AMC, the world's No. 1 movie chain, posted its biggest quarterly revenue ever, thanks to strong box office for "Barbie" and "Oppenheimer," which opened in July 2023. But AMC's post-pandemic debt didn't save Oppenheimer;

AMC recently sold $350 million in stock to pay down debt, which caused earnings to plummet. As the world's number one theater chain, AMC's performance is a barometer for the entire theater industry. The theater industry can come back, but in the age of streaming, it's unlikely to be as profitable as it once was.

On a positive note, however, theaters still have the most competitive pricing among outdoor performance services. Since the pandemic, targeted pricing for events that provide a direct experience to customers, such as concerts and musicals, has increased significantly.