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Cineworld Group

cine · LSE Consumer Cyclical
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Industry Leisure
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FY2019 Annual Report · Cineworld Group
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Annual Report and Accounts 2019

The Best Place  
to Watch a Movie

Our History

Always The Best Place  
to Watch a Movie

1930
Armon Theater cinema 
was built in Israel by 
Moshe Greidinger, 
grandfather of our 
current CEO

1997
Opened first 
multiplex 
in Hungary

1995
Cineworld founded 
by Steve Wiener

No.2 
UK cinema chain

1989
Regal Cinemas 
founded in Knoxville, 
Tennessee

1930

1985

1990

1995

2000

2006
Successful IPO 
on the Warsaw 
stock exchange

2011
No. 1 
cinema player 
in Central and 
Eastern Europe

2018
Cineworld completes 
acquisition of Regal 
Entertainment Group

2004
Cineworld acquired 
UK operations 
of UGC

2007
IPO of Cineworld 
on the London 
stock exchange

2012
Acquired 
Picturehouse 
chain of cinemas

2014
Merger with Cinema 
City International

2020
Proposed 
acquisition of 
Cineplex Inc

2008
Acquired 
Consolidated Theatres

2013
Acquired Hollywood  
Theaters

2002
Mr. Anschutz acquired 
Regal cinemas, United 
Artist Theatres, Edwards 
cinemas and consolidated 
all three into a single 
holding company, Regal 
Entertainment Group 
Listed on New York 
stock exchange

2005

2010

2015

2020

The Best Place to Watch a Movie
2019 was a year of achievement for Cineworld. 
We continued to enhance our estate and 
consolidate our customer offering, with our 
refurbishment plan well underway. We are rolling 
out our leading film-viewing experience to more 
cinemas to deliver further exhilarating 
experiences for our customers.

Ours has been a story of growth and 
evolution to provide a superior entertainment 
experience. We are proud of our journey and 
unwavering vision of being The Best Place to 
Watch a Movie. 

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2019 Highlights
A solid performance 

Contents

Admissions 

275.0m

(2018: 308.4m(1))

Group Revenue 

$4,369.7m

(2018: $4,657.0m(1))

Adjusted EBITDA (under IAS 17)(2,3) 

Profit after tax 

$1,032.6m

(2018: $925.4m)

$180.3m

(2018: $284.3m under IAS 17)

Adjusted Profit after tax(2)

$293.0m

(2018: $325.9m under IAS 17)

Diluted EPS 

13.1c

(2018: 22.4c under IAS 17)

Adjusted Diluted EPS(3)  

Dividend Per Share 

21.3c

(restated 2018(4): 25.7c under IAS 17)

15.5c

(2018: 15.0c)

Total Shareholder Return

)
0
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700

600

500

400

300

200

100

0

Dec
2009

Dec
2010

Dec
2011

Dec
2012

Dec
2013

Dec
2014

Dec
2015

Dec
2016

Dec
2017

Dec
2018

Dec
2019

Cineworld

FTSE 250

FTSE All-Share Travel & Leisure

For more information visit: 
www.cineworldplc.com

Footnotes:

(1) 

 Pro-forma results reflect the Group and US performance had Regal been consolidated for 
the entirety of the comparative period from 1 January 2018 to 31 December 2018. Revenue is 
shown on a constant currency basis for the UK&I and the ROW reporting segments by 
applying the 2019 average exchange rates to the 2018 performance. Refer to Note 3 for the 
full reconciliation. 

(2)   From 1 January 2019, the Group has adopted IFRS 16 “Leases”, applying the modified 

retrospective approach. To provide comparability of the underlying results year on year, the 
results to 31 December 2019 have also been presented, excluding the impact of IFRS 16, and 
have been prepared in accordance with the previous leasing standard IAS 17. A reconciliation of 
the IFRS 16 2019 results to IAS 17 is provided in the Chief Financial Officer's Review.

(3)   Refer to Note 3 and Note 8 for the full definition and reconciliation.

(4)   The 2018 Adjusted basic Earnings Per Share and Adjusted diluted Earnings Per Share have 

been restated as set out in Note 1.

Strategic Report
p01-41

  04  Chairman’s Letter

  06   Chief Executive 
Officer’s Review

  10  Market Drivers

  12  Our Business Model

  14  Strategic Priorities and KPIs

  18  Strategy in Action

  24  Risk Management

  25   Principal Risks and 
Uncertainties

  32   Resources and Relationships

  36   Chief Financial 
Officer’s Review

Corporate Governance
p42-86

  42   Chairman’s Introduction  

to Governance

  44   Board of Directors

  47   Corporate Governance 

Statement

  57   Nomination 

Committee Report

  60   Audit Committee Report

  65   Remuneration Committee

  66   Directors’ Remuneration 

Report

  80   Directors’ Report

  86   Statement of  

Directors’ Responsibilities

Financial Statements
p87-165

  87   Independent Auditor’s Report

  95   Consolidated Statement  

of Profit or Loss

  96   Consolidated Statement of 
Comprehensive Income

  97   Consolidated Statement of 

Financial Position

  98   Consolidated Statement of 

Changes in Equity

  99   Consolidated Statement  

of Cash Flows

 100   Notes to the Consolidated 
Financial Statements

 154   Company Statement of  

Financial Position

 155   Company Statement of  
Changes in Equity

 156   Notes to the Company 

Financial Statements

 165   Shareholder Information

Cineworld Group plc  
Annual Report and Accounts 2019

01

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Our business at a glance

A snapshot 
of Cineworld

Our purpose
To provide our customers with a choice of how  
to watch a movie, in modern state-of-the-art 
cinemas with the latest technology and a variety  
of retail offerings, all underpinned by great 
customer service.

Our vision
To be “The Best Place to Watch a Movie”

Our values
Passion for People 
Passion for Innovation 
Passion for Achieving

Revenue by product and services

$2,536.1m

Box office

$1,240.3m

Retail

$593.3m

Other

Number of screens

135

Number of  
IMAX screens

83

Number of  
4DX screens

118

Number of  
PLF(1) screens

50

Number of  
ScreenX screens

(1) 

 PLF is defined as Premium Large Format and includes RPX screens in the US and Superscreen screens in the UK and ROW

02

Cineworld Group plc 
Annual Report and Accounts 2019

Our brands

7,178
screens 
546
sites

1,087
screens 
102
sites

1,006
screens 
102
sites

93
screens 
26
sites

136
screens 
11
sites

Cineworld today

10

countries 

787

sites

9,500 

screens

30,000+ 

employees

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UK & Ireland

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Poland

Czech  
Republic

Slovakia

United States

Hungary

Romania

Bulgaria

Israel

Screens

Sites

Admissions

Revenue

Adjusted EBITDA

 US 

7,178

 US 

546

 US 

177.3m

 US 

$3,209.6m

 US 

$1,197.1m

 UK & Ireland 

1,180

 UK & Ireland 

 RoW 

1,142

 RoW 

128

113

 UK & Ireland 

48.2m

 UK & Ireland 

$648.4m

 UK & Ireland 

$192.2m

 RoW 

49.5m

 RoW 

$511.7m

 RoW 

$191.0m

Cineworld Group plc  
Annual Report and Accounts 2019

03

 
 
 
Chairman’s Letter

Strong 
foundations 
for the
future

We are well positioned to capitalise on our 
scale and experience

Anthony Bloom
Chairman

Overview
This is my last report as the Group's 
Chairman as I will not be standing for 
re-election at the forthcoming Annual 
General Meeting ('AGM'). Reflecting on 
the Group's growth and expansion since 
1995, when I became Chairman at its 
inception, I am incredibly proud of what 
has been achieved. The first cinema was 
opened in Stevenage, and in my wildest 
imagination, I would never have thought 
that the Group would become the 
second-largest cinema chain in the world 
with 787 sites in 10 countries at the end 
of 2019. 

It is regrettable that my report on 
the Group’s satisfactory results for 
2019 should at the time of writing be 
overshadowed by the materially adverse 
impact the spread of the COVID-19 
virus could have on the global cinema 
industry, and the consequent impact on 
the Group’s share price.

While it is obvious that circumstances 
can and do change astonishingly 
quickly, so far our Group admissions for 
the 2020 year to date have not been 
affected to any material extent and 
have held up in accordance with our 
normal expectations.  

However as a matter of prudence and to 
prepare our business for all eventualities, 
in view of the uncertainty about the 
future impact of the virus we have taken 

04

Cineworld Group plc 
Annual Report and Accounts 2019

the precaution of developing an action 
plan which we will implement in the 
case of a possible significant decrease in 
admissions. This will entail, among other 
initiatives, the postponement of non-
essential capital expenditure, acceleration 
of cost reduction programmes and a 
reduction in staffing. The implementation 
of these measures will be evaluated and 
applied commensurate with any required 
cinema closures or precipitate drop in 
admissions. Obviously, these plans will 
only be implemented in anticipation of  
an “in extremis” situation.

The proposed acquisition of Cineplex 
Inc ('Cineplex') was announced in 
December 2019 and post-completion 
will be combined with our US business 
to create the biggest cinema business in 
North America.

More important to us than being 
the biggest, however, is to be the 
best. We constantly strive to do so 
by providing our customers with an 
outstanding experience in modern and 
appealing auditoria, with differentiated 
formats, superb screens, the latest 
technology (seats, screens, projection 
and sound) and an attractive selection 
of refreshments. In short, our mission 
is to ensure that our cinemas become 
widely known to be “The Best Place 
to Watch a Movie”. It is this philosophy 
that drives our obsessive focus on 
operations, underpins our expansion 

and refurbishment programme (which 
has been enthusiastically supported 
by our customers) and motivates 
our management and employees. 
This differentiated customer offering 
is a strong competitive response to 
new forms of movie viewing, which 
cannot and do not provide the same 
total customer experience that can be 
enjoyed in a modern superbly equipped 
and operated cinema. 

In 2019, the Group’s overall performance 
was solid, given that box office 
performance in the comparative year 
was the highest ever achieved in the US 
history of cinema. Nevertheless, over 
275m people saw movies in a Cineworld 
Group cinema, thus demonstrating the 
enduring appeal of theatrical releases. 
Admissions were 10.8% lower for 
the Group and revenue for the year 
decreased on a pro-forma basis by 
6.2% to $4,369.7m (2018: pro-forma 
$4,657.0m). However, higher than 
anticipated synergistic benefits of the 
Regal transaction and operating cost 
reductions helped to mitigate the effect of 
the lower box office figures and Adjusted 
EBITDA again exceeded a billion dollars, 
decreasing by 3.7% on a pro-forma basis 
to $1,032.6m (under IAS 17) (2018: pro-
forma $1,072.4m). The statutory profit 
after tax decreased to $180.3m (2018: 
$284.3m).

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For the future we will remain strongly 
focused on operational performance, 
cash flow generation and in particular 
de-leveraging which will be achieved 
within our current capital allocation 
framework, with no impediment to 
the capital expenditure programme or 
our usual dividend policy. We derive 
confidence from our ability to achieve 
a material reduction in debt as we 
demonstrated success in de-leveraging 
post the Regal acquisition with Net 
Debt, excluding finance lease liabilities, 
reduced to $3.5bn at 31 December 2019 
from $4.1bn at the Regal acquisition 
date. Even taking into account the 
additional debt that will be incurred as 
a result of the Cineplex acquisition, I am 
confident that given the inherent strong 
cash flows generated by our operations, 
a substantial reduction in net debt levels 
will again be achieved this year. 

In line with the Group’s operating model 
(in terms of which we lease and not 
own almost all of our cinemas) and our 
long-term strategy of crystallising value 
for shareholders, during the year the 
Group completed two sale and lease-
back transactions for a total of $556.3m, 
relating to 35 US-based sites. The Board 
utilised half of the proceeds to reduce 
gross debt and the other half to reward 
shareholders by way of a one-off special 
dividend of 20.27c per share. 

In addition to the special dividend 
mentioned above, as a result of the strong 
cash flows generated by the business, the 
Board increased the cash dividend paid 
for the full year. The fourth dividend per 
share proposed for 2019 is 4.25c bringing 
the total dividend for 2019 to 15.5c, 
compared to 15.0c in 2018.

The proposed Cineplex 
acquisition
On 16 December 2019, the Group 
announced the proposed acquisition 
of Cineplex by means of purchase of 
its entire issued, and to be issued share 
capital. The proposed acquisition was 
based on an implied enterprise value of 
$2.1bn and the Board believes that the 
acquisition, which fits squarely within 
our strategic acquisition objectives and, 
in the absence of unforeseen factors, 
such as COVID-19, is strongly expected 
to be earnings and cash flow accretive. 

The acquisition of Cineplex received 
overwhelming support from both the 
Cineworld and Cineplex shareholders on 
11 February 2019 at Extraordinary General 
Meetings called for that purpose. 

The post-acquisition objectives will be 
to integrate the operations with those of 
Regal, maximise the potential synergistic 

benefits and focus on a structured debt 
reduction programme targeting Group 
leverage towards a ratio of 3x net debt 
to Adjusted EBITDA by the end of 2021.

Board and management
The following Board changes took place 
during the year:

 − On 17 January 2019 the appointment 

of Alicja Kornasiewicz as Deputy Chair 
was announced. Alicja will succeed 
to the position of Chair when I step 
down at the AGM in 2020. Alicja has 
made a significant contribution to 
the Board since joining it in 2015, and 
her experience and background will 
undoubtedly be an asset to the Group 
going forward. I wish Alicja every 
success in her new role. 

 − On 15 May 2019 Julie Southern, 

Non-Executive Director, Chair of the 
Audit Committee and member of the 
Remuneration Committee stepped 
down to manage her increased non-
executive commitments. 

 − On 1 November 2019, Helen Weir 
CBE was appointed to the Board 
as an Independent Non-Executive 
Director. Helen was Chief Financial 
Officer at Marks and Spencer 
Group plc between 2015 and 2018, 
and Group Finance Director at the 
John Lewis Partnership between 
2012 and 2014. In addition, Helen 
has held senior executive roles 
at Lloyds Banking Group and 
Kingfisher plc. Helen currently 
holds a number of non-executive 
director roles. From 15 November 
2019 Helen became a member 
of the Audit Committee and 
Remuneration Committee. 

On behalf of the Board I would like 
to express my sincere thanks to our 
Executive Management Team who are 
incredibly hard working, passionate 
about the business and dedicated to its 
success. They are supported by a highly 
professional and equally hard working 

team of employees, who have not only 
facilitated the successful US integration 
(which will achieve significantly higher, 
almost double, the initially anticipated 
synergies at the time of the Regal 
transaction), but at the same time have 
competently overseen the rest of the 
Group’s operations in 10 countries and 
maintained the image of the Group 
as a leader in the worldwide cinema 
exhibition business. 

