In an era where streaming services dominate home entertainment and blockbuster premieres alone struggle to fill seats — unless it's something on the scale of a new Avatar — U.S. movie theaters are getting creative to revive the communal cinema experience.
Enter National Popcorn Day on January 19, a quirky holiday that's being leveraged nationwide to lure audiences not just with films, but with irresistible deals on the buttery staple that's become synonymous with the silver screen.
This year, theaters are rolling out one-day-only promotions, discounts, and special offers on popcorn, backed by industry heavyweights like Cinema United, The Cinema Foundation, and ticket service Fandango as the presenting sponsor.
The initiative isn't just about celebrating a snack; it's a strategic play to boost foot traffic and concession sales amid a shifting landscape where attendance has yet to fully rebound from pre-pandemic highs.
The broader context reveals a film industry in flux. Domestic box office revenue for 2025 clocked in at $8.87 billion, a modest uptick from the previous year, but actual attendance tells a more sobering story: an estimated 780 million people visited theaters, down nearly 5% from 820 million in 2024.
This decline continues a trend, with current attendance levels hovering at just 64% of pre-COVID figures.
Factors like higher ticket prices — averaging $11.31 nationwide — and competition from at-home viewing options have made cinema outings less frequent for many. Even with more wide releases in 2025 (112 compared to 94 in 2024), the average gross per film dropped over 14%, underscoring diluted demand.
Yet, there's a silver lining: habitual moviegoers (those attending six or more films annually) increased by 8%, and Gen Z led the charge with a 25% rise in frequency, averaging 6.1 visits per person. Loyalty programs also surged, with a 15% jump in new subscriptions, signaling that targeted incentives can rebuild habits.
At the heart of these efforts lies the humble popcorn kernel, which has long been the unsung hero of theater profitability. While ticket sales are split roughly 50-50 with studios, theaters pocket nearly all concession revenue — often 100% after costs. Concessions, led by popcorn, account for about 20-30% of gross revenues but a whopping 40% of profits at many chains.
Profit margins on items like popcorn and soda can exceed 85%, with markups reaching as high as 1,275% due to low production costs (under $0.50 per serving). For major players like AMC and Cinemark, concessions represent around one-third of total domestic sales, with AMC alone raking in $1.67 billion from food and beverages in 2023 — a figure that outpaces the annual revenue of some national restaurant chains.
A recent Fandango survey of over 6,000 moviegoers reinforces this: 96% purchase concessions, with 61% opting for a variety, and popcorn reigning as the top choice.
This year's National Popcorn Day push is a prime example of how theaters are innovating to capitalize on these dynamics. Participating venues across the country are offering tailored deals — think discounted buckets, combo specials, or even free refills—which can be scoped out via local theater apps, websites like AtTheMovies.co, or Fandango.
The campaign emphasizes popcorn as an integral part of the "movie magic," with Cinema United's President and CEO Michael O’Leary calling it "the amazing combination of movies and popcorn together that you simply can’t replicate anywhere else." Fandango's EVP Jerramy Hainline echoes this, noting that "concessions like popcorn play a big role in making every theater visit memorable."
Beyond basic discounts, some theaters are enhancing the allure with licensed merchandise, such as themed popcorn buckets priced from $10 to $50, which not only boost sales but create collectible mementos that extend the experience beyond the screen.
Critics might argue that popcorn pairs just as well with Netflix binges at home, but theater advocates counter that the shared, immersive atmosphere elevates it to something special. As attendance wanes and streaming encroaches, these events aim to rekindle the "chewing reflex" while infusing it with cultural significance.
With a promising 2026 slate — including anime adaptations and video game films poised to attract Gen Z — theaters are betting that blending nostalgia, value, and innovation will keep the popcorn popping and the seats filled. After all, in an industry where snacks often out-earn the stars, a day dedicated to popcorn might just be the blockbuster they need.
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