IMAX is exploring a sale as premium cinema demand hits records

Any transaction remains far from certain, with the Journal characterizing the effort as still in its earliest phases. No official pitches have been made, a source told CNBC, describing the activity so far as only "preliminary talks" conducted through go-betweens. The source, speaking anonymously given the sensitivity of the matter, added that gauging outside interest is something the company's bankers do from time to time.

Shares rose about 10% in Thursday after-hours trading once the news broke. The company did not provide a statement when contacted by Reuters.

CEO Rich Gelfond signaled openness to a sale at the company's investor day in December. "We're very excited about all of those possibilities. And we're going to run our business to maximize value in every possible way," he said, according to CNBC. Rich Gelfond recently returned to work after taking medical leave to receive treatment for pneumonia.

The sale exploration comes as IMAX has posted strong financial results. Global box office receipts reached $1.28 billion in 2025 — a figure that topped the prior record from 2019 by 13% and represented a gain of more than 40% compared with 2024. On a share basis, IMAX captured 5.2% of the domestic box office — a record, and an improvement from 4.5% the year prior — while its slice of the global market expanded to 3.8% from 3.1%.

Premium large format screens have grown in popularity across the industry. EntTelligence data cited by CNBC shows the average PLF ticket fetched $16.88 in 2025, when those screens made up 16.3% of domestic sales — compared with an average price of $15.42 and roughly a 14% share back in 2021.

First-quarter revenue came in at $81.4 million, reflecting a 6% year-over-year decrease. The result still cleared the $80.28 million consensus estimate, Reuters reported.