Outlook
The Group's diverse geographic footprint 
provides it with strong foundations for 
the future and we are well positioned to 
capitalise from its scale and experience. 
I am confident that it will continue to 
grow and expand satisfactorily in the 
future – it has a remarkable estate, 
excellent and experienced management 
and the requisite financial resources. 

As always, it is dependent on a strong 
film slate which for 2020 contains some 
excellent movies. I accordingly view 
the future with considerable assurance. 
Obviously this is subject to the impact 
the COVID-19 virus might have in the 
countries in which our business operates. 
I am completely unable to make any 
forecasts in this respect, as at the 
moment the situation changes from day 
to day; with great rapidity some countries 
improve and others deteriorate. We can 
only hope that the former prevails.

In closing, I would like to thank all those 
with whom I have had the privilege of 
working over the past 25 years – I have 
enjoyed every single year and I wish 
Cineworld every success. Thank you all for 
an exciting and inspiring journey – I know 
that in your hands, Cineworld will always 
be "The Best Place to Watch a Movie". 

Anthony Bloom
Chairman
12 March 2020

Section 172(1) statement
The Board considers the interests of the Group’s employees and other 
stakeholders, including the impact of its activities on the community, 
environment and the Group’s reputation, when making decisions. The Board, 
acting fairly between members, and acting in good faith, considers what is most 
likely to promote the success of the Group for its shareholders in the long term.

Read more about:

 − How the views and interests of all our stakeholders were represented in the 

Boardroom, together with how we responded, on pages 50 to 53;

 − The Group’s strategy and business model on pages 6, 12 and 14;

 − How we manage risk on pages 24 to 29; and 

 − Our approach to corporate governance on pages 42 to 65. 

Cineworld Group plc  
Annual Report and Accounts 2019

05

 
 
 
Chief Executive Officer’s Review

Delivering 
on our 
strategy

2019 was another step forward in the Group’s 
transformational journey

Moshe Greidinger
Chief Executive Officer

Over the past 50 years, the global 
theatrical industry has demonstrated 
stability and resilience again and again 
across numerous economic cycles 
and phases of technological advance. 
This year’s global box office all-time 
record of $42.5 billion demonstrates 
the strength of our industry across the 
world, however this has not been the 
case in the main markets in which we 
operate. In North America, where we 
have 75% of our operations, box office 
revenue amounted to the territory’s 
second highest figure at $11.4 billion, 
following a record year in 2018 of 
$11.8 billion. The Group’s performance in 
2019 has therefore been softer, largely 
as a result of the stronger comparative 
period in 2018 for the US and a tougher 
competitive environment in the UK. 

Our strategy for 2020 remains 
unchanged as we continue to focus 
on optimising customer experience in 
order to be “The Best Place to Watch 
a Movie!”. Below are some of our key 
achievements over the last 12 months in 
fulfilling that purpose.

Integration of Regal
Over the past two years, our integration 
plan significantly progressed and we 
are proud of our key achievements 
and developments: 

 − Synergies upgraded from 

$100.0 million at the time of the 
acquisition to $190.0 million;

 − Our US subscription programme, 

“Unlimited”, successfully launched in 
July 2019;

 − Refurbishment plan on track. 

Several sites under refurbishment as 
at 31 December 2019;

 − Roll out of reserved seating 
throughout the Regal estate;

 − Optimisation of the estate with the 

closure of 26 loss-making sites;

 − Rebranding, with new Regal logo;

 − New website and apps driving online 

penetration to 40%; 

 − Enhanced concession offering with 

Lavazza coffee bars, alcohol bars and 
food menus;

 − New strategic partnership 

with PepsiCo; 

Our strategy is to:

Provide the best  
cinema experience

Be technological  
leaders in the industry

Expand and enhance our estate

Drive value for shareholders

Read more page 14

06

Cineworld Group plc 
Annual Report and Accounts 2019

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 − Introduction of ScreenX technology 

and the opening of a further 23 
4DX screens;

 − Increased the number of laser 
projectors, thus improving the 
customer experience while benefiting 
from significant operating cost 
savings; and

 − Strengthened our partnership with 
NCM (“National CineMedia”) and 
introduced post-show advertising.

Customer experience
Our cinemas offer up to seven formats 
for watching movies; regular screens 
(2D), 3D, 4DX, ScreenX, IMAX, 
Premium Large Format (“PLF”) and 
our VIP offering in the UK and ROW. 
Through both our expansion and our 
refurbishment programme, we are 
focused on ensuring as many of our 
sites as possible provide a good range 
of these formats, giving our customers 
the choice of not only which movies 
to watch, but also of how to watch 
them. Ensuring a continued superior 
experience is key to maintaining our 
competitive advantage. In the UK over 
the past 18 months we have maintained 
our leading market share position 
despite competitive pricing pressure. 

As well as developing our exhibition 
offerings and ensuring world-class 
customer service, we continue to 
pay particular attention to our retail 
products and services. During the year 
we have continued our partnership 
with Starbucks at 37 locations in the 
UK. In the US, we have partnered with 
Lavazza and opened our first coffee 
“joint” in Manhattan’s Union Square, with 
many more to come. During the year 
we added our alcohol beverage service 
to an additional 35 theatres, taking 
our total to 248 theatres, over 45% of 
our circuit. We have also signed a new 
partnership agreement with PepsiCo to 
provide refreshing non-alcoholic drinks 
to all our US cinemas.

We launched our Unlimited programme, 
which has successfully operated in 
the UK and Poland for several years, 
in the US in July 2019 and it has been 
extremely well received. Unlimited is one 
of the pillars of our strategy for growing 
revenues and admissions. The schemes 
also bring operational benefits by 
encouraging repeat visits, often at off-
peak times and accompanied by friends 
and family.

Technology and innovation
Investment in technology and 
innovation continues to be a key pillar of 
our strategy to make our cinemas “The 
Best Place to Watch a Movie”. In 2019, 
we opened 31 ScreenX and 30 4DX 
screens globally. At the end of 2019, we 
had 135 IMAX screens, 83 4DX screens, 
50 ScreenX and 118 Premium Large 
Format screens ready and waiting to 
delight our customers. 

We strengthened our partnership 
with Barco and Christie to acquire 
more than 2,000 next-generation 
projectors to further improve the 
quality of the picture across our estate 
through high-quality projection. 
The laser projectors we use also provide 
considerable operating savings and, 
with sustainability in mind, are much 
more environmentally friendly.

As we continue our investments in IT 
systems and customer interface, I am 
pleased to report that the number of 
tickets booked online and through our 
app has reached a record high.

Cineworld Group plc  
Annual Report and Accounts 2019

07

 
 
 
Chief Executive Officer’s Review continued

Expansion and refurbishments
Despite a slow start to our US 
refurbishment plan, we are now making 
great progress, with the first two sites 
completed and ten other sites under 
refurbishment at the end of 2019. 
We plan to refurbish 100 sites in the first 
phase of the US programme. In the UK, 
eight refurbishments were completed, 
including our O2 site, the biggest 
cinema in London. We aim to provide 
consistent high-quality cinemas across 
the estate. By combining refurbishments 
with new sites, our “cinema experience” 
for customers is enhanced, ensuring 
that our Group is “The Best Place to 
Watch a Movie”.

Also as part of our proactive estate 
management, we closed 18 sites during 
2019; 16 in the US, one in the UK and 
one in ROW, as the lease terms expired 
and it was not commercially beneficial 
or feasible to renew such leases. The site 
closure had a negative impact on 
admissions and revenue performance 
during the year which was partly 
offset by the launch of our Unlimited 
programme in the second half of the 
year in the US. During the period, we 
completed the sale and leaseback of 35 
properties in the US for $556.3m in line 
with our leasehold operating model.

In terms of expansion, we opened 14 
cinemas: seven in the US, five in the UK 
and two in ROW, a total of 160 screens. 
A further 127 screens are scheduled to 
open in 2020 across the Group.

HR and community
As a global company with more than 
30,000 employees across 10 territories, 
creating shared purpose and unifying 
our values and combined business 
knowledge are vital to the successful 
delivery of our strategy. I am extremely 
proud of our people and the progress 
we have made on our plan to transform 
Regal. I wish to thank our motivated 
and dedicated teams for their loyalty, 
commitment and support in achieving 
this remarkable transformation. We are 
committed to ensuring our people have 
the opportunity to develop personally 
and to reach their full potential. With the 
continually expanding Group, there 
are now even more opportunities 
and we continue to nurture our talent 
and promote internally wherever 
possible. Our training programmes 
are specifically tailored for each level 
and department within the business 
to ensure everyone has the right 
knowledge and skills to provide the best 
customer service. 

Our wider communities are also 
important to us. Every year we 
undertake a range of activities 
and initiatives along with charities, 
schools and community groups. 
Through the Regal Foundation, a 
non-profit charitable organisation, 
we have raised over $5m to support 
selected charities in the US in 2019. 
In the UK, we were proud to partner 
with the BBC’s Children in Need 
fundraising initiative for the fourth year 
in which we raised over £650,000.

Value for shareholders
The cash generative nature of our 
business underpins our business model. 
Our priorities for the use of our cash 
remain consistent; to invest in the 
business to support growth in revenue 
and earnings, de-leveraging and to 
grow the dividend. During 2019, we have 
been able to reward shareholders with 
growth of 9.1% in the adjusted diluted 
earnings per share (“EPS”) under IAS 17. 
The Group increased the proposed full 
year dividend to 15.5c per share from 
15.0c per share in 2018. 

2

Market leading  
operator

3

Proven investment 
strategy 

#2 Global cinema operator with 
significant scale and experience

Leader in technology with digital 
laser projectors, 4DX, ScreenX and 
IMAX screens 

Compelling US opportunity with 
synergies realised and refurbishment 
plan underway

Enhanced retail offerings including 
Starbucks, Lavazza, B-fresh and bars

Leader in subscription services with our 
Unlimited membership scheme in the 
UK, Poland and United States

66 new sites opened across 
the Group since 2014 and 33 
refurbishments completed

Our Strong Investment Case

1

Operating in a 
market resilient to 
the economic and 
technological cycles

Cinema box office performance 
is resilient to economic and 
technological cycles. 

Cinema offers outstanding value 
versus other forms of family 
leisure entertainment 

North American box office revenue 
has grossed over $11.0bn for the past 
5 years 

Streaming is a complementary 
option rather than a substitute to the 
cinema experience

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Future outlook
In December 2019, we announced 
the proposed acquisition of Cineplex, 
which is due to complete in the first 
half of 2020. I would like to thank 
our shareholders for their support 
demonstrated by the 99.6% of votes 
cast being in favour of the transaction. 
The combination of Cineplex and Regal 
will create the leading North American 
cinema operator with unrivalled 
scale and opportunity. By deploying 
our operational best practices and 
our experience in integrating new 
businesses, we expect the transaction to 
create compelling value for shareholders 
and to be strongly EPS and free cash 
flow accretive.

While we delivered satisfactory results in 
2019, this is another step in the Group’s 
journey. Looking forward, we are well 
positioned to execute on our strategy 
in 2020 and look forward to working 
with the Cineplex team. We have an 
excellent estate in North America, 
the UK and ROW which is growing 
and constantly being upgraded to 

enhance the cinema experience for our 
customers. Studios are more committed 
than ever to provide great content 
through the theatrical release, including 
sequels as well as original movies, while 
our commitment is as strong as ever 
to provide the infrastructure, the great 
service and a top-level experience for 
all customers.

Thus far, we have observed no material 
impact on our movie theatre admissions 
due to COVID-19. However in view of 
the uncertainty as to the future impact 
of coronavirus, we are taking measures 
to ensure that our business is prepared 
for all possible eventualities including, 
but not limited to, capex postponement 
and cost reduction. Following a positive 
start in January and February, we look 
forward to the strong film slate for the 
remainder of 2020 including: “Black 
Widow”; “Wonder Woman 1984”; “Bond 
25: No Time To Die”; “Quiet Place Part 
II”; “Mulan”; “The New Mutants”; “Fast & 
Furious 9”; “Soul”; “Top Gun Maverick”; 
“Minions: The Rise Of Gru”; “Tenet”; 
“Jungle Cruise”; “Venom 2”; “Death on 
The Nile; “The Eternals”; “Godzilla vs. 
Kong”; “Dune”; “West Side Story” and 
many more.

2019 has been a successful year for 
the Group despite some challenges. 
I am proud to say that this is mainly 
driven by our motivated and dedicated 
teams: their loyalty, commitment and 
support which has helped us reach our 
remarkable achievements, especially 
with regards to the Regal acquisition. 
I look forward to continuing the Group’s 
journey secure in the knowledge that 
our excellent team is ready to face 
our challenges and drive the Group to 
another great year in 2020.

Moshe (Mooky) Greidinger
Chief Executive Officer
12 March 2020

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4

Strong financial 
performance and cash 
generation profile

5

Proven track record 
of strong shareholder 
returns

6Hands-on 

management with 
strong track record 
and heritage

Improved Group Adjusted EBITDA 
margin by 300bps since 2014

Total shareholder return of 582.2% 
over the past 10 years

Greidinger family have been in the 
cinema business for over 90 years

Outperformed synergy target for the 
Regal transaction by 90% (on track to 
achieve $190.0m by FY20)

The Group has maintained its dividend 
pay-out ratio post acquisition

Management team with 
over 115 years of combined 
industry experience

Significant de-leverage profile – reduced 
net leverage from 4.1x since acquisition, 
resulting to 3.4x net leverage as of 
December 2019

Returned c.$640m in ordinary and 
special dividends to shareholders since 
the Regal acquisition

Strong track record of operational 
performance and acquisitions 

Cineworld Group plc  
Annual Report and Accounts 2019

09

 
 
 
Market Drivers
Addressing our biggest opportunities and challenges

Market driver

Technology and 
innovation

Property market 
and development

GDP and the economic 
environment

Developments in technology 
have brought new innovative 
audio and visual experiences to 
the cinema industry.

The impact

Technology impacts the 
whole customer journey from 
booking tickets to purchasing 
concessions, as well as the 
audio and visual experience.
The digitalisation of cinemas has 
resulted in both a greater range 
of films being offered and the 
showing of alternative content 
such as opera, live events, 
theatre and ballet.

The rate of new cinema 
openings is often dependent on 
local market conditions. 
Planning laws, the economic 
environment and the ability of 
developers to finance their 
projects are factors which 
impact cinema location.

The local market conditions and 
planning laws impact the rate 
and feasibility of new openings 
as well as which sites can 
be refurbished.

