Cineworld
| Company type | Public |
|---|---|
| LSE: CINE | |
| Industry | Leisure, Entertainment & Refreshments |
| Founded | 1995 |
| Headquarters | London, United Kingdom |
Key people | Anthony Bloom (Chairman) Stephen Wiener (Chief Executive) |
| Website | www |
Cineworld Group plc is a cinema chain operating in the United Kingdom, Ireland and Jersey. The chain consists of 80 cinemas, 78 of which are located in the UK, with one in each of Ireland and Jersey. It is the second-largest cinema operator in the UK with over 800 screens, and the owner of the single largest multiplex by screens and customer base in Ireland.[1] Cineworld Glasgow Renfrew Street is the tallest cinema in the world and the busiest, by customer base, in the UK.[2] The Cineworld with the greatest number of screens is that located at Valley Centertainment in Sheffield, which has 20.[3]
History
![[icon]](/https/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Wiki_letter_w_cropped.svg){kind=small} | This section needs expansion. You can help by adding to it. (June 2012) |
The first Cineworld opened in Stevenage, Hertfordshire in July 1996; the second, in a purpose-built location in Wakefield, Yorkshire, followed in late 1996, with Shrewsbury, Shropshire, following in November 1998. Additional sites were opened at a steady rate throughout the late '90s and early 2000s; in 2005, Cineworld also took over the UK and Ireland operations of French cinema company UGC. (As part of the merger, seven locations were sold to Empire Cinemas, due to UK fair trading law: Birmingham Great Park, Bishop's Stortford, Ealing, Slough, Sunderland, Swindon and Wigan.)
The Blackstone Group invested in Cineworld in 2004 when it was privately owned, and remained the largest shareholder in Cineworld Group PLC until it sold its entire remaining 20% shareholding in November 2010.[4]
Post-merger, Cineworld have continued to open new locations; as of 2012, Cineworld have 80 locations in the UK, Ireland and Jersey and have a number of new locations in the pipeline.
Cinemas
Each Cineworld cinema has between two and twenty screens, which typically show mainstream general-release films. Some Cineworlds also show broadcasts of opera, theatre, live music and sports. Most Cineworlds also have a retail area, where food and drink can be purchased. Some also have a lounge bar.
As of December 2012, six Cineworld cinemas have an IMAX screen, and six have D-BOX technology.
The majority of Cineworld cinemas also offer "Movies for Juniors", which shows selected children's films on Saturday mornings at a discounted rate. (Ashford, Bolton, Burton Upon Trent, Ipswich, Liverpool, London Wandsworth and Northampton Cineworlds host Movies for Juniors on both Saturday and Sunday mornings.)
In June 2011, Cineworld began a trial of a premium cinema brand, The Screening Rooms. Located next to the Cheltenham cinema, The Screening Rooms offers considerably larger, leather seating, premium food, and 'table' service.[5]
Cineworld is the only cinema chain in the United Kingdom to operate a 'strict no food and drink policy'[6] on items that have been bought elsewhere.[7] In November 2012 the food policy was changed and now states that "neither alcohol nor hot food may be brought onto the premises" [8]
Membership schemes
Cineworld offers a subscription service using a membership card - the "Unlimited Card" - which provides subscribers with unlimited entrance for a set price per month, and currently 10% off all food and drink.[9] It is the only type of cinema subscription service available in the UK, Ireland and Jersey. Admission to 3D features incurs an additional fee, and does not include the cost of 3D glasses. The standard Unlimited card does not grant access to Cineworld's four West End cinemas (Chelsea, Haymarket, Fulham Road and Shaftesbury Avenue); these require the purchase of a more expensive West End Unlimited card. Using the Unlimited branding, Cineworld also publish a free monthly magazine entitled Unlimited, presenting information about upcoming movies the chain will be exhibiting.
As of 26 November 2012, Unlimited members of 12 months continuous membership will be upgraded to the Unlimited Premium Card which grants 25% off all food and drink bought in cinema, 10% off Starbucks (on site only) and no uplift fees on 3D films.
In addition to the paid Unlimited scheme, Cineworld offer a free membership scheme called "myCineworld", which allows members a 10% discount on tickets when booking online and no additional fees.
