# Regal Cinemas, IFTA, CNC Launch Pilot to Test Whether Smarter Programming Can Reverse Falling Theater Admissions

- URL: https://talkfuse.com/story/regal-cinemas-ifta-cnc-launch-pilot-to-test-whether-smarter-programming-can-reverse-falling-theater-admissions/
- Published: 2026-09-07T09:00:00+00:00
- Updated: 2026-09-07T09:36:16+00:00
- Original publisher: Variety
- Original article: https://variety.com/2026/film/news/regal-cinemas-ifta-cnc-pilot-reverse-falling-theater-admissions-1236853853/
- Topics: Art, Culture, Entertainment, Europe, Film, Geopolitics, Politics, World

## Key points

- New pilot tests smarter cinema programming to boost falling attendance.
- Regal, IFTA and CNC launch scheme using under-used screens.
- Trial starts Q4 2026; first results expected in H1 2027.

## Summary

Regal Cinemas, the Independent Film & Television Alliance (IFTA) and France's CNC have launched the Future of Distribution pilot, an international scheme to hand under-used cinema screens to a neutral programmer in an attempt to boost falling theatre attendance. Announced on Monday at the Lumière Summit in Saint-Paul-de-Vence, France, the initiative reflects a sharp decline in the sector: North American admissions fell to roughly 770 million in 2025, down about 37% from 2019, even as screen numbers stayed largely constant and occupancy hovered at just 11-15%. Organisers argue the problem is a mismatch between films, venues and showtimes rather than a lack of audience demand.

Under the pilot, participating cinemas will voluntarily offer a set number of idle screens and timeslots to an independent programmer tasked purely with maximising attendance, covering wide releases, documentaries, repertory titles and special events without deference to studio or circuit priorities. Five guiding principles underpin the scheme: opt-in participation, preservation of existing release windows, independent time-limited oversight, use of only otherwise-dark capacity, and shared results across all participants. The pilot begins in selected markets in the fourth quarter of 2026, with an initial findings report due in the first half of 2027.

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Summarised by TalkFuse (https://talkfuse.com/). Quote the original publisher for the reporting and link this page for the summary and discussion.