin, capital structure, and type of cinemas. On behalf of Boxoffice Pro and everyone at The Boxoffice Company, I would like to congratulate these companies.”
This year’s Giants of Exhibition: Europe includes circuits based in 18 different markets across the region. UK and France are the most represented markets on the list with seven circuits each, followed by Spain (6), Turkey (5), and Germany (4). Other territories featured in the list are Austria (1), Belgium (1), Czech Republic (1), Denmark (1), Ireland (2), Italy (1), Poland (1), Portugal (2), Serbia (1), Slovakia (1), Sweden (1), and Ukraine (1). As a statement of solidarity with Ukrainian exhibitors, as well as with the Ukrainian people, UNIC and Boxoffice Pro’s corporate parent, The Boxoffice Company, have jointly agreed not to include the names and screen counts of the Russian companies that would otherwise have featured in the top 50.
This year’s full ranking of the Giants of Exhibition: Europe is included below.
GIANTS OF EXHIBITION: EUROPE
Ranking the Top 50 Exhibition Circuits in Europe by Screen Count
1. Odeon Cinemas Group (United Kingdom)
Corporate Parent: AMC Theatres(United States)
Screens: 2,493 | Locations: 286
European Brands: Cinesa, Filmstaden, Finnkino, ODEON, UCI
European Markets: Finland, Germany, Italy, Norway, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, U.K. & Ireland
2. Cineworld (United Kingdom)
Screens: 2,142 | Locations: 230
European Brands: Cinema City, Cineworld, Picturehouse
European Markets: Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, U.K. & Ireland.
3. Vue International (United Kingdom)
Screens: 1,972 | Locations: 227
European Brands: Cinemaxx, MultiKino, The Space Cinema, Vue
European Markets: Denmark, Germany, Italy, Lithuania, Netherlands, Poland, U.K. & Ireland.
4. Les Cinémas Pathé Gaumont (France)
Screens: 1,305 | Locations: 129
European Brands: Pathé
European Markets: Belgium,France, Netherlands, Switzerland
5. Cinemaximum (Turkey)
Screens: 848 | Locations: 97
Corporate Parent: CJ CGV (South Korea)
European Brands: Cinemaximum
6. CGR Cinémas (France)
Screens: 705 | Locations: 74
European Brands: CGR Cinémas
7. Russian Cinema Chain
8. Kinepolis (Netherlands)
Screens: 608 | Locations: 58
European Brands: Kinepolis
European Markets: Belgium, France, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Poland, Spain, Switzerland
9. UGC (France)
Screens: 586 | Locations: 57
European Brands: UGC
European Markets: Belgium, France
10. Cineplex (Germany)
Screens: 562 | Locations: 92
European Brands: Cineplex
11. Yelmo Cines (Spain)
Screens: 533 | Locations: 53
Corporate Parent: Cinépolis (Mexico)
European Brands: Yelmo Cines
12. Russian Cinema Chain
13. Cineplexx (Austria)
446 Screens: | 68 Locations:
European Brands: Cineplexx
European Markets: Albania, Austria, Bosnia, Croatia, Greece, Italy, Kosovo, North Macedonia, Montenegro, Romania, Serbia, Slovenia
14. CineStar (Germany)
376 Screens: | 48 Locations:
European Brands: CineStar
15. Helios (Poland)
291 Screens: | 52 Locations:
European Brands: Helios
16. Russian Cinema Chain
17. Nordisk Film Cinemas (Denmark)
Screens: 258 | Locations: 47
European Brands: Nordisk Film Cinemas
European Markets: Denmark, Norway, Sweden
18. Omniplex (Ireland)
Screens: 255 | Locations: 34
European Brands: Omniplex
18. Russian Cinema Chain
20. National Amusements (United Kingdom)
Screens: 241 | Locations: 18
Corporate Parent: National Amusements (United States)
European Brands: Showcase Cinemas
21. Svenska Bio (Sweden)
Screens: 222 | Locations: 53
European Brands: Svenska Bio, Svenska Bio, BioRex and BiografKompaniet
European Markets: Sweden, Finland, and Denmark
22. Mk2 (France)
Screens: 211 | Locations: 23
European Brands: Mk2, CineSur
European Markets: France, Spain
23. Megarama (France)
Screens: 209 | Locations: 27
European Brands: Megarama
European Markets: France, Spain
24. Cinemas NOS (Portugal)
Screens: 208 | Locations: 29
European Brands: Cinemas NOS
25. Ocine (Spain)
Screens: 204 | Locations: 22
European Brands: Ocine
26. Multiplex Cinemas (Ukraine)
Screens: 181 | Locations: 30
European Brands: Multiplex Cinemas
27. CinemaPink (Turkey)
Screens: 173 | Locations: 24
European Brands: CinemaPink
28. Russian Cinema Chain
29. Blitz CineStar (Serbia)
Screens: 161 | Locations: 26
European Brands: Blitz CineStar
European Markets: Bosnia, Croatia, Serbia
30. Russian Cinema Chain
31. Kinopolis (Germany)
Screens: 143 | Locations: 16
European Brands: Kinopolis
32. IMC Cinemas (Ireland)
Screens: 140 | Locations: 20
European Brands: IMC Cinemas
33. Empire Cinemas (U.K.)
Screens: 137 | Locations: 15
European Brands: Empire Cinemas
33. Odeon Multicines (Spain)
Screens: 137 | Locations: 14
European Brands: Odeon Multicines
35. Russian Cinema Chain
36. Cineville (France)
Screens: 122 | Locations: 16
European Brands: Cineville
37. Everyman Cinemas (United Kingdom)
Screens: 119 | Locations: 36
European Brands: Everyman Cinemas
38. Union Cine Ciudad (Spain)
Screens: 118 | Locations: 13
European Brands: Union Cine Ciudad
39. Cinemarine (Turkey)
Screens: 110 | Locations: 15
European Brands: Cinemarine
40. Filmpalast (Germany)
Screens: 102 | Locations: 15
European Brands: Filmpalast
41. Prestige (Turkey)
Screens: 101 | Locations: 12
European Brands: Prestige
42. CineStar (Czech Republic)
Screens: 98 | Locations: 13
European Brands: CineStar
43. Avsar Sinema (Turkey)
Screens: 96 | Locations: 10
European Brands: Avsar Sinema
44. Cinemax (Slovakia)
Screens: 91 | Locations: 16
European Brands: Cinemax
European Markets: Czech Republic, Romania, Slovakia
45. Cines ACEC (Spain)
Screens: 90 | Locations: 10
European Brands: Cines ACEC
46. Giometti Cinema (Italy)
Screens: 87 | Locations: 12
European Brands: Giometti Cinema
47. Light Cinemas (U.K.)
Screens: 86 | Locations: 11
European Brands: Light Cinemas
48. Artesiete (Spain)
Screens: 85 | Locations: 12
European Brands: Artesiete
48. Cineplace (Portugal)
Screens: 85 | Locations: 14
European Brands: Cineplace
48. Grand Ecran (France)
Screens: 85 | Locations: 11
European Brands: Grand Ecran
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