Gallery
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Cineworld in Middlesbrough, England. -
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Cineworld on Fulham Road in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea.
Current locations
| Site | Screens (#) | Origin | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aberdeen — Queens Links | 9 | UGC | |
| Aberdeen — Union Square | 10 | Cineworld | Opened 30 October 2009. All screens use digital projection although 3 screens can facilitate 35mm film also. |
| Aldershot | 7 | Cineworld | D-Box. Opened 26 October 2012. |
| Ashford | 12 | Cineworld | |
| Ashton-under-Lyne | 14 | Cineworld | V.I.P Seating |
| Bedford | 6 | UGC | |
| Birmingham — Broad Street | 12 | UGC | IMAX |
| Bradford | 16 | Cineworld | |
| Freeport, Braintree | 12 | Cineworld | |
| Brighton | 8 | UGC | All screens fully digital although Screen 8 can still facilitate 35mm. |
| Bristol | 14 | Cineworld | 12 screens operational |
| Boldon Colliery | 11 | UGC | |
| Bolton | 15 | UGC | |
| Burton upon Trent | 9 | Cineworld | |
| Bury St Edmunds | 8 | Cineworld | |
| Cardiff | 15 | UGC | |
| Cambridge | 9 | Cineworld | |
| Castleford | 14 | Cineworld | D-Box, V.I.P Seating |
| Cheltenham | 11 | Cineworld | Also the location of Cineworld's premium ofshoot 'The Screening Rooms' |
| Chester | 6 | UGC | |
| Chesterfield | 10 | Cineworld | |
| Chichester | 10 | Cineworld | V.I.P Seating |
| Crawley | 15 | UGC | IMAX, D-Box |
| Didcot | 5 | Cineworld | Chain's first non-box office site operating with a dual retail-ticket system |
| Didsbury (Manchester) | 11 | UGC | D-Box |
| Dublin (Ireland) | 17 | UGC | |
| Dundee | 9 | UGC | |
| Eastbourne | 6 | UGC | |
| Edinburgh | 13 | UGC | IMAX |
| Falkirk | 12 | Cineworld | |
| Glasgow — Parkhead | 7 | UGC | |
| Glasgow — Renfrew Street | 18 | UGC | D-Box. The world's tallest cinema |
| Gloucester | 6 | UGC | |
| Harlow | 6 | UGC | |
| Haverhill | 5 | Cineworld | Opened 10 October 2008. Is the first site to use full customer automated ticketing system. |
| High Wycombe | 12 | Cineworld | V.I.P Seating |
| Kingston upon Hull | 9 | UGC | |
| Huntingdon | 10 | Cineworld | |
| Ipswich | 11 | UGC | IMAX, Opened 1 May 1998. |
| Leigh | 7 | Cineworld | |
| Llandudno Junction | 9 | Cineworld | |
| Liverpool | 8 | UGC | |
| London — Bexleyheath | 9 | Cineworld | |
| London — Chelsea | 4 | UGC | |
| London — Enfield | 15 | UGC | IMAX |
| London — Feltham | 14 | Cineworld | |
| London — Fulham Road | 6 | UGC | |
| London — Hammersmith | 4 | UGC | |
| London — The Haymarket | 3 | UGC | |
| London — Ilford | 11 | Cineworld | |
| London — The O2, Greenwich | 11 | Vue | D-Box, V.I.P Seating. Cineworld Group Plc won a 25 year contract to operate The O2 multiplex from Friday 25 June 2010[10] |
| London — Shaftesbury Avenue | 7 | UGC | |
| London — Staples Corner | 6 | UGC | |
| London — Wandsworth | 14 | Cineworld | V.I.P Seating |
| London — West India Quay | 10 | UGC | |
| London — Wood Green | 12 | Cineworld | |
| Luton | 11 | Cineworld | |
| Middlesbrough | 11 | UGC | |
| Milton Keynes | 16 | Cineworld | D-Box |
| Newport (Isle of Wight) | 11 | Cineworld | |
| Newport | 13 | UGC | |
| Nottingham | 14 | UGC | IMAX |
| Northampton | 9 | UGC | |
| Rochester | 9 | UGC | |
| Rugby | 9 | Cineworld | |
| Runcorn | 9 | Cineworld | |
