The Reel Picture

What The Reel Picture does

The Reel Picture Ltd is a privately held, owner-operated cinema chain operating two locations in Cork, Ireland — a 6-screen site at Time Square, Ballincollig and a 7-screen site at Blackpool Retail Park, for a combined 13 screens and approximately 1,400 free parking spaces. The company runs a multi-format cinema business built around BARCO Series 4 4K laser projection (the "PURE" premium experience), fully electric recliner seats, and Dolby Digital 7.1/5.1 sound. Its technical stack is conventional cinema exhibition hardware; no proprietary software, AI, or proprietary technology is disclosed beyond the configuration of commercial projection equipment.

The business sells cinema attendance through multiple purchase channels: walk-in box office, online booking via the admit-one platform, telephone reservations, and corporate bulk-voucher sales (books of 50 at €7.50 each). Pricing is tiered across standard adult (€10.50–€13.30), family, VIP/Recliner upgrades (€1.30–€2.50), and midweek promotions (Silver Screen Mondays, Take Two Tuesdays, Student Saver Wednesdays, Reel Deal Thursdays) designed to drive weekday attendance. A point-based loyalty card (€1 = 1 point) supports repeat visits, and a native mobile app for iOS/Android/Windows provides booking and QR code entry.

The customer base is overwhelmingly consumer, with primary positioning on families with children (Kids Korner program), alongside dedicated accessibility screenings for autism/sensory needs and hearing-impaired audiences shown weekly. Revenue is generated from ticket sales, concession (food and beverage), €0.50 booking fees, gift vouchers, and corporate sales. The company is privately held with no disclosed parent company, no funding rounds, and no public financial reporting. Strategic technology partners include BARCO (projection), Dolby Laboratories (sound), and Realex (payment processing).

Name

The Reel Picture

Legal name

The Reel Picture Ltd

Website

https://thereelpicture.com

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Reel Picture is a privately held, two-location cinema chain in Cork, Ireland (Ballincollig and Blackpool) operating 13 screens with BARCO 4K laser, Dolby sound, recliner seating, family and accessibility-focused programming, and midweek promotional pricing for consumers and corporate bulk buyers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Cinema Exhibition

NAICS

Motion Picture Theaters (except Drive-Ins) (512131)

SIC

Services-Motion Picture Theaters (7830)

akta.pro primary industry

Programming, Booking & Repertory Exhibition Services (MPADAKAL)

akta.pro secondary industries

Cinema Concessions & On-site F&B Operations (MPADAKAN), Alternative Content Exhibition (Live Broadcasts, Concert Films, Sports, Opera) (MPADAKAG)

Keywords

• Cinema exhibition
• Movie theater operations
• Digital cinema projection
• Premium cinema seating
• Loyalty card programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Ballincollig

HQ country

Ireland

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Cinema Ticket Sales: One-time transaction revenue from admission tickets. Standard tickets, VIP seats, RECLINE seats, and 3D screenings. Pricing varies by time of day, day of week, and seat type.
2. Concession Sales: Food and beverage sales at self-service shop within cinema. Points awarded on purchases through loyalty program.
3. Loyalty Card Program: Points-based loyalty system: €1 equals 1 point on tickets and food. Points redeemable for free tickets. Drives repeat visits and customer retention.
4. Corporate Tickets/Vouchers: Bulk ticket sales to companies and sports/social outlets. Minimum 50 vouchers per order at €7.50 each, with 15% discount on concessions.
5. E-Voucher/Gift Cards: Digital gift vouchers available for purchase, redeemable for tickets and concessions.
6. Booking Fees: €0.50 booking fee per ticket for online and telephone sales.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

The Reel Picture operates two cinema venues in Cork, Ireland (Ballincollig and Blackpool) with a combined 13 screens, showing current film releases via digital projection with Dolby surround sound. The chain offers standard screenings, premium PURE auditoriums with BARCO Series 4 4K laser projection and electric recliner seats, and specialty programming such as Kids Korner, sensory-friendly, and hard-of-hearing subtitled screenings. Revenue is generated through ticket sales, concession purchases, seat upgrades (VIP and RECLINE), corporate bulk vouchers, gift e-vouchers, and a loyalty card program.