The cinema industry 
is dependent on the customer 
choosing to spend disposable 
income on watching a movie.

Value for money remains an 
important factor and cinema 
has tended to be one of the 
most affordable forms of 
entertainment in the wider 
leisure market in which the 
cinema industry competes. 
Historical trends and patterns 
show that cinema attendance 
is most closely related to the 
quality of the movies rather than 
the gross domestic product 
(“GDP”) of a territory.

How our strategy 
is optimised to 
respond

Investment in technology is a 
key pillar of the Group’s strategy 
– we want to be leaders in this 
field. The Group continues 
to invest in premium formats 
globally such as 4DX, ScreenX, 
IMAX and Premium Large 
Formats every year. We are also 
investing in next-generation 
laser projectors from Barco and 
Christie. The Group is continually 
reviewing and analysing the 
latest technology available to 
ensure the right technology 
is selected.

The Group is also evolving its IT 
systems to provide customers 
with the ability to book online 
more easily and through mobile 
applications as well as digital 
kiosks for concession sales.

The Group has been successful 
managing our estate portfolio by 
opening 160 new screens over 
the past year as well as closing 
loss making sites in particular in 
the United States. We completed 
the sale and leaseback of 35 
properties in the United States 
in line with the Group existing 
business model of operating 
a predominantly leasehold 
estate. As the estate is generally 
older in the mature markets, 
refurbishment of the existing 
estate, in particular in the US 
and the UK, is a key focus for 
the Group.

The Group monitors local and 
national markets to ensure ticket 
and concession prices remain 
a competitively priced form 
of entertainment. The Group 
invests in both the estate and 
technology to ensure customers 
receive a premium experience 
during every visit while getting 
value for money.

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Market 
maturity

Where a market is in the 
maturity phase this 
impacts the level and trend 
of cinema admissions per 
capita.

The more mature 
markets such as the 
US, UK and Israel tend 
to be characterised by 
higher admissions per 
capita, higher average 
ticket prices and a lower 
population per screen ratio. 
Growth markets have the 
opposite characteristics and 
provide great expansion 
potential for the Group.

The geographic spread 
of the Group provides 
diversification benefits 
and opportunities across 
both the more mature 
and growth markets. 
This includes the 
opportunity to open new 
sites as well as refurbish 
older sites, particularly in 
the more mature markets 
where the estate is generally 
older. We have started our 
extensive refurbishment 
programme in the US with 
100 sites to be refurbished 
in the first phase of 
the programme.

Competing 
media and 
leisure activities

Throughout the decades the 
cinema industry has always 
faced competition from 
other forms of media 
delivering content, for 
example video, video on 
demand ('VOD'), DVD and 
Blu-ray.

Although online streaming 
and the downloading 
of films at home are 
increasingly popular, an 
outing to the cinema 
provides a unique 
experience which cannot 
be replicated at home, 
especially with superior 
experiences offered by 
technologies such as IMAX, 
4DX and ScreenX. A trip 
to the cinema is a social 
occasion and watching a 
movie on a large state-of-
the-art screen with superb 
sound is attractive to all age 
groups. Visiting the cinema 
remains a convenient, 
affordable out-of-home 
activity, especially when 
compared with other leisure 
activities such as concerts 
and sporting events.

The Group continues to 
invest in new technology 
to ensure a premium and 
differentiated experience 
while remaining an 
affordable activity for the 
whole family. We also offer a 
subscription programme in 
three of our territories which 
is a great value option for 
movie enthusiasts. Going to 
the cinema has also become 
more than just watching a 
movie, and that is why the 
Group has invested in its 
retail offerings across our 
estate such as Starbucks, 
Lavazza, alcohol bars, 
premium food and our 
VIP offering.

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Consolidation 
of the industry

Cinematic window

The cinema industry 
globally has recently seen 
an increase in acquisition 
activity and consolidation 
within the market.

There have been ongoing 
discussions for a number 
of years about the cinematic 
window, the period 
between the release of a 
film in a cinema and on any 
other platform.

In 2019, we continued to 
see M&A activity within 
the industry with Marcus 
Corporation acquiring 
dine-in cinema circuit Movie 
Tavern, Cohen Media Group 
acquired the UK chain 
Curzon Cinemas; Pathé 
acquired the Benelux chain 
Euroscoop and Kinepolis 
completed the acquisition 
of american circuit MJR 
Digital Cinemas. In 2018, 
Vue bought German cinema 
group Cinestar, and in 
2016 AMC Entertainment 
acquired Carmike in the US, 
Odeon in the UK and the 
Nordic Cinema Group in the 
Nordics. In the US, outside 
of the top three chains, 
the rest of the market is 
represented by smaller, 
independent cinema chains 
which operate in states.

The Group’s strategy 
includes identifying 
potential profitable 
opportunities to grow 
and expand the business. 
In 2019 this included the 
proposed acquisition of 
Cineplex, which would 
make the Group the largest 
operator in North America 
(by number of screens).

A material reduction in 
the cinematic window 
could reduce the cinema 
admissions per capita.

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There is no expectation that 
the current cinema window 
will change significantly in 
the near future as major 
studios remain committed 
to the theatrical release. 
The release window benefits 
both the film studios 
and the movie theatres. 
The Group continually 
monitors the status of 
this and engages with the 
distributors and studios to 
discuss the subject.

Cineworld Group plc  
Annual Report and Accounts 2019

11

 
 
 
Our Business Model
Delivering on our vision

Our assets

What we deliver

Our financial strength
Focus on cost and revenue initiatives 
enables us to maintain healthy margins, 
which in turn drive the cash flow needed 
to continue to invest in and expand 
our estate. This continued investment 
ensures that we are able to reach as 
many customers as possible with the 
high quality experience we believe in. 
We manage investment in our estate 
in conjunction with the maintenance 
of a strong Statement of Financial 
Position making the business financially 
secure, flexible and able to make returns 
to shareholders.

Our knowledge and know-how
The wealth of knowledge and know-
how which has been built up across 
the Group over the past nine decades 
has enabled us to design and build 
the latest state-of-the art cinemas and 
operate them efficiently through optimal 
management structures. While we do 
not have control over the content, our 
close and long-standing relationships 
with the film distributors are fundamental 
to providing the best and most varied 
selection of movies for our customers at 
the right time.

Our estate and brands
The geographic spread of our business 
reduces exposure to volatility in individual 
markets. It also provides opportunities 
across both mature and growth markets. 
We have established brands in each of the 
territories in which we operate. We have 
focused on developing and optimising 
the estate through our refurbishment and 
construction programme which is at the 
heart of our strategy.

Our technology
We are technological leaders in the 
industry, offering our customers the latest 
audio and visual technology. We have 
seven different formats in which our 
customers can watch a movie: regular 
screens, 3D, 4DX, IMAX, ScreenX, 
Premium Large Format (Superscreen 
and RPX) and VIP auditoriums. We set 
our prices according to the format the 
customer chooses and not the movie.

Everything that we do is to deliver 
on our vision... to be “The Best Place 
to Watch a Movie”

How we create value

Customer  
experience

Customers

Our  
offering

Operational  
excellence

We create value through providing 
our customers with a choice of where 
and how to watch a movie along with 
a variety of concession products. 
The Group's knowledge and know- 
how ensures we achieve operational 
excellence across the estate while 
providing our customers with a superior 
experience every time they visit one of 
our cinemas. 

Our business is underpinned by:

Regulation and responsible business
We are committed to ensure all of our teams comply with local 
and national industry laws and business regulations and strive 
to attain the highest levels of health and safety standards across 
the Group. 

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Cineworld Group plc 
Annual Report and Accounts 2019

The value we create

Customers
By delivering our vision to be “The 
Best Place to Watch a Movie”, we 
are ensuring that our customers 
feel more, and will want to return 
to our cinemas again and again. 
As well as our estate and offerings 
we believe it’s the “Tiny Noticeable 
Things” our people do which make 
the difference.

Shareholders
We aim to deliver returns, long 
term value and dividend growth to 
our shareholders. This is achieved 
through driving revenues, 
increasing earnings, re-investing 
in the business and prudently 
managing our cash position. 

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Wider stakeholders
We give back to our communities 
through a range of activities and 
initiatives. This includes events run 
at both a national level and in our 
local communities. We partner 
with distributors to provide charity 
screenings, arrange events for 
local schools and organisations.

Employment
Operating in ten countries we 
create direct jobs and career 
opportunities for over 30,000 
people. The investment we make 
in our people, particularly through 
learning and development, 
and the way we operate is 
key to maintaining our happy 
and motivated workforce. 
We also create a number 
of indirect jobs for example 
through our construction and 
refurbishment programmes. 

Revenue by product and services

 Box office 

 Retail 

 Other 

$2,536.1m

$1,240.3m

$593.3m

Revenue by geography

 US 

 UK and Ireland 

 Rest of World 

$3,209.6m

$648.4m

$511.7m

Risk management
Maintaining and monitoring an effective system of risk 
management and internal control ensures that our 
business, people and assets are safeguarded and that 
material financial errors and irregularities are prevented 
or detected.

Governance
Our experienced and diverse Board and Committees 
provide effective governance and oversight to the 
whole Group.

Cineworld Group plc  
Annual Report and Accounts 2019

13

 
 
 
Strategic Priorities and KPIS

Provide the best 
cinema experience…

…to give our customers a choice of how to watch a 
movie, with a variety of retail offerings, all underpinned 
by the best customer service

Our people continue to be pivotal in delivering our vision to 
be “The Best Place to Watch a Movie”. It’s the “Tiny Noticeable 
Things” our people do which differentiate our customers’ 
experience. Therefore, recruiting high quality employees and 
investing in their training is at the heart of our strategy. 

Providing our customers with choice is key – this includes 
the movies they can watch, how they watch them, the type 
of venue they watch them in and a variety of retail offerings 
provided to cater for all demographics.

What we achieved
 − Admissions of over 275.0m across the Group, negatively 
impacted by strong comparative film slate, site closures 
and refurbishment in the US and pricing pressure in 
the UK.

 − Launch of Unlimited programme in the US.

Priorities for 2020
 − Integration of Cineplex following completion of 

the transaction.

 − Further expansion of concession offerings in the US: 

Lavazza Coffee Bars and B-fresh healthy drinks.

 − Continue to enhance online offering and number of 

 − Enhanced our concession offering across the Group with 

tickets sold through our website and app.

Starbucks, Lavazza, Bars and enhanced menus.

 − 40% online booking penetration in the United States.

 − Through our “BeGreat” programme we ran an accredited 

mental health training for managers as well as our 
diversity and inclusion programme.

Measuring our progress
Admissions 

275.0m

2018: 272.6m

Average ticket price $ 

Retail spend per person $

9.22

2018: $9.16

4.51

2018: $4.20

Risks
 − Quality and availability of films.

Sustainability drivers
 − Employee wellbeing and health and safety.

 − Changes in customer preferences.

 − Customer satisfaction and brand loyalty.

 − IT and website disruption.

 − Enhance tailored content depending on local demographic.

 Read more page 24

 − Promote and distribute smaller & locally produced movies.

 − Offer healthier retail and concession alternatives.

 Read more page 32

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Expand and 
enhance our estate…

…to provide consistent, high quality, modern cinemas

When selecting new sites for development or sites for 
refurbishment we consider the location, accessibility, 
competition, and other local economic factors. We also have 
a selective site closure programme when the lease terms have 
expired and it is not commercially beneficial or feasible to 
renew these leases.

What we achieved
 − Opening of 14 new sites: seven in the US, five in the UK 

Priorities for 2020
 − Continue the refurbishment programme in the US and UK.

and two in the ROW.

 − 12 new sites to be opened: seven in the US, two in the UK 

 − A further 10 refurbishments were completed; eight in the 

and three in ROW.

UK and two in the US.

 − Closure of 16 loss making sites in the US. 

Measuring our progress
Number of new  
screens 

160

2018: 108

Total number  
of screens

9,500

2018: 9,518 

Number of major 
refurbishments completed

10

2018: 4

Risks
 − Quality of the cinemas.

Sustainability drivers
 − Durability of refurbishment.

 − State and maintenance of the theatres.

 − Collaboration with local authorities.

 − Opening and refurbishment dependent on planning laws 

 − Energy efficient newbuilds.

and building permits.

 Read more page 24

 Read more page 32

Cineworld Group plc  
Annual Report and Accounts 2019

15

 
 
 
Strategic Priorities and KPIs continued

Be technological 
leaders...

…in the industry to offer the latest audio and 
visual technology

We want to be at the forefront of providing the latest 
technology to our customers. We continue to strengthen 
and deepen our partnership and relationships with our 
technology partners.

What we achieved
 − We opened 31 ScreenX and 30 4DX across our estate.

Priorities for 2020
 − Continue refurbishment programme in the US and UK.

 − We are one of the largest operators of IMAX screens in 

 − Continue our investment in providing a range of 

the US and across Europe.

premium formats.

 − The Group is the only provider of 4DX in the UK and an 

 − Roll out of laser projectors across the estate.

extensive provider in the US and Europe.

 − We continued to develop and roll out our own Premium 

Large Format, with 118 across the Group at the end 
of 2019.

 − Signed new agreements with Barco and Christie to 

provide latest technology laser projectors.

Measuring our progress
Number of premium formats

135

83

IMAX screens  
(2018: 130)

4DX screens  
(2018: 53)

50

ScreenX  
(2018: 19)

118

PLF  
(2018: 116)

Risks
 − Availability of content tailored for specific technology.

Sustainability drivers
 − Energy saving through roll out of laser projectors.

 − Change in technology. 

 − Ensure safety requirement of stakeholders.

 − Strength of relationship with technology partners.

 − Maintain long term relationship with our 

 Read more page 24

technology partners.

 Read more page 32

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Annual Report and Accounts 2019

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Drive value for 
shareholders...

…by delivering our growth plans in an efficient 
and effective way

To be able to reward our shareholders we remain focused on 
driving revenues, increasing earnings and prudently managing 
our cash position.

What we achieved
 − Increased Regal acquisition synergies from $100m 

Priorities for 2020
 − Completion of Cineplex transaction and integration.

to $190m. 

 − Adjusted diluted EPS decreased by 17.1% to 21.3c due to 

the impact from the adoption of IFRS 16.

 − The Group maintained its dividend pay-out ratio for 

another year, increasing the full year cash dividend paid.

 − Continued focus on driving efficiencies and 

de-leveraging.

 − Continue refurbishment plan in the US and UK.

 − Cash flow generation and de-leveraging.

Measuring our progress
Revenue $m

4,369.7

2018: $4,119.1m

Adjusted EBITDA $m
(IAS 17)

1,032.6

2018: $925.4m

Adjusted diluted EPS C 

Dividend Per Share C

21.3

15.5

2018 restated: 25.7 c

2018: 15.0 c

Risks
 − Retain strategic employees.

