When you buy an IMAX ticket for that blockbuster movie, a big chunk of your money doesn’t stay with the theater. The theater typically keeps just a small portion after splitting the revenue with studios and others, often netting only $2 to $4 in profit per standard ticket, though premium IMAX tickets around $20 to $25 might boost that a bit higher due to their steeper base price[1][3][4].
Studios take the lion’s share of box office sales, usually 50 to 60 percent during a film’s opening weeks, leaving theaters with the rest after covering overhead like operating costs that can top $300,000 a year per location[1]. For IMAX specifically, the company earns its own cut from those box office sales as a percentage, on top of upfront fees from installing high-end systems like IMAX with Laser[3]. This setup means a $22 IMAX ticket might leave the theater with 20 to 25 percent margin after splits and expenses, better than the 10 to 15 percent from regular tickets[1].
Theaters push IMAX hard because it draws crowds seeking the giant screen thrill, but their real money comes from popcorn and drinks with 80 percent margins, not tickets[1][4]. Shorter runs before streaming, plus rising costs, force higher prices, yet attendance lags pre-pandemic levels, squeezing theater profits further[1][4]. IMAX benefits as blockbusters flock to its screens for premium sales boosts[7].
Sources
https://www.alibaba.com/product-insights/why-is-amc-so-expensive-ticket-prices-more-explained.html
https://simplywall.st/stocks/us/media/nyse-imax/imax/news/assessing-imax-after-a-50-rally-and-strong-premium-theater-e
https://portersfiveforce.com/blogs/how-it-works/imax
https://247wallst.com/investing/2025/12/09/streaming-apocalypse-how-netflix-could-kill-amc-and-movie-theaters-forever/
https://www.oreateai.com/blog/the-rising-cost-of-movie-tickets-what-to-expect-in-2025/2b992dea64d6e8c3667e076463ab6a29
https://www.gurufocus.com/news/4091923/imax-imax-poised-for-gains-amid-2026-box-office-surge?mobile=true
https://www.avclub.com/imax-screens-fight-fraught-narnia-running-man
