Cinemark Q4 Revenue Slips 5% Year Over Year Despite ‘Zootopia 2,’ ‘Avatar 3’ Box Office
•February 18, 2026
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Companies Mentioned
Why It Matters
The revenue dip highlights vulnerability to seasonal box‑office swings, while the strong concession per‑cap underscores evolving profit drivers in the theater business.
Key Takeaways
- •Q4 revenue fell 5% YoY to $776 million
- •Attendance dropped 13% to 44.3 million
- •EPS missed forecasts at 16 cents per share
- •Concessions revenue down, per‑cap hit $5.96 record
- •2026 slate expected to boost box‑office momentum
Pulse Analysis
Cinemark’s latest earnings illustrate how traditional theater revenue remains tightly linked to the release calendar. Even with blockbuster sequels like “Zootopia 2” and “Avatar Fire and Ash,” a sluggish October—punctuated by the underperforming Disney title “Tron: Ares”—dragged overall box‑office receipts lower, resulting in a 5% revenue contraction. The decline in attendance, down 13% year‑over‑year, signals that consumer footfall is increasingly sensitive to early‑month performance, a pattern echoed across the industry as streaming competition intensifies.
Beyond ticket sales, the data reveal a shifting profit structure within cinema operators. While total concession revenue slipped to $302.4 million, the per‑cap spend reached an all‑time high of $5.96, indicating that each patron is spending more on food and beverage. This trend reflects theaters’ strategic emphasis on ancillary revenue streams to offset volatile ticket income, a tactic that investors are watching closely as margins tighten.
Looking ahead, Cinemark’s optimism rests on a robust 2026 release pipeline, featuring high‑profile titles from Pixar, Amazon MGM, and Universal that could restore attendance growth. Analysts will monitor whether the company can translate these upcoming releases into sustained revenue rebounds and whether its adjusted EBITDA margins hold up amid evolving consumer preferences. The interplay between blockbuster scheduling, concession pricing, and operational agility will be critical in determining the chain’s long‑term financial health.
Cinemark Q4 Revenue Slips 5% Year Over Year Despite ‘Zootopia 2,’ ‘Avatar 3’ Box Office
Despite the strong box office performance of “Zootopia 2” and “Avatar: Fire and Ash,” a slow October has led to a 5% year-over-year drop in quarterly revenue for Cinemark in its fourth quarter earnings report.
Revenue for the fourth quarter of 2025 reached $776 million compared to $814 million in 2024, an all-time fourth quarter record for Cinemark. That is consistent with the $2.18 billion domestic total for the quarterly box office, which marked a 7% year-over-year decrease from a 2024 in which “Wicked,” “Moana 2,” “Mufasa” and “Sonic the Hedgehog 3” carried the box office.
EPS: Cinemark’s quarterly earnings came in at 16 cents per share, short of Wall Street analyst forecasts.
Attendance: Despite strong turnout during the holidays, attendance slipped 13% year over year from 51 million to 44.3 million, with 29.6 million from the U.S. Admissions revenue hit $383.8 million for the quarter, down 6% from Q4 2024.
Concessions: Concessions revenue was $302.4 million, down from an all-time company high of $314 million the prior year quarter. The company hit an all-time high food and beverage per cap of $5.96.
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“Cinemark delivered exceptional results in 2025 with box office performance that surpassed industry benchmarks, incremental market share gains, record-level proceeds from enhanced formats and non-traditional content, and all-time high concession sales and per caps.
Despite a softer-than-anticipated film slate, we generated our highest revenue since the pandemic and delivered solid Adjusted EBITDA with a robust Adjusted EBITDA margin,” stated Sean Gamble, Cinemark’s President and CEO. “Our accomplishments reflect our team’s consistent ability to execute, innovate, and elevate the moviegoing experience we create for our guests, and they are indicative of the strong operating agility, customer loyalty, and advantaged market position we have developed.”
The October box office for 2025 was a slow one, primarily driven by the Disney flop “Tron: Ares” with $73.1 million. Business picked up in November with the arrives of sequels to “Wicked” and “Zootopia,” but in the case of “Wicked: For Good,” less enthusiastic word-of-mouth led to a domestic run that was $132 million less for its predecessor while “Avatar: Fire and Ash” contributed $150 million less to the quarterly total than “Avatar: The Way of Water” did in December 2022.
Despite the year-to-year drop, the strong holds for “Zootopia 2,” “Avatar 3” and Lionsgate’s “The Housemaid” have given the 2026 box office a better start than 2025, which is currently 3.5% ahead of last year’s pace and should continue with a strong March that includes Pixar’s “Hoppers,” Amazon MGM’s “Project Hail Mary” and Universal’s “Reminders of Him,” all leading to the expected $1 billion-plus hit “The Super Mario Galaxy Movie” on April 1.
The post Cinemark Q4 Revenue Slips 5% Year Over Year Despite ‘Zootopia 2,’ ‘Avatar 3’ Box Office appeared first on TheWrap.
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