Sustainability drivers
 − Effective and proactive estate management. 

 − Deliver on strategic initiatives and performance.

 − Social and environmental impact of integrating 

 − Integration of Cineplex.

 Read more page 24

new businesses.

 − Engage with local communities and charities.

 Read more page 32

Cineworld Group plc  
Annual Report and Accounts 2019

17

 
 
 
 
Strategy in Action

Precise pixel 
perfect projectors

Investment in technology and 
innovation continues to be a key pillar 
of our strategy to make our cinemas 
“The Best Place to Watch a Movie”. 

We strengthened our partnership with 
Barco and Christie to acquire more 
than 2,000 next-generation projectors 
to further improve the quality of the 
picture across our estate through 
high-quality projection. 

The laser projectors we use also 
provide considerable operating savings 
and, with sustainability in mind, are 
much more environmentally friendly.

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Annual Report and Accounts 2019

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Annual Report and Accounts 2019

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Strategy in Action

Class, defined 
through comfort

Our cinemas offer up to seven 
formats for watching movies: regular 
screens (2D), 3D, 4DX, ScreenX, IMAX, 
Premium Large Format (“PLF”) and 
our VIP offering in the UK and ROW. 

Through both our expansion and our 
refurbishment programme, we are 
focused on ensuring as many of our 
sites as possible provide a good range 
of these formats, giving our customers 
the choice of not only which movies to 
watch, but also of how to watch them.

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Annual Report and Accounts 2019

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Annual Report and Accounts 2019

21

 
 
 
Strategy in Action

Nurture talent and 
create opportunity, 
for all

We are committed to ensuring 
our people have the opportunity 
to develop personally and to reach 
their full potential. With the continually 
expanding Group, there are now even 
more opportunities and we continue 
to nurture our talent and promote 
internally wherever possible. 

Our training programmes are 
specifically tailored for each level 
and department within the business 
to ensure everyone has the right 
knowledge and skills to provide 
the best customer service.

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Annual Report and Accounts 2019

23

 
 
 
Risk Management
Supporting growth through effective risk management

Principal Risks and Uncertainties
Operating as a cinema chain in 
ten different countries presents a 
number of risks and uncertainties that 
continue to be the focus of the Board’s 
ongoing attention.

Risk Management Approach
The Group’s approach to risk 
management and internal control 
is designed to manage risk at all 
levels. Where possible, the Group has 
implemented appropriate mitigation 
strategies to reduce the overall risk 
exposure in line with the Board’s 
risk appetite. For further details  
please see the Group approach  
to risk management set out on 
pages 54 to 56. 

Principal Risk Assessment
The Board has undertaken a robust 
assessment of the principal risks facing 
the Group during the year, including 
those that would threaten its business 
model, future performance, solvency 
and liquidity. 

The time-frame horizon for 
consideration of the principal risks is 
aligned to the three-year period used 
when considering the future viability of 
the Group. For further details, please 
see the Group’s viability statement on 
pages 30 and 31. 

After the Board’s review of existing risk 
and potential emerging risk, the Board 
believes the existing Principal risks 
reflect the Group’s risk profile. 

The Board has remained vigilant 
on the impact of the UK’s exit from 
the European Union (BREXIT), and 
consideration has been given to the 
risks that may have a significant impact 
on the underlying trading performance 
of the Group going forward.

The Board has evaluated the potential 
impact of COVID-19 and we are taking 
measures to ensure that we prepare 
our business for all eventualities. 
Should conditions relating to COVID-19 
continue to worsen, we have measures 
at our disposal to reduce the impact 
on our business including, but not 
limited to, capex postponement and 
cost reduction.

Appetite 
The Board undertook a formal annual 
review of risk appetite, ensuring that 
the view it has established for each of 
the principal risks reflects its current 
perspective and its willingness to accept 
risk in pursuit of the strategic objectives 
of the Group. For further details 
please see the Group approach to risk 
management set out on pages 54 to 56.

Viability
In addition, the Directors’ viability 
assessment has taken into consideration 
the potential impact of the principal 
risks in the business model, future 
performance, solvency and liquidity 
over the period, including principal 
mitigating actions such as reducing 
capital expenditure. More details about 
the viability assessment may be found 
on pages 30 and 31.

Key

Provide the best cinema 
experience

Be technological 
leaders in the industry

Expand and 
enhance our estate

Drive value for 
shareholders

Principal Risks

Risk

1. Technology and Data Control

2. Availability and Performance of Film Content

3. Provision of next Generation Cinemas

4. Viewer Experience and Competition

5. Revenue from Retail/Concession Offerings

6. Cinema Operations

7. Regulatory Breach

8. Strategy and Performance

9. Retention and Attraction

10. Governance and Internal Control

11. Major Incident

12. Integration with Regal

13. Treasury Management

24

Cineworld Group plc 
Annual Report and Accounts 2019

Strategic Relevance

Trend

Owner

(cid:197)(cid:198)

(cid:197)(cid:198)

(cid:197)(cid:198)

(cid:197)(cid:198)

(cid:197)(cid:198)

(cid:197)(cid:198)

(cid:197)(cid:198)

(cid:197)(cid:198)

(cid:197)(cid:198)

(cid:197)(cid:198)

(cid:197)(cid:198)

(cid:197)(cid:198)

(cid:197)(cid:198)

Deputy CEO

CCO

CEO

CCO

CCO

CEO

CFO

Deputy CEO

Deputy CEO

CFO

CEO

CEO

CFO

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1

Technology  
and Data Control

2

 Availability and  
Performance of  
Film Content

(cid:197)(cid:198)

(cid:197)(cid:198)

A critical system interruption 
or major IT security breach 
encountered.

Lack of access to high quality, 
diverse and well publicised 
movie product.

3

 Provision of Next  
Generation Cinemas

(cid:197)(cid:198)

Maintaining/refurbishing existing 
sites and/or developing new sites 
fails to provide a circuit of next 
generation cinemas. 

Link to Strategy

Link to Strategy

Link to Strategy

Risk Owner
Deputy CEO

Risk Owner
CCO

Risk Owner
CEO

Impact
Any critical system interruption for a sustained 
period could have a significant impact on 
the Group’s performance. In addition, any 
breach (cyber or otherwise) of data protection 
rules or security measures surrounding 
the storage of confidential and proprietary 
information (including movie content) 
could result in unauthorised access, loss or 
disclosure of this information. This could lead 
to claims, regulatory penalties, disruption 
of operations of the Group and ultimately 
reputational damage.
Mitigation Activity
 − The Group IT function monitors, manages and 
optimises our systems, including ensuring their 
resilience through regular back-ups and the 
implementation of security measures.

 − External experts are employed where 

necessary to oversee and help manage 
major projects involving the upgrading or 
replacement of key systems.

 − Under the direction of the Group Data 

Protection Officer there is a Data Privacy/
Security Committee (supported by 
external professional advisers) that drives 
the programme of data protection across 
the Group.

Changes in the Year
 − Integration plans/projects have 

commenced or been completed across our 
systems, processes and resources. 

 − The threat of cyber risks has continued 
to be a focus throughout the year with 
additional investment being made to 
ensure we maintain a control environment 
appropriate for the size of the Group,

 − General Data Protection Regulation 

(“GDPR”) and the California Consumer 
Privacy Act ("CCPA") has meant some 
changes to systems, policies and 
procedures to ensure compliance.

Opportunity
 − Continuing the programme of investment 
in systems and ensuring our processes 
are robust will strengthen the day-to-day 
operations across the Group.

Impact
Underpinning the overall success of the Group 
is the quality of the movie slate, the timeliness 
of release, the release window and the appeal 
of such movies to our customers. Where the 
movie studios do not produce sufficiently 
attractive movies, or movies underperform, 
this has a direct impact on cinema attendance 
and, therefore, box office revenue for the 
Group may decline. 

Impact
Ensuring our cinemas are of state-of-the-
art design and have the latest cutting edge 
cinema experience technology are both key 
for our strategy to provide the best place to 
watch a movie. A deviation from this could 
have a direct impact on admissions and the 
financial health of the Group. 

Mitigation Activity
 − We work closely with distributors to 

acquaint ourselves, as early as possible, 
with the upcoming film slate in order to 
forecast likely movie performance. 

 − Although access to the latest movie slate 

is reliant on our relationship with the 
distributors, the Group’s strategy is to show 
a wide range of movies over and above 
the traditional Hollywood blockbusters. 
This allows us to capitalise on specific 
local area demand for type and content of 
movies shown.

 − The Group has increased focus on growing 

the event cinema offering to provide 
customers with more alternative content.

Changes in the Year
 − This year’s global box office all-time record 
of $42.5 billion demonstrates the strength 
of our industry across around the world. 

 − In North America, box office revenue 

amounted to the territory’s second-highest 
figure at $11.4 billion, the fifth consecutive 
year that it has exceeded $11.0 billion.

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Mitigation Activity
 − The site prioritisation analysis for the 

selection of refurbishments, new sites and 
or closures.

 − Project Management expertise that allows 
the unique position of renovating without 
cinema closures.

 − Ensuring access to the latest cutting edge 
technology through our ability to secure 
agreements with key suppliers. 

 − Maintaining long-term working relationships 
with key contractors to ensure continued 
access to knowledge and experience.

Changes in the Year
 − Opening of 14 new sites: seven in the US, 

five in the UK and two in ROW.

 − Refurbishment plan on track with 10 

refurbishments completed (eight in the UK 
and two in the US).

 − Closure of 16 loss making sites in the US

For further details see the Chief Executive 
Officer’s Review on pages 6 to 9. 

Opportunity
 − The increase in geographical footprint 

Opportunity
 − Continue refurbishment programme in the 

US and UK.

 − Open 12 new sites: seven in the US, two in 

the UK and three in ROW.

will further enhance our ability to mitigate 
against year-on-year volatility to the 
individual cinema markets.

 − Continue to grow event cinema business 

to satisfy customers' appetite for 
alternative content.

 − There is a strong film slate for 2020 and 

we expect these to drive continued growth 
in admissions.

 − Despite the impact of COVID-19, studios in 
the countries we operate currently remain 
committed to their release schedule.

Cineworld Group plc  
Annual Report and Accounts 2019

25

 
 
 
 
Principal Risks and Uncertainties continued

4

Viewer Experience 
and Competition

5

Revenue From Retail/
Concession Offerings

(cid:197)(cid:198)

(cid:197)(cid:198)

6

Cinema Operations

(cid:197)(cid:198)

Failure to deal with competition 
effectively by not offering quality 
products and services that meet the 
needs of the customer and deliver an 
enhanced viewer experience.

Delivery of a retail/concession 
offering that does not meet the 
requirements and preferences 
of our customers.

Failure to maintain and operate well 
run and cost-effective cinemas.

Link to Strategy

Link to Strategy

Link to Strategy

Risk Owner
CCO

Risk Owner
CCO

Risk Owner
CEO

Although cinema admissions are 
predominantly driven by the quality and 
availability of films, ensuring that the Group 
continually enhances the viewer experience 
is crucial. Any decrease in the quality of the 
services we offer, from the ease of booking 
and the technology we use to a friendly 
farewell on departure, could result in loss 
of customers to competitors and/or other 
leisure/entertainment attractions.

Mitigation Activity
 − Our strategy is focused on continually 

improving the quality of services we offer to 
customers and making a visit to our cinemas a 
unique experience.

 − This includes increasing the efficiency of 

online booking, cutting edge cinema design, 
removing clutter from the foyers, investing in 
technical innovation and premium offerings 
(ScreenX , 4DX and other large screen formats), 
upgrading seating options, further rollout of the 
VIP offering and improving retail offers.

 − We also focus on our approach to customer 
interaction with the Group outside of the 
cinema environment.

Changes in the Year
 − Our investment in ensuring we can offer as 
many screen formats as possible continued 
with IMAX, 4DX and ScreenX being added 
during 2019 we opened 31 ScreenX and 30 
4DX screens globally.

 − Signed new agreements with Barco and 
Christie to provide latest technology 
laser projectors.

 − Launch of Unlimited Programme in the US 

was very positively received.

Impact
Retail/concession sales generally fluctuate 
in line with admissions and the genre of film 
on show. Therefore, if admissions were to 
fall, revenue from retail sales could decrease. 
Retail spend may also decrease due to 
changes in customer preferences, decreased 
disposable income or other economic and 
cultural factors. In addition, the cost of items 
such as energy and foodstuffs, as well as the 
introduction of the Soft Drinks Industry Levy, 
has a direct impact on price.

Mitigation Activity
 − Through our ongoing monitoring of various 
metrics, including spend per person, we 
have the ability to understand and react 
quickly to changing customer needs.

 − A key strategy for the Group is to maintain 
a strong relationship with the principal 
retail suppliers.

 − We run targeted promotions and bring 
in different ranges of products to meet 
changing customer demand.

 − The introduction of franchising models for 
some of the key suppliers has also been 
an important way of enhancing the range 
of offerings.

 − We are working closely with our drinks 
partners to reduce and, where possible, 
mitigate the potential impact of the Soft 
Drinks Industry Levy. We are doing this by 
broadening our ranges of diet and sugar 
free options along with water and trialling 
innovation with reformulated products 
whilst still providing consumer choice based 
on preferences.

Changes in the Year
 − Retail revenue remains a function of 

admissions and spending trends in each 
local market. This has been positively 
impacted by the expansion of concession 
offerings: Starbucks, Lavazza Bars and an 
enhanced menu. 

Impact
Operating cinemas well is pivotal to the overall 
success of the Group. Key to this is to ensure 
that cinema management understand the local 
market (film scheduling, pricing and retail 
offerings), effectively manage their employees, 
maintain service standards, and are able to 
react to incidents should they occur. A 
reduction in performance in any area can have 
a direct effect on the overall viewer experience, 
reputation of the cinemas and ultimately the 
Group’s financial performance.

Mitigation Activity
 − Cinema management continually 

monitor their staffing requirements, 
making adjustments to scheduling based 
on customer demand, forecasts and 
film scheduling.

 − On a monthly basis detailed operational and 
financial reviews are undertaken by cinema 
management teams to ensure performance 
matches expected targets.

 − Ongoing evolution and updating of cinema 
operational processes and procedures. 

Changes in the Year
 − The investment we make in our people, 

particularly through learning and 
development, and the way we operate 
is key to maintaining our happy and 
motivated workforce.

 − Optimised management structures in the 

 − New strategic partnership with PepsiCo in 

US to align the Group. 

the US.

For further details see the Chief Executive 
Officer’s Review on page 6 and Chief Financial 
Officer’s Review on page 36.

