Cineworld Group (LSE:CINE)

Cineworld is a UK-headquartered cinema group, founded in 1995. After its acquisition of US group Regal Entertainment in 2018, it became the second largest cinema business in the world by number of screens. As of 31 December 2021, it had 9,189 screens at 751 sites across 10 countries. Its geographical reporting segments are the US, UK and Ireland, and Rest of the World. The US is by far its largest market. The Rest of the World segment consists of Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Hungary, Israel, Poland, Romania and Slovakia. The group's primary brands are Regal in the US, Cineworld and Picturehouse in the UK and Ireland, Cinema City in central and eastern Europe, and Yes Planet and Rav-Chen in Israel. Early in the Covid-19 pandemic, Cineworld pulled out of a deal to acquire Canadian group Cineplex. An Ontario court awarded Cineplex damages of C$1.24bn in December 2021, which Cineworld is appealing.