Centennial, CO and Milwaukee, WI—Sep 13, 2007
National Cinemedia and Marcus Theatres® Enter Into Affiliate Agreement to Present Alternative Events in U.S. Movie Theatres
National CineMedia LLC (NCM), has entered into a digital network affiliate agreement with Marcus Theatres Corporation, a division of The Marcus Corporation (NYSE: MCS) and the seventh largest exhibition company in the U.S., for the presentation of live and pre-recorded in-theatre events by NCM’s FATHOM division. Under the terms of the newagreement, NCM will expand its live, High-Definition in-theatre network – the largest of its kind in North America – to include 21 Marcus Theatres® locations in multiple markets, including Minneapolis, Minn.; Milwaukee, Wis.; Chicago, Ill.; Columbus, Ohio; Fargo, N.D.; and several others in Iowa, Minnesota and Wisconsin.
With the planned addition of the Marcus Theatres locations and theatres from NCM’s founding member exhibitors, AMC Entertainment Inc., Cinemark USA Inc. (NYSE: CNK) and Regal Entertainment Group (NYSE: RGC), as well as additional network affiliate theatres, NCM’s live, High-Definition digital cinema network is on target to exceed 300 theatres in upcoming months.
Since 2002, NCM has presented live and pre-recorded alternative entertainment events in the best U.S. movie theatres using its special, proprietary satellite-based High-Definition projection and encryption systems. Upcoming NCM FATHOM in-theatre events include “Remember That Night – Live at the Royal Albert Hall,” with David Gilmour, the legendary guitarist and voice of Pink Floyd; a remastered in High-Definition 25th anniversary presentation of Steven Spielberg’s cult classic, “Poltergeist;” a special, four-day festival – “Anime Bento, 4 Nights, 4 Servings – The Hottest Anime Movies on the Big Screen;” and eight new performances of the critically acclaimed “The Metropolitan Opera: Live In HD” series.
The debut events planned for presentation in participating Marcus Theatres will be “The Metropolitan Opera: Live in HD” series. Advance ticketing for the 2007-08 season is subject to availability and begins on Friday, October 19, exclusively for Met Opera members at the $125 level or above. Ticket sales to the general public in the U.S. begin Friday, November 9. For information on tickets and membership, visit www.metopera.org/hd or call 1-800-Met-Opera (1-800-638-6737).
“This represents an opportunity for Marcus Theatres to exhibit events not previously available for local patrons in our markets. While not being there ‘live,’ our presentation in High-Definition video with close-ups and crystal clear sound might be even better than attending the event in person. Meanwhile, Marcus Theatres benefits from new revenue streams from these events when our theatres may not be busy exhibiting motion pictures,” said Bruce J. Olson, president of Marcus Theatres.
Marcus Theatres locations participating in the NCM FATHOM in-theatre network in Wisconsin are: Bay Park Cinemas in Ashwaubenon, Cinema Oshkosh, Hollywood Cinemas in Appleton, Marcus Majestic Cinema in Brookfield, Marc Cinemas in Sheboygan, North Shore Cinemas in Mequon, Point Cinemas in Madison, Renaissance Cinema in Sturtevant, and South Shore Cinemas in Oak Creek. Locations in Illinois are: Addison Cinemas, Gurnee Cinemas, Marcus Cinemas Elgin, and Orland Park Cinemas; in Minnesota: Duluth 10, Marcus Cinemas-Oakdale and Parkwood in Waite Park; in Ohio: Marcus Cinemas Crosswoods in Columbus and Marcus Cinemas-Pickerington; in North Dakota: Century in Fargo; and in Iowa: College Square in Cedar Falls and Sycamore Mall in Iowa City.
“During the past year, NCM’s FATHOM has successfully presented over 50 digital events in movie theatres across the U.S.,” added Tom Galley, National CineMedia’s executive vice president and chief technology and operations officer. “With the addition of the well-respected Marcus Theatres to our growing list of entertainment event destinations, the NCM FATHOM network is on target to reach over 300 locations in 48 of the top 50 U.S. markets by the end of 2007.”
NCM’s FATHOM presents a variety of music, sports and other entertainment events in movie theatres nationwide during off-peak movie going hours using its proprietary digital distribution and satellite network. Recent NCM FATHOM in-theatre presentations have included live, High- Definition performances of The Metropolitan Opera; the “Dirty Dancing 20th Anniversary Celebration”; and numerous concert events featuring popular artists such as The Rolling Stones, Bruce Springsteen, Prince, Bon Jovi and Linkin Park, among others.