Cobb Theatres

What Cobb Theatres does

Cobb Theatres, now operating as CMX Cinemas, is a U.S.-based private cinema exhibition chain founded in 1921 and headquartered in Birmingham, Alabama. The company operates 21 theatre locations across five states — Alabama, Florida, Illinois, North Carolina, and Virginia — under a multi-tier brand architecture that segments its offering by price point and experience intensity. The core product is standard movie exhibition (CMX Cinemas), augmented with premium formats including CMX CineBistro (full dine-in service with restaurant-quality F&B during the film), CMX Luxury (premium seating and amenities), CMX Stone Sports Bar (sports viewing), and IPIC Theaters (luxury cinema). Technology layers include licensed large-format and immersive systems (IMAX, D-BOX motion seating, RealD 3D) plus a proprietary premium screen tier called XTREME by CMX.

The operating model is direct-to-consumer physical retail with an online ticketing front-end at cmxcinemas.com. Revenue is generated across four streams: ticket sales (transaction fees across standard, premium, IMAX, and 3D showings), concessions and food service (including full dine-in restaurant revenue at CineBistro locations), private events and venue rentals (corporate screenings, parties, group bookings), and gift cards / CMX Rewards loyalty recurring revenue. Marketing runs across owned social channels (Facebook, Instagram, TikTok), email/CRM, and seasonal campaigns such as Summer Fun Fest. Headcount is in the 1,001–5,000 employee range, consistent with a mid-sized regional exhibitor operating multiple formats.

The firm has historically competed on multi-format differentiation rather than volume, with a heavy concentration of premium and dine-in sites in Florida and the Southeast. Alternative-content programming (FIFA World Cup match screenings) suggests an explicit strategy to diversify beyond first-run theatrical cycles. No public listing, funding rounds, M&A transaction details, management roster, or financial disclosures are present in the source data, which limits forward inference on growth or capital structure.

Name

Cobb Theatres

Website

https://cobbtheatres.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1921

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Short description

Cobb Theatres, operating as CMX Cinemas, is a privately held U.S. cinema chain running 21 theatres across five states under tiered brands (CMX Cinemas, CMX CineBistro, CMX Luxury, IPIC) with premium formats including IMAX, D-BOX, and RealD 3D, serving general moviegoers, premium dine-in customers, and private-event clients.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Cinema Exhibition Services

NAICS

Motion Picture Theaters (except Drive-Ins) (512131), Theater Companies and Dinner Theaters (711110)

SIC

Services-Motion Picture Theaters (7830), Retail-Eating & Drinking Places (5810)

akta.pro primary industry

Cinema Chains & Multiplex Operators (MPADAKAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Cinema Concessions & On-site F&B Operations (MPADAKAN), Private Screenings & Venue Rentals (Corporate, Parties) (MPADAKAJ), Cinema & Movie Ticketing (HSACALAD), Alternative Content Exhibition (Live Broadcasts, Concert Films, Sports, Opera) (MPADAKAG)

Keywords

• Movie theater chain
• Cinema exhibition services
• Dine-in cinema
• Premium movie formats
• Theatre concessions

Headquarters

HQ city

Birmingham

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices21 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Personnel, Supply Chain, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Ticket Sales: Revenue from admission tickets for movie screenings across all theatre formats including standard, IMAX, 3D, and premium formats. Customers can purchase advance tickets and same-day showtime tickets.
2. Concessions and Food Service: Revenue from food and beverage sales including traditional theatre concessions and full dine-in restaurant service at CMX CineBistro locations.
3. Private Events and Venue Rentals: Revenue from hosting private events including corporate screenings, parties, and venue rentals at theatre locations.
4. Gift Cards and Loyalty Program: Revenue from gift card sales and CMX Rewards loyalty program membership

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Cobb Theatres, operating as CMX Cinemas, runs a chain of 21 movie theaters across five U.S. states (Alabama, Florida, Illinois, North Carolina, Virginia) offering film screenings in multiple experience tiers ranging from standard cinemas to dine-in and luxury formats. The company sells movie admission tickets, food and beverage concessions, and full restaurant service at dine-in locations, and books private events such as corporate screenings and birthday parties. Supplementary offerings include gift cards and a customer loyalty rewards program (CMX Rewards).

