AMC Entertainment Holdings Incorporated is now officially the nation’s largest movie theater chain.
The exhibitor said Wednesday it had closed its $1.1 billion acquisition of Carmike Cinemas Inc., a tie-up that unseats Regal Entertainment Group for the No. 1 spot.
AMC, which had been the second largest exhibitor, now operates 661 theaters with 8,200 screens in the U.S. The deal was granted antitrust clearance by the Justice Department on Tuesday, in a settlement that required the companies to sell theaters in 15 markets.
AMC will invest millions of dollars in upgrading between 50 and 100 of Carmike’s 271 locations with plush recliners that have been a boon to attendance at AMC theaters.
This will affect the Carmike 12 in Cartersville, as it will now be an AMC theater in the New Year.