For further details please see Resources and 
Relationships on page 32.

Opportunity
 − Further expansion of concession offering 

Opportunity
 − Further expansion of concession offerings 

Opportunity
 − Continue to deploy operational best 

in the US.

in the US: Lavazza and B-fresh.

practices across the Group.

26

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Annual Report and Accounts 2019

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Regulatory Breach

8

Strategy and  
Performance

(cid:197)(cid:198)

(cid:197)(cid:198)

A major statutory, regulatory or 
contractual compliance breach.

The approach to setting, 
communicating, monitoring and 
executing a clear strategy fails to 
deliver long-term objectives.

Link to Strategy

Link to Strategy

Key

Provide the best cinema 
experience

Be technological 
leaders in the industry

Expand and 
enhance our estate

Drive value for 
shareholders

Risk Owner
CFO

Risk Owner
Deputy CEO

Impact
The Group’s business and operations are 
affected by regulations covering such matters 
as planning, the environment, health and 
safety (cinemas and construction sites), 
licensing, food and drink retailing, data 
protection and the minimum wage. Failure to 
ensure ongoing compliance with regulation/
legislation could result in fines and/or 
suspension of activity.

Impact
Although the overall strategy for the Group 
is not a complex one, it is key that this 
is executed.

Any diversion from this strategy could result in 
loss of market share to competitors, failure to 
capitalise on emerging market opportunities, 
reduction in potential revenue/profits and 
therefore loss in shareholder value.

Mitigation Activity
 − Management operates an ongoing cinema 
compliance programme, supplemented by 
independent compliance assurance reviews by 
external advisers where appropriate.

 − Group support functions use a combination 
of ongoing staff development as well as 
updates from professional advisers to ensure 
management are aware of the latest regulations 
in key areas.

Mitigation Activity
 − A structure is in place to support 

effective strategy development, as well 
as ongoing reporting and monitoring 
of business performance on a daily, 
weekly, monthly, quarterly and annual 
basis. Monitoring Senior Management 
performance against their agreed personal 
objectives is an ongoing exercise.

 − There are various communication strategies 
(emails, meetings and conferences) used 
to ensure the strategic goals of the Group 
are clearly understood and executed by 
Senior Management.

Changes in the Year
 − Data privacy review was performed in 

Changes in the Year
 − Although the Group has expanded 

the US.

 − Data Privacy activities in the UK have 

continued to ensure compliance with GDPR.

 − A Group Head of Health and Safety was 

appointed to further align the Group Health 
and Safety programme across the Group.

For further details please see Risk 
Management and Internal Controls section 
pages 54 to 56.

significantly, the strategy and vision remains 
the same, to be “The Best Place to Watch a 
Movie” by continually focusing on providing 
the best customer experience, maintaining 
technological leadership, expanding and 
upgrading the estate, and training and 
retaining, highly motivated, experienced 
and loyal staff.

Opportunity
 − Continue to align the approach to 

health and safety audits in the US to the 
Group approach.

 − Continue data privacy compliance initiatives 

across the Group. 

 − Continue the evolution of our approach to 

compliance to ensure it is embedded in our 
day-to-day operations.

Opportunity
 − The Group's strategy includes identifying 
potential profitable opportunities to grow 
and expand the business.

 − Continual focus on and review of strategy 
ensures the Board is well placed to assess 
value adding opportunities as they arise.

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Principal Risks and Uncertainties continued

9

Retention and  
Attraction

10

Governance and  
Internal Control

11

 Major Incident

(cid:197)(cid:198)

(cid:197)(cid:198)

(cid:197)(cid:198)

Failure to attract and retain 
Senior Management and/or 
other key personnel.

A critical internal control and/or 
governance failing occurs.

Inability to respond to  
a major incident.

Link to Strategy

Link to Strategy

Link to Strategy

Risk Owner
Deputy CEO

Risk Owner
CFO

Risk Owner
CEO

Impact
The Group’s performance and its ability to 
mitigate significant risks within its control 
depend on its employees and Senior 
Management teams. Therefore, reliance 
is placed on the Group’s ability to recruit, 
develop and retain Senior Management and 
other key employees. If the Group loses key 
people, this could have an impact on its ability 
to deliver business objectives.

Mitigation Activity
 − To ensure the long-term success of the 
Group, it uses a variety of techniques to 
attract, retain and motivate its staff, with 
particular attention to those in key roles.

 − These techniques include the regular review 
of remuneration packages, share incentive 
schemes, training, regular communication 
with staff and an annual performance 
review process.

Impact
Maintaining corporate governance standards 
and an effective and efficient risk management 
and internal control system, proportionate to 
the needs of the Group, is a key part of short 
and long-term success. Any failure and/or 
weakness in this area (financial and non-
financial) could have an impact on the efficient 
and effective operations of the Group.

Mitigation Activity
 − The Group uses various mechanisms 
to support the implementation and 
effectiveness of controls.

 − These include:

 − implementation of the Group Risk 

Management Framework;

 − ongoing self-assessment process for 
monitoring cinema compliance and 
financial control standards;

 − regular consultation and advice from 

external advisers;

 − a risk-based cinema compliance and 
financial control audit programme;

 − the delivery of targeted risk-based 

internal audit reviews; and

 − the use of technology for live 

forensic monitoring.

Impact
Cinema attendance may be affected by 
political events, such as terrorist attacks on, or 
wars or threatened wars in territories in which 
we operate, health related epidemics and 
random acts of violence or natural disasters, 
any one of which could cause people to avoid 
our cinemas or other public places where 
large crowds are in attendance. This could 
adversely impact the financial performance 
of the Group.

Mitigation Activity
 − We receive communications from 

relevant government authorities and law 
enforcement agencies which keep us 
informed and allow us, when needed, to 
monitor any potential impact external 
events could have on the security and 
safety of our cinema estate.

 − Various security systems and/or personnel 

are in place across the Group. 

 − Should an incident occur at one of 

the Group’s sites, business continuity 
and disaster recovery plans are in 
place to ensure that management can 
react appropriately.

 − Appropriate insurance is in place to mitigate 
the financial consequences as a result of 
property damage.

Changes in the Year
 − Pay standards in the US have been aligned 

Changes in the Year
 − The Group appointed PwC as its 

to the new operational structure.

external auditor. 

 − Our training programmes are specifically 
tailored for each level and department 
within the business to ensure everyone has 
the right knowledge and skills to provide 
the best customer service.

For further details please see Resources and 
Relationships on page 32.

 − Implemented global risk and 

assurance strategy.

 − Appointed new external adviser to support 

the delivery of assurance programme.

For further details please see Risk 
Management and Internal Control on 
pages 54 to 56.

Changes in the Year
 − Incidents of terrorism attacks across 
the globe mean the Group continues 
to focus on this as part of its ongoing 
cinema operations. 

 − Development of a robust crisis response 

plan in the US.

 − Active shooter training was performed in 

the US.

Opportunity
 − The growth of the Group has increased 

the opportunities for internal promotion, 
and transfers.

Opportunity
 − Continue to enhance the use of technology 
for embedding automated controls and 
providing ongoing live assurance.

 − Increase Internal Audit resources focusing 
on improving Group compliance activities.

Opportunity
 − Enhanced US active shooter training to 
provide computer based learning and 
annual certification.

 − Continuous review of processes which can 
identify areas for operational improvement 
and improve overall safety at our sites.

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Cineworld Group plc 
Annual Report and Accounts 2019

 
12

Integration  
with Regal 

13

Treasury  
Management 

(cid:197)(cid:198)

(cid:197)(cid:198)

Failure to deliver expected benefits 
from the Regal acquisition and/or 
integrate the business into the 
Cineworld Group effectively. 

Ineffective treasury management 
slows down our ability to service our 
debt obligations and deliver against 
our planned strategic initiatives (e.g. 
refurbishment programmes).

Link to Strategy

Link to Strategy

Key

Provide the best cinema 
experience

Be technological 
leaders in the industry

Expand and 
enhance our estate

Drive value for 
shareholders

Risk Owner
CEO

Risk Owner
CFO

Impact
The significance of the acquisition for the 
Group means that execution of an effective 
integration strategy supported by sufficient 
management resources is critical. If any part of 
this is not optimised then the Group might not 
achieve the expected financial and operational 
benefits which may have an adverse impact on 
growth, profitability and future cash flow.

Impact
A key future strategy for the Group is ensuring 
it has the ability to use the cash generative 
nature of the business to reduce the net debt 
to Adjusted EBITDA ratio. Balancing this with 
the level of planned investment in strategic 
initiatives globally will be a continual focus for 
the Board. 

Mitigation Activity
 − Continued review of operational structures 

to ensure they are optimised globally. 

Mitigation Activity
 − Integration of Regal and Cineworld 

treasury functions.

 − Retention of key expertise within the Group. 

 − On-going review of financial instruments 

 − Ongoing Executive Director presence in 

being used. 

the US.

Changes in the Year
 − Synergies upgraded from $100m at the 

time of the acquisition to $190m.

 − Refurbishment plan on track with 
10 sites under refurbishment as at 
31 December 2019.

 − Optimisation of the estate with closures of 

16 loss making sites.

 − Our subscription programme successfully 

launched in the US in July 2019.

Changes in the Year
 − At 31 December 2019 the Group's financial 
arrangements consisted of USD and Euro 
term loan totalling $3.6m and a revolving 
credit facility of $462.5m which had been 
drawn down by $95.0m. 

 − We concluded a sale and lease back 

transaction with proceeds of $556.3m. 

 − The Group maintained its dividend policy 
and has returned $640m in ordinary and 
special dividends to shareholders since the 
Regal acquisition.

Opportunity
 − Delivering the full potential of the 

combination through the strength of our 
brands, focus on customer experience and 
investment in technology. 

For further details please see Chief Executive 
Officer review on page 6.

Opportunity
 − Following the acquisition of Cineplex, 
the objectives will be to maximise the 
synergistic benefits and focus on a 
structured debt reduction programme 
targeting leverage towards three times net 
debt to Adjusted EBITDA by 2021.

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Principal Risks and Uncertainties continued
Viability Statement 

The Directors viability assessment has 
taken into consideration the potential 
impacts of the principal risks in the 
business model, future performance, 
solvency and liquidity over the period, 
including principal mitigating actions 
such as reducing capital expenditure 
and dividend payments.

For the purpose of assessing the 
enlarged Group’s viability, the Directors 
identified that of the principal risks 
detailed on pages 24 to 29 the 
following are the most important to 
the assessment of the viability of the 
enlarged Group:

 − Availability and performance of 

film content, 

 − Viewer experience and competition, 

 − Expansion and growth of our 

cinema estate.  

Based on the principal risks identified 
above, scenario based assessments 
were performed for the enlarged Group. 
The scenarios applied included: 

 − Reducing both admissions as a result 
of lack of film content/or increased 
competition through the emergence 
of new technology or alternative 
formats to watch films,

 − Reducing average ticket price, as a 
result of lack of film content, and/or 
increased competition through the 
emergence of new technology or 
alternative formats to watch films,

 − A combination of the above. 

Assessing the viability of 
the enlarged Group
In accordance with the UK Corporate 
Governance Code, the Directors have 
assessed the viability of the enlarged 
Group, which includes the proposed 
Cineplex transaction, over a period 
longer than one year. For details of the 
additional financing for Cineplex which 
will be taken on following completion 
please refer to the Going Concern 
statement on page 43 and Note 1 
on page 101. The assessment takes 
into account the Group’s current and 
expected new facilities for the Cineplex 
acquisition as well as the potential 
impact of the principal risks and 
uncertainties set out on pages 24 to 29. 

The Directors have determined that 
a three year period from the date of 
approving the financial statements 
constitutes an appropriate period 
over which to provide its viability 
statement. Three years was determined 
based on the maturity period of the 
Group’s current and expected new 
financing facilities, the visibility of the 
future film slate, the enlarged Group’s 
property expansion and renovation 
plans, investment in technology and 
relationships with the film distributors. 

The Group’s business model and 
strategy are not expected to 
significantly change as a result of the 
Cineplex acquisition, other than to 
be implemented in Canada following 
completion of the acquisition. 
The nature of the enlarged Group’s 
activities are long-term and the business 
model is open-ended. The Group’s 
current overall strategy has been in 
place for several years, subject to the 
ongoing monitoring and development. 

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the films scheduled to be released 
during this period of closure could be 
moved to later in 2020. These downside 
scenarios are currently considered 
unlikely, however it is difficult to predict 
the overall outcome and impact of 
COVID-19 at this stage. Under the 
specific downside scenario, however, 
of the Group losing the equivalent of 
between two and three months’ total 
revenue across the entire estate there is 
a risk of breaching the Group’s financial 
covenants, unless a waiver agreement 
is reached with the required majority of 
lenders within the next twelve months. 

Only the specific downside scenario 
detailed above would indicate the 
existence of a material uncertainty 
which may cast significant doubt 
about the Group’s ability to continue 
as a going concern. The Consolidated 
Financial Statements do not include 
the adjustments that would result if 
the Group was unable to continue as 
a going concern. 

In performing the scenario assessments 
the enlarged Group would still be able 
to continue to meet its day to day 
liabilities as they fall due over the three 
year period.

Whilst the reviews performed do 
not consider all of the risks that the 
enlarged Group may face, the Directors 
consider that the scenario based 
assessment prepared of the enlarged 
Group’s prospects is reasonable in 
the circumstances of the inherent 
uncertainty involved. 

The Directors believe the risk 
management and internal control 
systems in place allow them to 
monitor the key variables that have the 
ability to impact the liquidity and the 
solvency of the enlarged Group and are 
confident that management are able 
to sufficiently mitigate the situations 
applied in the scenario analysis, 
excluding the specific Covid-19 scenario 
analysis detailed below, as mitigating 
actions could be taken, which include 
reducing capital expenditure, reducing 
dividend payments and reducing 
variable costs.

Based on these assessments, and 
having considered the established 
and expected controls for the risks 
and the available mitigating actions, 
the Directors confirm that they have 
a reasonable expectation that the 
enlarged Group will be able to continue 
in operation and meet its liabilities as 
they fall due over the period.

COVID-19 Scenario Analysis
The uncertainty as to the future impact 
on the Group of the recent COVID-19 
outbreak has been considered as part 
of the Group’s adoption of the going 
concern basis. Thus far, we have not 
observed any material impact on 
our movie theatre admissions due to 
COVID-19. Following an increase in 
admissions in the first two months of 
the year against the same period in the 
previous year, we continue to see good 
levels of admissions in all our territories, 
despite the reported spread of 
COVID-19. Although the release of the 
new Bond movie has been postponed 
to November 2020 largely due to 
closure of cinemas in the Asian markets, 
the studios have advised us that in the 
countries in which we operate, they 
currently remain committed to their 
release schedule for the coming months 
and remainder of the year. 

