Jurassic World boosts first-half profit at Odeon and UCI Cinemas
Odeon and UCI Cinemas yesterday unveiled a blockbuster rise in first-half revenue and earnings, thanks to box-office smashes such as Jurassic World.
The cinema chain, owned by the Terra Firma private equity firm, saw its core earnings more than double to £37.3m, while revenue increased by 17.1 per cent to £348.7m. Attendance rose 13.8 per cent, outperforming market growth of 7.3 per cent.
The firm said it is confident that Hollywood hits, such as the new James Bond movie Spectre and the latest installments of the Hunger Games and Star Wars, will continue to draw audiences in the second half.
The improved results could help attract potential buyers for the cinema chain. In February, Terra Firma announced plans to put Odeon and UCI Cinemas up for sale toward the end of the year.
It aborted a sale attempt in 2013 after a strategic review concluded it was the wrong time to sell the business.