Exhibition News

New York, N.Y. - Screenvision, a leading cinema advertising sales, services and content distribution company, today announced a new long-term contract with Reading International, which owns and manages 50 cinemas with 450 screens, as well as live theatres and commercial real estate assets, in the United States, Australia and New Zealand.

Under the agreement, Screenvision holds exclusive screen advertising sales representation rights for Reading’s U.S.-based City Cinemas brand, Reading Cinemas brand and Consolidated Theatres brand movie theatres. This includes 19 theatres and 207 screens, with significant distribution in New York, NY, San Diego, CA and Honolulu, HI. Inclusive of Reading screens, Screenvision’s U.S. cinema advertising network exceeds 14,500 screens across more than 2,300 theatres nationwide.

Ellen Cotter, Chief Operating Officer, Domestic Cinemas, for Reading Cinemas commented, “Screenvision’s unparalleled record and reputation within the cinema advertising community as leaders in technology and service along with their top-notch advertising network confirmed our decision to forge ahead. We anticipate that this new deal and the digitizing of our screens will lead to more rewarding, new revenue opportunities.”

Also under the agreement, Screenvision will install its satellite-based digital network in all City Cinemas, Reading Cinemas and Consolidated locations. Screenvision’s digital network delivers to theatres pre-movie entertainment and advertising content as well as specialty programming such as concerts, sports programming and other consumer entertainment, and is compatible with “2K” and “4K” digital projection equipment used to exhibit feature films. In New York City, Reading screens will be live on Screenvision’s digital network by the end of 2008. The remaining screens are scheduled to be digitized in first quarter of 2009, which will bring Screenvision’s total digital network to more than 7,000 screens nationwide.

“We are highly sensitive to the changing business models across the exhibition landscape,” said Darryl Schaffer, executive vice president of exhibitor relations for Screenvision. “Through digital deployment, alternative programming, research services and other offerings, we are focused on driving real revenue enhancement for partners like Reading as a complement to our advertising sales capabilities.”