Cineworld attracts record numbers

Buying film tickets online has put paid to queues in the foyer and given Cineworld customers extra time to spend even more on popcorn than they used to.

That’s according to newly promoted finance boss Nisan Cohen, who said “now people are no longer buying tickets in the cinema, it’s given them more free time to buy popcorn, Coke or a coffee — they’re sitting down to enjoy them before a film.”

Cinema-goers splashed out 12.7% more on concessions in a bumper 2016, when Bridget Jones’s Baby and The Jungle Book drew record numbers to Cineworld’s 2115 screens helping underlying revenues to rise 8.3%.

Cohen said Cineworld had high expectations for this year, with December’s new Star Wars film “the diamond on the top”. After last month’s launch in Wandsworth of a 4DX screen — which adds effects such as wind, fog, water, and scents — he added: “We’re planning more in London.”

The company said its overall performance for full-year is expected to be in line with current market expectations.