Theatres spent $2.7 billion on heated seats, big screens and bars
North American theatres spent US$2.7 billion over the past two years on upgrades and innovations, Cinema United said in its Cinema Investment report, as reported by Variety on 1 October 2026. The report landed after a summer box office that closed at an all-time high.
Cinema United, a trade body that says it represents more than 63,000 screens worldwide, detailed the spending in the report. Theatres spent US$1.2 billion in the past year alone on premium entertainment experiences, according to Variety.
The eight largest domestic circuits, meaning the United States and Canada, spent US$840 million in the past year to modernise their buildings. Those same eight chains have pledged US$2.2 billion over a three-year period for further work.
The money is visible in the foyer and the auditorium. Florida's Epic Theatres has added Luma 4D E-Motion recliners, seats that move and vibrate with the film, alongside its own premium large-format projection, a taller screen with stronger sound, plus full bars and arcades.
In Utah, Megaplex has opened an entertainment complex with interactive, augmented-reality bowling at its Downtown Daybreak site. In Illinois, Classic Cinemas has refitted its 100-year-old multiplex in LaGrange with heated recliners and DTS:X sound, an object-based system that places effects around the room.
The big chains are adding their own formats. Cinemark now has reclining seats in 72% of its auditoriums, the highest share among major US exhibitors, and operates 650 auditoriums fitted with D-Box motion seats and its private-label premium large-format brand, Cinemark XD, according to Variety. Harkins Theatres has added 13 new CineXL premium large-format auditoriums and four Cinebar locations, and opened Arizona's first 4D E-Motion site at Norterra in Phoenix.
The push extends beyond North America. Thailand's Major Cinema operates 23 children's cinemas fitted with ball pits, sofas and large pillows.
The figures update earlier plans. In September 2024, the eight biggest chains in the US and Canada said they would invest more than US$2.2 billion to upgrade 21,000 screens, according to Variety. A year later, in September 2025, chains had spent US$1.5 billion on upgrades and enhanced formats took 14.9% of ticket sales, Reuters reported.
Ticket sales give context for the spend. US theatres sold an estimated 470.9 million tickets through the first 30 weeks of 2026, Reuters reported on 5 August 2026. Hollywood's 2026 summer box office in North America reached US$4.6 billion, with analysts estimating the full year could top US$10 billion, Reuters reported on 4 September 2026.
What makes this stand out is the breadth. It is not only new screens. It is heated seats, bars, bowling and ball pits, all aimed at making a night out do more than a night in can.