In the downside scenario analysis 
performed, the Board has considered 
the potential impact of the COVID-19 
outbreak on the Group’s results. 
In preparing this analysis the following 
key assumptions were used: the impact 
of a total loss of revenue across the 
enlarged estate for between one 
and three months, no fixed costs 
reductions should sites be closed, run-
rate combination benefits of c.$133m 
expected to be achieved as part of the 
Cineplex acquisition, forecast capital 
expenditure reduced in 2020 by 90%, 
and cessation of dividend payments 
from 1 July 2020. This analysis does 
not take account of the fact that in 
the case of widespread site closures 

Cineworld Group plc  
Annual Report and Accounts 2019

31

 
 
 
Resources and Relationships 
The key resources and relationships 
that drive our sustainable performance

Introduction
The Group’s key relationships are 
with our customers, our people, our 
commercial partners and our wider 
communities. How we behave and 
interact with each of these parties 
reflects on our reputation, which is a 
key asset underpinning the successful 
delivery of our strategy.

Our ethics policies seek to guide the 
behaviour of our people by specifying 
principles which establish common 
values through which we do business. 

We strive to ensure that we act in 
appropriate ways to maintain and 
enhance our reputation. The Group 
seeks to act with honesty and integrity 
in its dealings with customers, 
employees, shareholders, regulators, 
suppliers and our wider community.

  Read more about how we 
engage with our key stakeholders 
on pages 50 to 53.

Non-financial information 
statement
The Company has complied with 
the Non-Financial Reporting 
Directive contained in sections  
414CA and 414CB of the 
Companies Act 2006.

Where to find related information: 

Our customers
Our customers are key to our success. 
We believe that through listening and 
being responsive to what our customers 
tell us about their visits, we are better 
able to deliver cinema experiences 
which make us the best place to watch 
a movie. 

As reported last year, in 2018 we 
launched a new customer feedback 
programme in partnership with market 
leading customer engagement solutions 
provider ‘Rant and Rave’. Our ambition: 
to amplify customer feedback within 
the business and generate actionable 
insights. By empowering our teams 
to act on the feedback they receive 
in real time, we delivered measurable 
improvements to customer satisfaction 
and brand loyalty in 2019, and aim to 
build on these gains in 2020. 

We focus on providing our customers 
with a wide variety of on screen 
entertainment including the best film 
product from all the major studio and 
independent production houses plus a 
range of other on screen entertainment 
including live theatrical, dance and 
musical events. We also believe 
in providing a range of cinematic 
experiences, with multiple screening 
formats offering the latest theatrical 
technology now available in many of our 
cinemas including 4DX, IMAX, ScreenX, 
Superscreen and VIP. 

We deliver on our strategy to be 
the best place to watch a movie by 
building our offering around quality 
entertainment, a choice of experience 
and value for money, all underpinned by 
great customer service.

We also have initiatives which aim 
to extend the relationship with the 
customer beyond a single visit. In the 
UK, we have the long established 
Unlimited membership service for a 
fixed monthly (or annual) subscription, 
enabling customers to watch as many 
films as they wish (with uplifts available 
if the customer wishes to see the movie 
in premium formats such as ScreenX, 
IMAX or 4DX). This scheme was 
successfully launched in Poland at the 
end of 2015 and in the US in 2019.

In addition to Unlimited, in the US, 
members of the Regal Crown Club® 
earn credits for each dollar spent 
at the Company’s cinemas, and can 
then redeem such credits for movie 
tickets, concession items, and movie 
memorabilia at the cinema, online, or 
via an app. We also have a number of 
other membership schemes across the 
Group’s territories which offer discounts, 
and allow us to interact frequently with 
our customer base. 

Event cinema screenings bring a wider 
range of content to our customers, 
enabling our audiences to see live 
shows taking place around the world. 
Operating in this way supports such 
productions, making them more 
commercially viable, accessible to more 
people and, in turn, brings more people 
to the cinema.

The Group actively encourages our 
future cinema-going audience by 
specifically tailoring film schedules 
to attract families and young people. 
Where necessary, these performances 
are dubbed into the native language 
to ensure that all customers can 
enjoy the full cinema experience. 
Concessionary rates are offered for 
senior citizens and students at certain 
times of the day. 

Environmental

Employees

Social

Human  
rights

Anti-
corruption 
and anti-
bribery

Principal  
risks

Business 
model 

See pages 35 
and 84

See pages 33 
and 84

See pages 33 
and 53

See pages 33 
and 84

See pages 35 
and 56

See pages 24 
to 29

See pages 12 
to 13

32

Cineworld Group plc 
Annual Report and Accounts 2019

 
Throughout the Group, all national 
regulators’ film classification guidelines 
are followed, unless local regulators 
require otherwise. In some of our 
territories, there are no classification 
guidelines, and in such cases we provide 
information to customers about films 
so they can make informed choices 
about the type of film being shown. 
We also ensure that all trailers are 
complementary in terms of suitability to 
the main feature.

Retail
As many of our customers still 
consider going to the cinema as a 
treat or special occasion, they expect 
traditional cinema snacks as part of 
their experience. We offer a range of 
products to our customers, and we work 
closely with our partners to provide 
healthier or low sugar alternatives where 
possible and in line with customer or 
legislative demands. 

Access for all
The Group promotes a philosophy of 
access for all by offering accessible 
cinemas for the disabled that show 
a wide range of films and event 
cinema. Employees receive disability 
awareness training and specific advice 
on welcoming disabled customers. 
Many of our cinemas offer audio-
descriptive, autism-friendly and 
subtitled performances, and in some 
countries, the Group allows customers 
with disabilities to be accompanied 
by a carer, free of charge. All new 
cinemas are designed to exceed 
current statutory requirements, and to 
provide buildings which are technically 
advanced, accessible, and safe.

When cinemas undergo major 
refurbishment as part of an ongoing 
programme of improvements and 
renovations, the opportunity is taken to 
enhance access within cinemas where 
practicable to do so.

Our people
During 2019, we continued to enhance 
our people offering in a variety of ways 
to create “The Best Place to Work in 
the Movies.”

We are very committed to our 
internal promotion philosophy and 
the development of talent through 
our ‘Be More’ programmes. 2019 saw 
around 220 delegates participate in 
UK succession related development 
activities, meaning they will be Team 
Leaders and Cinema, General and 
Regional Managers of the future. 
Our 2019 engagement survey showed 
impressive scores in this area, with 86% 
of people saying they “had the training 
to do their jobs”. This philosophy 
is being mirrored in the US and 
complements the newly established 
cinema structures. During 2019, we 
launched the first level of succession 
training for "cast members" and team 
leaders. This included over 50 new 
online courses and to date, over 4,500 
cast members and team leaders have 
completed this first level of training. 
Further enhancements will take place 
in 2020, including the launch of Regal-
learn, the US on-line learning platform. 

As well as Regal-learn, we continue 
to enhance our people-related IT 
systems, having added new features in 
recruitment and extending our intranet, 
Cinehub, to Cinema City. 2020 will 
also see the launch of a mobile app to 
our people.

Continuing the diversity and talent theme, in the UK, we are proud to have 
continued our partnership with the Tony Blair Institute for Global Change 
for the second year. 20 females from Cineworld and Picturehouse have 
participated in this exciting programme which sees our team mentoring female 
students from schools in and around London. The aim of this programme 
is to start providing life skills to young women from disadvantaged and 
minority backgrounds to help them achieve their aspirations. Cineworld sees 
this as an enhancement to our already structured learning, development and 
talent agenda, with mentors reporting a positive impact on their professional 
development, confidence, communication and leadership skills and greater 
efficiency in managing their own teams. 

We remain committed to the whole area 
of employee voice and engagement, 
receiving impressive improvements of 
10% in 2019’s engagement survey in 
areas such as ‘being involved in action 
planning’ and ‘following through’ on 
those actions. In response to feedback, 
we have already launched a number of 
new initiatives such as cinema family fun 
days, team communication programmes 
and participation in national events such 
as National Popcorn Day. 

We will continue to build on our people 
agenda – “The Best Place to Work in the 
Movies” – throughout 2020.

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Diversity and human rights
The Group is an equal opportunity 
employer and seeks to recruit, retain 
and promote staff on the basis of 
their qualifications, skills, aptitude and 
attitude. A wide range of applicants 
are encouraged to apply for all roles. 
In employment-related decisions, the 
business complies with all relevant 
legislation, including that which is 
specifically targeted at preventing 
discrimination, and such principles are 
embedded through the business by 
requisite policies.

“  I just wanted to say I am finding 

the training videos for the 
Team Leads to be phenomenal. 
They’re well made, with 
current and relevant research, 
interesting, and helpful.”

    Comments from the STAR Programme, 

Regal’s newly launched succession 
training programme.

Cineworld Group plc  
Annual Report and Accounts 2019

33

 
 
 
 
 
 
Resources and Relationships continued

BBC Children in Need

Our commercial relationships
Having strong commercial relationships 
is also key to operating our 
business successfully. 

With years of experience in the cinema 
industry, our teams have worked 
hard to develop strong working 
relationships with a range of film 
studios and distributors, both major 
and independent. Our focus on driving 
cinema admissions and on providing our 
customers with a wide range of movies 
has resulted in many opportunities 
for us to work with film studios on 
simplifying the film buying process 
and on promoting smaller films to a 
wider audience. 

The Group is committed to protecting 
the intellectual property rights of 
films and event cinema. Policies and 
procedures are constantly reviewed 
and developed to ensure cinema 
management are able to effectively 
monitor and prevent film piracy. Night-
vision technology is utilised and there 
is an increased vigilance around high 
profile titles which are particularly 
vulnerable. The Group will continue to 
work closely with relevant industry and 
law enforcement organisations in order 
to help reduce and prevent film piracy.

Building relationships with developers, 
landlords and local planners is very 
important to be able to ensure we can 
maintain an appropriate pipeline of new 
sites for the future and undertake our 
refurbishment programme. 

We continue to work with suppliers of 
innovative technology, demonstrated 
by our the drive to introduce laser 
projectors across our cinemas, giving 
an enhanced customer experience 
and driving down energy costs. This, 
coupled with our continuing roll-out 
of ScreenX, 4DX and IMAX in all our 
markets, ensures that we continue 
to deliver on our customer promise 
of being the best place to watch a 
movie as well as maximising box 
office revenue.

Strong relationships with our principal 
retail suppliers enable us to work 
together on promotions that help 
drive retail sales. We seek to manage 
relationships with our suppliers 
fairly, and to work in accordance 
with our aspirations as set out in our 
ethical policies.

Our communities
Our work with charities, schools and 
community groups across all our 
territories is very important to us. 
We are involved with a wide range 
of activities including working with 
distributors on charity screenings, 
providing free shows for organisations, 
and working closely with local schools. 

We take part in a wide range of 
charitable activities throughout the 
Group, including the "Summer Movie 
Express" event in the US, where cinema-
goers can enjoy a selection of "G" or 
"PG" rated movies at participating 
cinemas to benefit the Will Rogers 
Institute, and its mission in the areas of 
medical research and health education.

The Group also works as a venue partner 
for numerous film festivals. While many 
are well known and high profile, in certain 
countries the Group sponsors festivals 
showcasing local film producers’ work 
and runs short film competitions for 
students encouraging the development 
of future talent. This involvement once 
again helps to promote the Group’s 
brands through the wider film industry.

" We believe that film can be a 

powerful educational tool for all 
ages – as well as being a valuable 
cultural experience in itself."

  The Picturehouse education team 
work closely with teachers, film 
festivals and partner organisations to 
deliver a diverse and exciting year-
round programme at Picturehouse 
cinemas across the UK. We welcome 
over 40,000 people each year to 
our screenings and events, specially 
curated for Nursery, Primary, 
Secondary and Special Educational 
Needs (SEN) and Additional Support 
Needs (ASN) Schools and for adult 
learners. We believe that film can 
be a powerful educational tool for 
all ages – as well as being a valuable 
cultural experience in itself, watching 
a film can expand our experiences 
and understanding by helping us to 
explore concepts and ideas that are 
new or challenging to us.

Cineworld Cinemas in the UK proudly 
called “Action” on our 4th year 
of partnership with BBC Children 
in Need.

Our All Star cast of staff channelled 
their favourite action heroes to go 
above and beyond all year long to 
raise blockbusting charity funds 
at every cinema. Just like the 
superheroes on the silver screen, 
our cinema teams have conquered 
assault courses, hiked for miles, 
scaled mountains, leapt out of 
aeroplanes and even dived into the 
ocean in search of sharks. 

In the cinemas, they’ve shaved their 
heads, baked up a storm, quizzed 
their customers on every possible 
genre of film, and even cycled the 
whole breadth of the country. Like all 
true heroes they show no sign of 
stopping; raising over £2m in the first 
four years of partnership.

And the viewing public haven’t been 
forgotten. Customers can pick up a 
pair of Pudsey ears at any Cineworld 
cinema and get involved by 
rounding to the nearest pound when 
purchasing those essential movie 
snacks at the concession tills. In 2019, 
over October half-term in the UK, 
Cineworld held special ‘Movies for 
Juniors’ screenings with a percentage 
of ticket sales being donated towards 
our overall campaign pledge. 

Thanks to the hard work of our  
teams, Cineworld was proud to  
pledge £650,000 for BBC Children  
in Need in 2019.

£650,000 

 for BBC Children in Need in 2019.

34

Cineworld Group plc 
Annual Report and Accounts 2019

Environment
We seek to comply with all relevant 
environmental legislation and to operate 
in an environmentally sensitive manner. 
The Board of Directors acknowledges 
the impact that the business has on the 
environment and seeks to mitigate it. 
Often changes which help to mitigate 
our environmental impact also reduce 
our operating costs. 

Health and safety
Health and safety is of major importance 
to us when considering the day-to-
day health, safety and welfare of our 
customers, employees and contractors. 
The Group seeks to maintain the highest 
standards in the effective management 
of our health and safety obligations, 
and our duty of care to our customers 
and staff.

Being a multisite business, the Group 
is conscious of its total energy 
consumption and amount of waste 
materials generated and is actively 
working on reducing both. The Group’s 
mandatory greenhouse gas report can 
be found in the Directors’ Report on 
pages 84 and 85. Our cinema websites 
enable e-tickets to be purchased and 
used, avoiding the need to print tickets. 
In 2019 in the US, the introduction 
of a new website and apps drove 
online penetration to 40%. In new and 
refurbished cinemas, poster cases are 
now digital, reducing the need to deliver, 
install, and ultimately throw away large 
paper posters. All these efforts help 
to reduce our use of resources and 
carbon footprint.

