Test idle screens with a neutral programmer
Regal/Cineworld, IFTA and CNC announced a pilot using a neutral programmer to place films into otherwise-idle screen capacity. It is an observed test design with no published results yet.
Published 14 September 2026
The idea
Use a neutral programmer to test whether unused screen capacity can find demand outside the normal booking process.
Evidence
Observed pilot announcement. Markets, costs, sample size, controls, bookings and results have not been disclosed.
Operator takeaway
Neutral curation may reduce the coordination problem between available films and empty sessions, but the model needs a clear counterfactual.
Try this
Allocate a small set of genuinely idle sessions, let an independent programmer select titles, and compare contribution with the normal booking process.
Measure
Sessions programmed, occupancy, contribution, audience mix, marketing cost, displacement and repeat attendance.
Watch out for
The pilot has not yet reported results. Markets, costs, sample size and controls remain undisclosed.
What is known
The partners announced a pilot intended to explore a new route for independent films and available cinema capacity, with a neutral programming role between rights holders and exhibitors. The announcement establishes the design, not its performance.
What is not known
The pilot has not yet reported results. Markets, costs, sample size and controls remain undisclosed. The available sources do not support claims about effectiveness, incrementality, return on investment, retention or paid-repeat behaviour beyond the evidence stated above.
What another operator could test
Pre-register which screens and sessions count as idle, record the normal-programming comparison, and publish both successful and cancelled screenings.
Sources
Supporting sources
- IFTA and Regal Cinemas/Cineworld Group announce distribution pilot — Lumière Summit (opens in a new tab)
Source dated 1 September 2026 · Reviewed by CIA 14 September 2026
Explore related topics
- Challenge: Fill midweek screenings
- Challenge: Measurement and evidence
- Challenge: Programming and discovery
- Audience: Cinephiles
- Audience: General audience
- Theme: Operations
- Theme: Partnerships
- Theme: Programming
More related ideas
Stay updated
Get new Cinemas in Action briefings by email.
New ideas you could test, with the evidence behind them. Occasional operator briefings and new case studies — no marketing, no third parties.