Product overview

The Reel Picture is a two-location cinema chain in Cork, Ireland (Ballincollig and Blackpool) operating as a single unified cinema service with multiple specialty screening programs and seating options. The core offering is standard digital cinema screenings across 6-7 screens per location. Premium experiences include PURE (BARCO 4K laser projection with electric recliners) and VIP/Recliner seat upgrades. Specialty offerings encompass Kids Korner, Sensory Friendly, and Hard of Hearing screenings. Additional services include a Loyalty Card program, Corporate Tickets bulk sales, E-Vouchers, and a mobile app for booking. The company also operates midweek promotional pricing programs (Silver Screen Mondays, Take Two Tuesdays, Student Saver Wednesdays, Reel Deal Thursdays).

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Standard Cinema Screenings Traditional digital cinema movie screenings with Dolby Digital 7.1/5.1 sound across 6 screens at Ballincollig and 7 screens at Blackpool, available to general public cinema goers.
• PURE Premium Experience Premium cinema experience featuring BARCO Series 4 4K laser projection, Hi-Perlux screen finish, CINEMASCOPE aspect ratio screens up to 15m, acoustically treated walls, and fully electric recliner seats with extra legroom. Available at both Ballincollig and Blackpool locations.
• Kids Korner Screenings Saturday and Sunday morning family-friendly screenings where one adult enters free with each child ticket purchased, providing affordable family entertainment at approximately €10.75 per adult and €9.45 per child.
• Sensory Friendly Screenings Sunday morning screenings designed for children and adults with autism or sensory needs, featuring lights up, lowered sound, and a welcoming atmosphere with no noise restrictions.
• Hard of Hearing / Subtitled Screenings

Quantifiable outcome

• Kids Korner pricing: 1 free adult per paying child, tickets from €10.75 for 2 seats
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Realex Payment ServicescoreOthersCredit card authorization and payment processing provider. All card payments are processed through Realex. The cinema does not store customer card details - Realex handles secure payment authorization.
• The Carers Association of IrelandminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerProvides complimentary cinema tickets to carers (FCI card holders) accompanying clients/family members. Free ticket available Monday-Thursday excluding bank holidays. Valid with presentation of FCI card and photo ID.
• BARCOcoreTechnology or IntegrationTechnology provider for PURE projection system - BARCO Series 4 4K laser projectors installed at both cinema locations for premium viewing experience.
• Dolby LaboratoriescoreTechnology or IntegrationAudio technology provider - Dolby Digital 7.1 and 5.1 sound systems installed in all theatres. Sound regularly EQ'd by Dolby certified technicians.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Vue Cinemas: Large UK/international cinema chain operating multiplexes in Ireland. Comparable as a cinema exhibitor offering premium screens, recliners and online booking, but at much greater scale and capital depth than The Reel Picture.
• Cineworld Group: Global cinema chain with Irish presence, competing in the same exhibition category with multi-screen venues, premium formats and loyalty programs. Much larger but relevant as benchmark for chain exhibition business models.

Direct peers

• Omniplex Cinemas: Ireland's largest independent cinema chain with multiplex venues across the country including Cork. Directly competes with The Reel Picture for theatrical audiences in the same Cork market with overlapping ticketing, loyalty and concession business models.
• Gate Cinema Cork: Independent cinema in Cork city offering mainstream screenings. Comparable as a regional single-city exhibition competitor with similar programming and ticketing approach.
• Savoy Cinema Cork: Historic Cork city-centre cinema offering mainstream and event programming. Direct local competitor in Cork with comparable single-city exhibition footprint and ticketing/concession model.

Emerging players

• Arc Cinema: Independent Irish cinema chain with regional locations. Comparable as a small-chain Irish exhibitor with similar multi-screen local positioning and ticketing/concession revenue mix.
• Stella Cinema: Boutique cinema operator with premium/boutique positioning in Ireland. Comparable as a differentiated independent exhibitor leaning into upscale seating and curated programming versus standard multiplexes.
• Palace Cinema (various): Independent Irish cinema venues often operating single-screen or boutique locations. Comparable as a small-format exhibitor with family/specialty programming in regional Irish markets.

Regional players

• Eclipse Cinemas: Independent Irish cinema operator with regional venues outside Cork. Comparable as an Irish independent cinema chain serving similar mid-tier market positions with local exhibition focus.
• IMC Cinemas: Irish regional cinema operator with multiple locations. Comparable as an independent Irish exhibition chain targeting similar local communities and family audiences.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-reel-picture

Compliance1 record

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 The Reel Picture