| Sheffield — Valley Centertainment | 20 | UGC | Imax. Cinema with most screens in the chain. |
| Shrewsbury | 8 | Cineworld | Opened November 1998. |
| Solihull | 9 | Cineworld | |
| Southampton | 5 | UGC | |
| St. Helens | 11 | Cineworld | |
| St. Helier (Jersey) | 10 | Cineworld | V.I.P Seating. Only Cineworld in the Channel Islands, and only cinema in Jersey. |
| Stevenage | 16 | Cineworld | |
| Stockport - Grand Central Stockport | 10 | UGC | |
| Swindon | 7 | UGC | |
| Wakefield | 9 (formerly 12) | Cineworld | |
| Weymouth | 9 | Cineworld | |
| Witney | 5 | Cineworld | Opened 30 October 2009. All screens use digital projection although 2 screens can facilitate 35mm film also. |
| Wolverhampton | 14 | Cineworld | |
| Yeovil | 10 | Cineworld |
Planned locations
| Site | Screens | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Bracknell | 12 | Opening Soon. |
| Chester | 11 | As part of the Broughton Shopping Park expansion plans, Opening 2015. |
| Gloucester | 10 | As part of the Gloucester Quays plans. Opening 2013. |
| Harlow | 6 | As part of Harvey Centre plans, Opening 2014. |
| Hinckley | 5 | Opening 2014. |
| Keighley | 8 | Opening 2014. |
| London — Wembley City | 9 | Located adjacent to Wembley Stadium and Wembley Arena, this site is scheduled to open in 2013.[11] |
| Macclesfield | 8 | Opening 2012. |
| Oswestry | 5 | Opening Soon. |
| Ruislip | 10 | Opening Soon. |
| St Neots | 7 | Opening 2013.[12] |
| Swindon | 6 | As part of the Regent Circus plans. Opening 2014. |
| Telford | 11 | As part of the Southwater development. Opening Soon. |
| Trowbridge | 8 | Opening Soon. |
Former locations
The following locations were sold to Empire Cinemas.
| Site | Screens | Origin | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Birmingham — Great Park | 13 | UGC | |
| Bishop's Stortford | 6 | Cineworld | |
| Ealing | 3 | UGC | Now closed by Empire Cinemas since early 2009 for "redevelopment" |
| Sunderland | 12 | Cineworld | |
| Slough | 10 | UGC | |
| Swindon — Greenbridge | 12 | Cineworld | Swindon was the only place to have a UGC & Cine-UK therefore had two Cineworld Cinemas for a brief time. |
| Wigan | 11 | UGC |
References
- ^ Cineworld PLC | The Market
- ^ Cineworld PLC | Company Overview
- ^ Cineworld PLC | About Us
- ^ "Blackstone Completes Sale of Remaining Stake in Cineworld" (PDF). Press release. The Blackstone Group. Retrieved 4 January 2011.
- ^ "Sneak peek at Cheltenham cinema's luxury Screening Rooms". This is Gloucestershire. 17 June 2011. Retrieved 1 June 2012.
- ^ "Cineworld Cinemas - FAQ". Retrieved 9 July 2011.
Can I bring in my own food and drink? - Cineworld have a strict NO FOOD AND DRINK policy.
- ^ Sethi, Anita (20 February 2008). "My mission to beat the great cinema food rip-off ..." The Guardian. London. Retrieved 9 July 2011.
- ^ "Cineworld Cinemas - FAQ". Retrieved 1 December 2012.
2.2 Alcohol and Food Policy: Neither alcohol nor hot food may be brought onto the premises. Only hot food bought on the premises may be consumed on the premises. Alcohol may only be purchased and consumed in Cineworld licensed bar areas or in licensed screens and licensing laws will be strictly enforced.
- ^ "Cineworld Cinemas: Unlimited Card Discounts".
- ^ Cineworld to operate O2 multiplex | Digital Look
- ^ Cineworld Group plc to partner with Quintain Estates and Development plc
- ^ [1]
External links
