National CineMedia Starts New Advertising Segment In Movie Theaters

National CineMedia, the in-theater advertising network, says it is shifting some ad inventory -- as well as launching a new premium advertising spot -- that will run just after the official start time of a movie.

Currently, NCM’s advertising pre-show “Noovie runs around 20-25 minutes of advertising content before the movie. After this ad segment ends, the movie begins at its advertised start time (This customarily starts with two trailers of upcoming movies from the same studio).

NCM says five minutes of national advertising onscreen inventory will now run at the advertised time of the film -- as well as the unit called the “platinum” spot (up to one minute long), which will run just prior to the trailers attached to the feature film.

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So a scheduled start time of 8 p.m. for a movie (including the trailers) would actually begin at 8:05 p.m.

The new five-minute segment/plus the platinum spot will run in theaters with “dimmed” trailer lighting. National CineMedia CEO Tom Lesinski has said theater owners will get 25% of the revenue from the platinum spots.

Beginning in November, this new advertising effort will run in Regal and Cinemark theaters  -- approximately 55% of NCM ad networks. NCM says it is continuing its talks with all theater owners.

One major theater chain, AMC Theaters, says it is strongly opposed to the new NCM move, according to a report in Deadline, and in a reported statement expressed its "concerns that U.S. moviegoers would react quite negatively to the concept.” 

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