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11/21/2024 07:34:28 pm

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Wanda's AMC Buys Nordic Cinema for $929M

AMC's Odeon & UCI Cinemas has 2,926 screens worldwi

(Photo : Getty Images) AMC's Odeon & UCI Cinemas has 2,926 screens worldwide.

Dalian Wanda Group's AMC Entertainment Holdings has bought Stockholm-based Nordic Cinema Group Holding for $929 million in cash.

The deal was made by private equity firm Bridgepoint and Swedish media group Bonnier Holding. The agreement is still subject to approval from the European Union. It is conditional upon antitrust clearance by the European Commission in the first half of the year. This deal comes after AMC’s acquisition of the largest cinema operator in Western Europe, Odeon-UCI, in November 2016.

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After closing the deal, Nordic will retain its Stockholm headquarters, but it will be organized as a subsidiary of Odeon Cinemas Group. The acquisition of Nordic will add 68 cinemas and 463 screens to the London-based Odeon & UCI Cinemas, adding to the existing 361 cinemas and 2,926 screens.

“For the third time in the past 12 months, we believe we have discovered a substantial acquisition that gives AMC yet another opportunity to further expand and diversify our geographic reach and more firmly establish AMC as the undisputed leader in movie exhibition worldwide,” said AMC CEO and President Adam Aron in a statement.

Nordic Cinema Group is considered the largest chain in seven Scandinavian and Baltic countries. It has 68 cinemas with 463 screens in about 50 large and medium-sized cities in the Nordic and Baltic nations. Also, the company has made several substantial minority investments in 50 associated theaters with 201 screens.

Currently, Nordic is number two in terms of market share in Norway and the leader in market share in Sweden, Finland, Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania.

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