Each year, cinemas in the Group 
are subject to health and safety 
assessments (including aspects of 
fire, food and occupation). Results are 
monitored, and any significant issues 
are followed up by management teams, 
with the assistance of specialist external 
consultants where needed. 

Anti-bribery and corruption
The Group has in place a range of 
governance-related policies, including 
Whistleblowing, Gifts and Hospitality, 
and Health and Safety. The Company 
has implemented these policies and 
procedures to ensure it is prepared, 
to the extent possible, to prevent 
corrupt practices across our business 
relationships. The Group endeavours 
to conduct its business with integrity, 
aims to be a responsible employer, and 
adopts values and standards designed 
to help guide our staff in their conduct 
and business relationships.

   Through our partnership with 

Starbucks and 5p single use takeaway 
cup charge, in the last 12 months 
Cineworld has donated over £77,000 
to environmental charity Hubbub (and 
over £100,000 since we introduced 
the charge as part of this initiative).

   In our new builds we purchase 

projectors using the latest laser 
technology which not only provide a 
brighter picture but are also nearly four 
times more energy efficient, providing 
significant operational cost savings.

Gender representation  
and KPIs

Gender breakdown  
of the Board(1)

33%

67%

Male

Female

Total Board of Directors

8

4

12

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Gender breakdown  
of senior managers 

31%

69%

Male

Female

Total senior managers

95

43

138

Gender breakdown  
of total employees(2)

43%

57%

Male

Female

Total employees

19,260

14,758

34,018

(1)  As at 31 December 2019.

(2)  Data is based on the average 

headcount for 2019.

Cineworld Group plc  
Annual Report and Accounts 2019

35

 
 
 
Chief Financial Officer’s Review

A solid 
financial 
performance

Nisan Cohen
Chief Financial Officer

Admissions

275.0m

272.6m

0.9%

308.4m

(10.8)%

Year ended 
31 December 
2019

Year ended 
31 December 
2018

Statutory 
movement

Pro-forma 
constant currency 
Year ended 
31 December
2018

Pro-forma
constant currency 
movement

Box office

Retail

Other Income

Total revenue

$m

2,536.1

1,240.3

593.3

4,369.7

$m

2,496.6

1,145.2

477.3

4,119.1

%

1.6

8.3

24.3

6.1

$m

2,830.7

1,299.1

527.2

4,657.0

%

(10.4)

(4.5)

12.5

(6.2)

Cineworld Group plc (the 'Group') results are presented for 
the year ended 31 December 2019 and reflect the trading 
and financial position of the US, UK and Ireland ('UK&I') 
and the Rest of the World ('ROW') reporting segments. 
Regal Entertainment Group ('Regal') became part of the 
Group from 1 March 2018 and their post-acquisition results are 
included within the US reporting segment.

Pro-forma results for 2018 reflect the Group and US 
performance had Regal been consolidated for the 
entirety of the comparative period from 1 January 2018 
to 31 December 2018. Pro-forma results are presented to 
provide a comparable basis to understand the performance 
year-on-year. Pro-forma results have also been adjusted to 
include acquisition-related adjustments for the entire pro-
forma period. Unless explicitly referenced, all percentage 
movements given reflect performance on a constant currency 

basis to allow a year-on-year assessment of the performance 
of the business without the impact of fluctuations in exchange 
rates over time. Constant currency movements have been 
calculated by applying the 2019 average exchange rates to 
2018 performance.

Total admissions decreased by 10.8% year-on year to 275.0m 
on a pro-forma basis. Total revenue for the year ended 
31 December 2019 was $4,369.7m, a decrease of 6.2% on 
a pro-forma constant currency basis. On a statutory basis 
revenue increased by 6.1% compared with the prior year, when 
the US was only included for 10 months.

The principal revenue stream for the Group is box office 
revenue, which made up 58.0% (2018: 60.8%) of total 
revenue. Box office revenue is a function of the number of 
admissions and the ticket price per admission, net of sales tax. 

36

Cineworld Group plc 
Annual Report and Accounts 2019

Admissions (one of the Group’s Key Performance Indicators) 
depend on the number, timing and popularity of the movies 
the Group is able to show in its cinemas. In addition, the Group 
operates membership schemes which provide customers with 
access to screenings in exchange for subscriptions fees, and 
this revenue is reported as part of box office. 

The Group’s second most significant revenue stream is 
from retail sales of food and drink for consumption within 
cinemas, which made up 28.4% (2018: 27.9%) of total revenue. 
Retail revenue across the Group is driven by admissions 
trends within each operating territory.

Other Income represents 13.6% (2018: 11.3%) of total Group 
revenue. Other Income is made up of all income other 
than box office and retail, predominantly revenue from 
advertisements shown on screen prior to film screenings and 
revenue from booking fees associated with the purchase of 
tickets online. The Group also generates distribution revenue 
in the UK and ROW, which is included within Other Income.

US
The results below show the Group’s performance in the US.

Year 
ended 31 
December 
2019

Year 
ended 31 
December 
2018

Statutory 
movement

Pro-forma 
Year 
ended 31 
December 
2018

Pro-forma 
movement

Admissions

177.3m 170.7m

3.9% 206.5m

(14.1)%

$m

$m

Box office

1,859.6

1,762.8

Retail

Other Income

953.9

396.1

851.3

319.0

%

5.5

12.1

2,131.2

1,019.0

24.2

375.1

Total revenue 3,209.6

2,933.1

9.4 3,525.3

(12.7)

(6.4)

5.6

(9.0)

$m

%

Box office
Box office revenue represented 57.9% (2018: 60.5%) of total 
revenue. Admissions and box office revenue decreased by 
14.1% and 12.7% respectively on a pro-forma basis during the 
year to 31 December 2019. These results reflect the mix of 
the movies year on year and the strength of the US cinema 
market in 2018 compared with 2019. The total North American 
industry box office revenue for the year was 4.0% lower 
compared with the prior year (Source: Comscore). The top 
three movies in 2019 were "Avengers: Endgame", "The Lion 
King" and "Toy Story 4", which in total grossed $1.8bn. The top 
three movies in 2018 were “Black Panther”, “Avengers: Infinity 
War" and “Incredibles 2”, which together grossed $2.0bn. 
Admissions have also been partly impacted by the closure of 
seven sites (68 screens) in the second half of 2018 and 16 sites 
(168 screens) in 2019 as part of the active estate management 
following the acquisition. Although our Unlimited programme 
was launched successfully, this was not until July 2019. 
The programme has been very well received by our customers 
and has contributed positively to our market share over the 
second half of the year. 

The average ticket price achieved in the US increased by 
1.6% to $10.49 (2018: $10.32). The increase reflects some 
inflationary price rises and, importantly, the expansion and 
popularity of our premium offerings. The top three movies in 
the year were available in a range of formats – IMAX, RPX (an 
alternative large screen auditorium technology), 4DX and 3D. 

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Retail
Retail revenue represented 29.7% of total revenue 
(2018: 28.9%). The retail revenue decreased as a result of the 
lower admissions in the year but this was partly offset by the 
increase in retail spend per person which increased by 9.1% 
on a pro-forma basis to $5.38 (2018: $4.93). The increase in 
spend per person was due to selective price increases as well 
as an increase in popcorn, food and beverage sales. In the 
second half of 2018 and in 2019 alcoholic beverage availability 
was added to 59 sites, as well as enhanced food offerings in 
16 sites. With the introduction of reserved seating and the 
growth in online bookings this is also having a positive impact 
on dwell time and spend per person. 

Other Income
Other Income represented 12.4% of total revenue 
(2018: 10.6%). Other Income is made up of on-screen 
advertising revenue, corporate and theatre income and 
revenue from online booking fees charged on the purchase 
of tickets for screenings, which is driven by the demand 
for tickets and the propensity of customers to book tickets 
online. Screen advertising revenue is earned through the 
Group’s agreements with National CineMedia ('NCM') and 
direct contracts with concession vendors and distributors. 
NCM operates on behalf of a number of US exhibitors to sell 
advertising time prior to screenings. Advertising revenues 
are driven primarily by admissions levels and the value of 
advertising sold. Other Income also includes less significant 
elements related to the sale of gift cards and bulk ticket 
programmes and the hire of theatres for events. Despite the 
impact of lower admissions, on a pro-forma basis the Other 
Income has increased by 5.6% largely due to continued 
uptake for bookings online and a one-off vendor termination 
fee. The termination payment of $22.0m from a vendor 
was agreed to compensate the Group for future revenue 
which would have been received under the terms of the 
existing contract.

Cineworld Group plc  
Annual Report and Accounts 2019

37

 
 
 
Chief Financial Officer’s Review continued

UK&I
The results below for the UK&I include the two cinema brands 
in the UK: Cineworld and Picturehouse. 

Rest of the World
The results below for the ROW include Poland, Romania, 
Hungary, the Czech Republic, Bulgaria, Slovakia and Israel. 

Year 
ended 31 
December 
2019

Year 
ended 31 
December 
2018

Statutory 
movement

Constant 
currency 
Year 
ended 31 
December 
2018

Constant 
Currency 
movement

Year 
ended 31 
December 
2019

Year 
ended 31 
December 
2018

Statutory 
movement

Constant 
currency 
Year 
ended 31 
December 
2018

Constant 
Currency 
movement

Admissions

48.2m

51.6m

(6.6)% 51.6m

(6.6)%

Admissions

49.5m 50.3m

(1.6)% 50.3m

(1.6)%

Box office

405.7

453.5

(10.5)

433.2

(6.3)

Box office

270.8

280.3

(3.4)

266.3

$m

$m

%

$m

%

$m

$m

%

$m

Retail

Other Income

156.7

86.0

167.5

76.7

(6.4)

160.0

(2.1)

Retail

12.1

73.3

17.3

Other Income

Total revenue

648.4

697.7

(7.1)

666.5

(2.7)

Total revenue

129.7

126.4

111.2

511.7

81.6

488.3

2.6

36.3

120.1

78.8

4.8

465.2

10.0

%

1.7

8.0

41.1

Box office
Box office revenue represented 62.6% of total revenue 
(2018: 65.0%). Admissions decreased by 6.6% and box office 
revenue decreased by 6.3% on a constant currency basis. 
Whilst the industry box office is also down in the UK over the 
past 18 months there has been competitive pricing pressure 
in the market. The average ticket price achieved in the UK&I 
has remained relatively flat, with a marginal increase on a 
constant currency basis to $8.42 (2018: $8.40). In the UK 
and Ireland, the top five grossing movies were, “Avengers: 
Endgame”, "The Lion King", "Toy Story 4”, "Joker" and "Frozen 
2" which grossed $427.9m (Source: Comscore). This compares 
to the top five titles in 2018 which were “Avengers: Infinity 
War”, "Mamma Mia: Here We Go Again", "Incredibles 2", 
“Black Panther” and “The Greatest Showman” which grossed 
$392.9m (Source: Comscore).

Retail
Retail revenue represented 24.2% (2018: 24.0%) of total 
revenue. Retail revenue decreased by 2.1% from the prior year 
on a constant-currency basis. This was driven by the decrease 
in admissions net of the 4.8% increase in retail spend per 
person on a constant currency basis to $3.25 (2018: $3.10). 
Spend per person was positively impacted by our investment 
in a broader range of retail offerings, including Starbucks and 
our VIP offering. As at 31 December 2019, the Group had 37 
Starbucks sites, an additional five sites compared to the end 
of 2019, and five sites with a VIP offering.

Other Income
Other Income represented 13.2% (2018: 11.0%) of total 
revenue. Other Income includes all other revenue streams 
outside of box office and retail, mainly advertising, online 
booking fee revenue and some distribution revenue through 
Picturehouse. Advertising revenue is primarily generated by 
on-screen adverts and is earned though our joint venture 
screen advertising business Digital Cinema Media Limited 
('DCM'). DCM sells advertising time on-screen on behalf of 
the UK cinema industry and advertising revenue is impacted 
by admissions trends and the value of advertising sold. 
The main driver for the increase in Other Income was an 
increase in online bookings, voucher and event ticket sales, 
which performed strongly, compared with the prior year. 
Advertising revenue performance was also stronger due to 
the nature of the film mix in 2019. 

Box Office
Box office revenue represented 52.9% (2018: 57.2%) of total 
revenue. Box office admissions in the ROW decreased by 
1.6% and box office revenue increased 1.7% compared to the 
prior year on a constant currency basis. Admissions in Czech 
Republic and Bulgaria increased from the prior year, there 
was a marginal decline in Israel admissions, and admissions 
in Poland, Romania, Hungary and Slovakia decreased. 
Poland had very strong comparatives in 2018 supported by 
the results of local release “Kler”, which achieved box office 
revenue of $28.0m (Source: Box Office Mojo) and became 
one of the most successful films in history in the Polish market. 
This was also followed by another local movie “Kobiety Mafii”. 
The most successful movies in the year across the ROW 
were "Avengers: End Game", "Frozen 2", "The Lion King" and 
"Joker". In the Czech Republic, the second highest performing 
movie in the period was a local release, “Ženy v běhu” 
demonstrating the continued popularity of local movies. 
The average ticket price increased by 3.4% to $5.47 (2018: 
$5.29) on a constant currency basis. The increase is partly 
due to inflationary price rises and the increasing popularity of 
premium offerings such as 4DX and IMAX.

Retail
Retail revenue represented 25.4% of the total revenue 
(2018: 25.8%). Retail spend per person increased to 
$2.62 (2018: $2.39) during the year – an increase of 9.6% 
on a constant currency basis. The growth was driven 
by a combination of retail initiatives and inflationary 
price increases.

Other Income
Other Income includes distribution, advertising and other 
revenues and represents 21.7% (2018: 17.0%) of total revenue. 
Forum Film is the Group’s distribution business for the ROW 
and distributes movies on behalf of certain major Hollywood 
studios as well as owning the distribution rights to certain 
independent films. Distribution revenue performed very 
strongly in 2019, due to increased box office results on the 
films distributed compared to 2018, driven by the key titles 
distributed in the year including, but not limited to "Avengers: 
Endgame", "The Lion King", "Frozen 2", "Spider-Man: Far from 
Home", and "Star Wars: Episode IX – The Rise of Sky Walker". 
New Age Media is the Group’s advertising arm in ROW and 
this has also performed well based on the film mix in 2019.

