Faster, higher, stronger – and popcorn. That’s what’s on tap at movie theaters across the country this summer.
For the first time in Olympics history, the 2024 Paris Summer Games will be screened in movie theaters. More than 150 IMAX theaters are live broadcasting the opening ceremony on July 26, and starting July 27, 160 AMC Theatres nationwide will be screening select live daytime coverage from NBC each day. The experiment will run through the end of the Games on Aug. 11.
Movie theaters have been trying to boost struggling post-pandemic attendance in several ways. This latest twist may open up a new horizon for group entertainment.
“Sports fans like to cheer together, and during the last [Summer] Olympics, we noticed the watch parties across the United States that NBC showcased during their coverage,” Ryan Noonan, vice president of corporate communications at AMC Theatres, told Yahoo Entertainment. “Whether it was a hometown crowd coming together to cheer on their local Olympic athlete or youth sports clubs gathering to root for their favorite competitors, there was clearly interest in these gatherings and group watch parties.”
Virtual watch parties were the inspiration for the NBC partnership.
The Olympics opening ceremony on July 26 will be broadcast live at select IMAX theaters nationwide, kicking off at 1:30 p.m. ET.
The theater locations have not been confirmed. Ticket prices will be determined by the venues.
The Olympics are expected to run four hours each day per screening. Each ticket entitles its bearer to a block of time, with coverage anticipated to include basketball, swimming, volleyball, and track and field.
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