Product overview

CMX Cinemas (formerly Cobb Theatres) operates a multi-tiered theater portfolio across 20+ locations in 5 U.S. states. The offering spans three primary experience tiers: (1) CMX Cinemas for standard movie viewing, (2) CMX CineBistro for upscale dine-in cinema with full food and beverage service, and (3) CMX Luxury for premium theater experiences. The company also operates CMX Stone Sports Bar for sports viewing and IPIC Theaters for luxury cinema. Technology add-ons include IMAX large-format screens, D-BOX motion seating, XTREME by CMX premium format, and RealD 3D. Supporting services include CMX Rewards loyalty program, gift cards, private event bookings, and seasonal promotions like Summer Fun Fest. The portfolio covers 5 states (Alabama, Florida, Illinois, North Carolina, Virginia) with venue sizes ranging from 6-screen boutique theaters to 19-screen multiplexes.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• CMX CineBistro: Dine-in theater experience with food and beverage service
• CMX Luxury
• CMX Cinemas
• CMX Stone Sports Bar
• IPIC Theaters

Products and services

• CMX Cinemas (Standard Theater Experience) Standard movie theater experience offering showtimes for current and upcoming films at multiplex locations in Alabama, Florida, Illinois, North Carolina, and Virginia. Targeted at general moviegoers seeking everyday cinema entertainment.
• CMX CineBistro (Dine-In Cinema) Dine-in cinema combining restaurant-quality food and beverage service with movie viewing at select locations. Targeted at premium customers seeking an upscale cinematic dining experience.
• CMX Luxury Luxury theater experience featuring premium seating, enhanced amenities, and superior viewing conditions. Targeted at consumers seeking elevated comfort beyond standard cinema.
• IPIC Theaters Luxury cinema brand under the CMX umbrella featuring premium seating, full-service dining, and curated bar offerings for guests seeking high-end moviegoing experiences.
• Private Events Booking service for corporate events, birthday parties, and private screenings held at CMX theater locations. Targeted at organizations and individuals seeking venue rentals for private gatherings.
• Gift Cards Gift card product redeemable across CMX Cinemas locations for tickets, concessions, and dining purchases. Targeted at consumers purchasing gifts or pre-paid entertainment.

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• IMAXcoreTechnology or IntegrationIMAX provides large-format projection and sound technology for enhanced movie viewing at CMX Cinemas locations. CMX locations feature IMAX screens as premium viewing options.
• D-BOXcoreTechnology or IntegrationD-BOX provides motion-enabled seating technology that syncs with on-screen action for immersive viewing experience at select CMX locations.
• RealD 3DcoreTechnology or IntegrationRealD provides 3D projection technology for three-dimensional movie presentation at CMX Cinemas locations.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Alamo Drafthouse Cinema: Dine-in cinema chain known for in-theatre food and beverage service, comparable to CMX CineBistro. Operates 40+ locations with strong brand differentiation around premium F&B and curated programming, serving a similar premium-segment consumer.
• IPIC Theaters: Luxury dine-in cinema brand actually operated under the Cobb/CMX umbrella per the data. The flagship luxury brand within the Cobb/CMX portfolio, serving as both a sibling brand and a relevant comparable for premium-segment positioning.
• Studio Movie Grill: Dine-in cinema concept operator with around 30 locations, directly comparable to CMX CineBistro. Targets a similar premium consumer with full-service in-theatre dining and a comparable regional footprint.
• Marcus Theatres: Regional US cinema chain with 70+ locations primarily in the Midwest. Most directly comparable as a privately-controlled regional exhibitor with similar scale dynamics, premium-format investments, and dine-in options (Movie Tavern).
• Santikos Entertainment: Texas-based regional cinema operator with premium and dine-in concepts (Santikos Palladium, Aventura, Bijou). Comparable as a privately-controlled multi-format regional chain with a similar premium-focused strategy.
• B&B Theatres: Family-owned regional cinema chain operating roughly 50 locations across the Midwest, South, and Southeast. Highly comparable to Cobb/CMX as a privately-held multi-state exhibitor with a mix of standard and premium-format screens.

Broad incumbents

• AMC Theatres: Largest US cinema chain with 900+ screens nationally. Directly comparable business model of theatrical exhibition plus premium formats (IMAX, Dolby, dine-in), but at vastly greater scale. AMC's loyalty program (AMC Stubs) and mobile app set the digital benchmark Cobb/CMX lacks.
• Cinemark Holdings: Third-largest US cinema chain with 300+ theatres and 4,000+ screens. Operates the Cinemark XD premium format and dine-in options comparable to CMX Luxury and CMX CineBistro, with strong presence in Texas and the Sunbelt that overlaps with Cobb/CMX's geography.
• Regal Cinemas: National multiplex operator owned by Cineworld, operating 500+ screens across the US. Closest direct large-scale competitor with similar format diversity (standard, IMAX, 4DX, ScreenX) and serves overlapping markets in the Southeast and Mid-Atlantic.

Others

• IMAX Corporation: Technology partner and exhibitor with its own IMAX-branded theatre network. While not a direct competitor, IMAX is a core premium-format partner for Cobb/CMX and represents the dominant premium large-format technology stack the chain relies on for differentiation.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/cmxcinebistro
• Instagraminstagram.com/cmxcinemas
• TikToktiktok.com/@cmxcinemas?lang=en
• Xx.com/cobbtheatres

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Cobb Theatres