National Cinemedia is rolling out a lobby-based digital display network across 285 AMC theaters with Creative Realities, expanding cinema advertising beyond the screen into full-venue DooH.
DooH: 285 AMC Theaters to Feature In-Lobby Ad Network
National Cinemedia is pushing deeper into place-based media, using theater lobbies as a new layer of inventory designed to reach audiences before they enter the auditoriums.
The initiative will add multiple large-format digital displays – typically 75-inch screens – in theater lobbies, creating a new video-driven media network designed to engage audiences before they enter auditoriums.
The idea is straightforward: capture attention earlier and hold it longer. Instead of limiting messaging to pre-show spots, advertisers will now have a continuous presence from the moment moviegoers walk in until they take their seats.
NCM will handle advertising sales and content management for the network, while Creative Realities will be responsible for hardware, installation, and ongoing operations across the footprint.
The companies are pitching the rollout as both an experience upgrade and a revenue expansion. Lobby screens will carry a mix of brand campaigns, cinema-related content like trailers, and potentially interactive elements tied to the in-theater journey.
For exhibitors, it effectively turns underutilized lobby space into a scalable media channel. For advertisers, it adds another layer to what is already one of the more “captive” environments in out-of-home.
The move also reflects a broader shift in cinema media strategy. NCM has long dominated the pre-show environment through its Noovie programming, but this expands its reach into a more holistic, full-location network – something closer to retail media thinking than traditional cinema advertising.
Rollout is scheduled to begin this quarter, with all 285 locations expected to be live by the end of 2026.