Wave of consolidation 攻撃する，衝突するs cinema

By This Is Money
Updated: 00:00 BST, 3 November 1999

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It looks like 存在 a much better end to the year for Britain's cinema 産業 than (n)役員／(a)執行力のあるs dared hope a few months ago, but more bums on seats since June will not save it from a wave of consolidation.

出席s have also been 上げるd by Austin 力／強力にするs and the a rrival of 星／主役にする Wars, 社債 is on the way and you don't have to have a sixth sense to 予報する the 最新の Bruce Willis 攻撃する，衝突する will do 井戸／弁護士席 here before Christmas.

But cast your mind 支援する to the start of the year and try to 指名する more than one big film 攻撃する，衝突する and you can see why the major cinema owners are looking for the 出口s. Though the Blair Witch 事業／計画（する） is packing in the punters, it seems some British cinema owners are too 脅すd to open their wallets, but more than happy to の近くに after a big sale of 審査するs to foreign 買い手s.

A 長引かせるd 増加する in audience numbers during the 早期に and 中央の-1990s 解雇する／砲火／射撃d a 早い period of 審査する 拡大, fuelled by new cash-rich entrants such as Virgin. While the cinema chains, 特に the multiplexes, are still making money, the building spree that has 増加するd 審査する numbers to levels not seen since the 1960s, has not been matched by 同等（の） 出席 growth over the past two years.

History would 示唆する that when Richard Branson jumps it is usually in the 権利 direction, and Virgin Group last month sold his 34-場所／位置 multiplex 網状組織 with 310 審査するs for £215 million to フラン's Union G?n?rale Cinematographique, an (v)提携させる(n)支部，加入者 of expansionist French 複合的な／複合企業体 Vivendi.

Hoyts, the Australian cinema chain owned by Kerry Packer that 約束d a major 拡大 運動 into Britain, has since 支援する-pedalled and 非公式に the 階級 Group's cinema 資産s are now also on the auction 封鎖する through Goldman Sachs. 分析家s think this is all a trailer for a major wave of 合併s and buyouts in which the 勝利者s will be those with 深い pockets and patience.

階級, which through Odeon has a 主要な 24% of the British cinema market with 79 場所／位置s and 470 審査するs, has been looking to shed the cinemas as part of 長，指導者 (n)役員／(a)執行力のある マイク Smith's 計画（する）s to 減ずる the leisure group's overhanging 負債 重荷（を負わせる）. An 申し込む／申し出 of £300 million to £350 million is said to be 切迫した. A 範囲 of 投機・賭ける 資本主義者s is said to be 利益／興味d, 含むing 基金s controlled b y George Soros, Candover and 投資する-corp. 階級's Deluxe ビデオ arm and Pinewood studios will not be 含むd.

Other than 個人として-owned ABC, the other big 産業 player is 最高位の and 全世界の／万国共通の-owned UCI, which opened its first British multiplex in 1985 and now has a total of 34 here and in Ireland 同様に as major European 操作／手術s.