38

Cineworld Group plc 
Annual Report and Accounts 2019

Financial Performance

Admissions

Box office

Retail

Other Income

Total revenue

Adjusted EBITDA (as defined in Note 3) excluding IFRS 16 impact

IFRS 16 impact on Adjusted EBITDA

Adjusted EBITDA (as defined in Note 3)

Operating profit

Finance income

Finance expenses

Net finance costs

Share of profit from joint ventures

Profit on ordinary activities before tax

Tax on profit on ordinary activities

Profit for the year attributable to equity holders of the Group

Year ended 31 December 2019

Year ended 
31 December 
2018

US

UK&I

ROW Total Group

Total Group

177.3m

48.2m

49.5m

275.0m

272.6m

$m

$m

$m

$m

$m

1,859.6

405.7

270.8

2,536.1

2,496.6

953.9

396.1

156.7

86.0

129.7

1,240.3

111.2

593.3

3,209.6

648.4

511.7

4,369.7

1,032.6

547.7

1,580.3

724.7

26.3

1,145.2

477.3

4,119.1

925.4

–

–

492.9

53.9

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(568.0)

(225.2)

(541.7)

(171.3)

29.3

212.3

(32.0)

180.3

27.4

349.0

(64.7)

284.3

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Impact of IFRS 16 “Leases”
From 1 January 2019, the Group has adopted IFRS 16 “Leases”, applying the modified retrospective approach. The new 
accounting standard requires that lease agreements with a fixed or minimum rent are recognised in the Group’s Statement 
of Financial Position as a right-of-use asset and a lease liability. IFRS 16 has a significant impact on the Group’s Statement of 
Financial Position and Statement of Comprehensive Income. Adjusted EBITDA has increased on an IFRS 16 basis significantly as 
the reported cost of operating leases decreased while depreciation of the right-of-use assets and interest expenses for the lease 
liability increased. With the current portfolio of lease agreements, the Group’s profit after tax for the year ended 31 December 
2019 has been negatively affected by $167.8m.

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Revenue

Cost of sales

Other operating income

Administrative expenses

Operating profit

Adjusted EBITDA as defined in Note 3

Net financing costs

Share of profit from joint ventures

Profit on ordinary activities before tax

Tax on profit on ordinary activities

Profit for the year attributable to equity holders of the Group

Pre IFRS 16 
Results
$m

4,369.7 

Impact of 
IFRS 16
$m

Statutory 
Results
$m

– 

4,369.7 

(3,294.1)

545.0 

(2,749.1)

5.3 

0.4 

5.7 

(422.0)

(479.6)

(901.6)

658.9 

65.8 

724.7 

1,032.6 

547.7 

1,580.3 

(255.6)

(286.1)

(541.7)

29.3 

– 

29.3 

432.6

(220.3)

212.3

(84.5)

348.1 

52.5

(167.8)

(32.0)

180.3 

The implementation of IFRS 16 increased total assets as at 1 January 2019 by $2.7bn due to the right-of-use assets being 
recognised. The total liabilities also increased as a result of the corresponding lease liability. The equity was affected negatively 
by $0.2bn.

Total assets

Total liabilities

Net assets

Total equity

31 December 
2018 $m

Impact of 
IFRS 16 $m

1 January 
2019 $m

9,703.7

2,723.8

12,427.5

(6,283.4)

(2,897.1)

(9,180.4)

3,420.3

(173.3)

3,247.0

3,420.3

(173.3)

3,247.0

Cineworld Group plc  
Annual Report and Accounts 2019

39

 
 
 
Chief Financial Officer’s Review continued

Adjusted EBITDA  
(excluding the impact of IFRS 16) 
On a pro-forma basis, excluding the impact of IFRS 16, the 
Adjusted EBITDA has decreased by 3.7% to $1,032.6m (2018: 
$1,072.4m). This was mainly driven by the net impact of the 
reduction in admissions and as a result total revenues for 
the year and the post-acquisition synergies achieved in the 
US. The Adjusted EBITDA margin of 23.6% is 0.8% higher 
on a pro-forma basis (excluding currency effects). On a 
statutory basis Adjusted EBITDA has increased by 11.6% to 
$1,032.6m (2018: $925.4m). The increase is largely due to 
the contribution of Regal for 12 months in 2019 compared to 
10 months in 2018 and post-acquisition synergies. 

Adjusted EBITDA generated by the US was $775.8m for 
2019 (2018: $670.4m), an increase of 15.7%. On a pro-
forma basis the Adjusted EBITDA has decreased by 5.0%. 
The Adjusted EBITDA margin has increased by 1.1% to 24.2% 
resulting from the post-acquisition synergies including cost 
control initiatives. 

Adjusted EBITDA generated by the UK & Ireland of $116.7m 
has decreased by 7.3% compared to the prior year (2018: 
$125.9m). The Adjusted EBITDA margin of 18.0% has remained 
flat year on year. The ROW has generated Adjusted EBITDA 
of $140.1m, an increase of 8.5% on the prior year (2018: 
$129.1m). The Adjusted EBITDA margin of 27.4% for the ROW 
represents an increase of 1.0% compared to the prior year. 
The increase for the ROW is mainly due to price increases, a 
strong retail performance and increased distribution activity. 

Adjusted EBITDA 
The Adjusted EBITDA has increased to $1,580.3m (2018: 
$925.4m) primarily as a result of adopting IFRS 16 on 
1 January 2019 and the additional two months contribution 
from Regal in 2019 compared to 2018. 

Operating profit
Operating profit of $724.7m was $231.8m higher than the prior 
year (2018: $492.9m). Operating profit included an additional 
two months results from the US in 2019, the impact of IFRS 
16 from 1 January 2019 and the post-acquisition synergies 
achieved in the US. 

The following one off items have been included within 
operating profit in 2019: 

 − Following negotiations with suppliers there has been a 

release of a $17.1m provision in the year. The provision was 
recorded as part of the IFRS 3, purchase price allocation on 
acquisition of Regal; 

 − A $22.0m vendor termination payment;

 − A one-time write-off of other current assets of $3.9m; and

 − As a result of changes to the loyalty scheme structure there 

has been a release of $10.0m from deferred revenue. 

Within operating profit there are a number of non-recurring 
and non-trade related items that have a net negative impact 
of $12.8m (2018: net negative impact $58.8m). These items 
are excluded from Adjusted EBITDA and have been set out in 
detail in Note 3. 

40

Cineworld Group plc 
Annual Report and Accounts 2019

The total depreciation and amortisation charge (included in 
administrative expenses) in the year totalled $729.8m (2018: 
$320.5m). The charge is higher year on year due to additional 
two month's charge for Regal and the impact of IFRS 16 from 
1 January 2019.

Net finance costs
At 31 December 2018 the Group had a USD term loan of 
$3.3bn and a Euro term loan of $607.0m and a $300.0m 
revolving credit facility ('RCF') which had not been drawn 
upon. In April 2019, the RCF was extended by $162.5m to 
$462.5m and in September 2019 a minor financing restructure 
was undertaken. An incremental USD term loan was taken out 
for $650.0m to partially repay the Euro term loan and settle 
the outstanding balance on the RCF. 

The structure used to partly settle the Euro term loan included 
three Euro to USD cross currency interest rate swaps which 
the Group entered into. Under the arrangements of these 
swaps the Group received €408.7m. These proceeds were 
used to settle €408.0m of the Group’s outstanding Euro 
term loan and the Group now pays a Euro coupon on the 
notional outstanding balance of the Euro legs of the swaps 
and receives a coupon on the notional outstanding balance of 
the USD legs of the swaps. The USD coupon is then used to 
pay the coupon on the USD$650.0m incremental term loan. 
On maturity of the swaps and the incremental USD term loan, 
the Group will receive $450.0m on the USD legs of the swaps 
and pay €408.7m on the Euro leg.

At 31 December 2019 the Group had US term loans 
outstanding totalling $3.4bn, a Euro term loan of $215.4m and 
a $462.5m RCF, of which $95.0m had been drawn upon. 

Net financing costs totalled $541.7m during the period (2018: 
$171.3m). Finance income of $26.3m (2018: $53.9m) included 
interest income of $4.5m (2018: $2.3m), a gain of $10.4m in 
on the movement of the fair value of financial derivatives and 
$3.4m on the unwind of the discount on non-current assets 
(2018: $4.6m). Following adoption of IFRS 16 $0.7m has been 
recognised in 2019 in respect of the unwind of the discount on 
sub-lease assets.

Foreign exchange gains of $7.3m (2018: $47.0m) were 
incurred in respect of monetary assets and non-USD 
denominated loans. In 2018 the gain mainly arose on the re-
translation of the Euro denominated portion of the Group’s 
term loan which was not hedged in 2018 and has been 
partially repaid in 2019. 

The finance expense of $568.0m (2018: $225.2m) has 
predominantly increased following the adoption of IFRS 16, 
with a $304.2m charge in respect of lease liability interest. 
In 2018 the total in respect of the unwind of the discount 
and interest charges on property-related leases was $17.9m. 
Interest on bank loans and overdrafts in the period totalled 
$167.3m (2018: $146.7m). The other finance costs of $96.5m 
(2018: $60.2m) included: $27.2m (2018: $11.0m) of amortised 
prepaid finance costs, $51.3m (2018: $44.2m) in respect of 
the unwind of discount on deferred revenue, a loss of $8.1m 
in on the movement of the fair value of financial derivatives 
and $9.9m in respect of foreign exchange losses (2018: 
$1.9m). In 2018 there was a one-off gain of $3.5m reclassified 
from equity to profit or loss in respect of settled net 
investment hedge.

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Taxation
The overall tax charge during the year was $32.0m giving 
an effective tax rate of 15.1% (19.2% excluding the impact 
of IFRS 16) (2018: 18.5%). The small increase in the effective 
rate (excluding the impact of IFRS 16) reflects changes in the 
Group’s geographical split of profits, in particular the US rate 
which is higher than that of our other markets and included 
the gain from the sale and leaseback transaction in the period. 

Tax uncertainties and risks are increasing for all multinational 
groups which could affect the future tax rate. The Group 
takes a responsible attitude to tax, recognising that it affects 
all our stakeholders. The Group seeks at all times to comply 
with the law in each of the jurisdictions in which we operate, 
and to build open and transparent relationships with those 
jurisdictions’ tax authorities. The Group’s tax strategy is 
aligned with the commercial activities of the business, and 
within our overall governance structure the governance of tax 
and tax risk is given a high priority by the Board. 

Earnings
Profit on ordinary activities after tax in the period was 
$180.3m, a decrease of $104.0m compared with the prior year 
(2018: $284.3m). The decrease is the net result of including 
an additional two months results from Regal in the year 
compared to 2019, the lower admissions year on year, the 
impact of IFRS 16 which has had a negative impact on the 
results for the year and the one-off operational and non-
recurring non-trade items. 

Basic Earnings Per Share amounted to 13.1c (2018: 22.5 IAS 
17 basis). Eliminating the one-off, non-trade related items 
totalling $113.0m, Adjusted diluted Earnings Per Share were 
21.3c (restated 2018: 25.7c IAS 17 basis).

Statement of cash flows and statement of 
financial position
Overall, net assets have decreased by $482.6m, to $2,937.7m 
since 31 December 2018. Total assets increased by $2,746.8m, 
this predominantly relates to the adoption of IFRS 16 and 
the $3,441.2m right-of-use assets which have been brought 
onto the Group’s Statement of Financial Position. The total 
liabilities have also increased by $3,229.4m, primarily due 
to recognizing $4,197.5m in respect of finance leases under 
IFRS 16. 

The Group continued to be strongly cash generative at the 
operating level. Total net cash generated from operations 
in the year was $1,293.7m (2018: $542.4m). The adoption 
of IFRS 16 has had an impact on the geography of items 
within Group's Statement of Cash Flows. In particular, cash 
flows in respect of leases are now presented in cash flows 
from financing activities, having previously been presented 
within cash flows from operating activities. Net cash inflows 
from investing activities were $141.0m during the year (2018: 
$3,452.3m outflow). 

Net debt of $7.7bn at the year end is $4.0bn higher than the 
balance at 31 December 2018 primarily due to the $4.7bn 
impact in 2019 from IFRS 16. 

Acquisition of Cineplex
On 16 December 2019, the Group announced the proposed 
transaction of Cineplex by means of an acquisition of the 
entire issued, and to be issued share capital of Cineplex. 
The acquisition was based on an implied enterprise value of 
$2.1bn. Due to its size, the acquisition was classed as a Class 
1 transaction under the Listing Rules, and therefore required 
shareholder approval. The Group and Cineplex shareholders 
approved the acquisition on 11 February 2020. Prior to the 
acquisition completing the Investment Canada Act Approval 
must be obtained. 

The consideration for the acquisition of $2.3bn will be 
fully settled in cash which will be raised through a $2.0bn 
extension to the Group’s existing term loans and a $0.3bn 
unsecured bridge loan. Given the acquisition has not 
yet completed at the approval date of the 2019 financial 
statements, no accounting for the acquisition in accordance 
with IFRS 3 “Business Combinations” has been included in 
these financial statements.

Dividends
The Board now pays four interim dividends for each financial 
year. Payments in relation to the first three quarters of the 
year were equal to 25% of the full year dividend of the prior 
year, with the final payment reflective of the Group’s full year 
earnings performance and resulting in a full year dividend 
payment aligned with the Group’s pay-out ratio. 

The Board has proposed the 2019 fourth dividend to be 
4.25c per share, reflecting the satisfactory performance for 
the year, strong cash flow generation and the strength of the 
Statement of Financial Position. The total dividend per share 
for 2019 was 15.5c (2018: 15.0c). The record date for the 2019 
fourth dividend payment is 14 April 2020 and the payment 
date will be 1 May 2020. 

The final dividend for 2018 of 10.15c per share was paid on 
5 July 2019 to ordinary shareholders. The total cash paid was 
$139.3m. On 13 June 2019, the Group announced a special 
dividend of 20.27c per ordinary share which was paid on 
5 July 2019, along with the first quarterly payment for 2019 
of 3.75c per share. The total cash payable for these dividends 
was $329.5m. 

The second and third quarterly payment for 2019 of 3.75c 
per share were paid on 4 October 2019 and 10 January 2020 
respectively. The total cash paid for these two payments was 
$102.8m. 

Nisan Cohen
Chief Financial Officer
12 March 2020

The strategic report from pages 1 to 41 was approved by the 
Board and signed on its behalf by:

Moshe Greidinger
Chief Executive Officer
12 March 2020

Israel Greidinger
Deputy Chief 
Executive Officer

Cineworld Group plc  
Annual Report and Accounts 2019

41

 
 
 
Chairman’s Introduction to Governance
A robust governance framework supporting strategy

area, Dean Moore has been appointed 
as the Non-Executive Director to 
represent employees in the Boardroom, 
and will take up this role for the 2020 
reporting year.

Pursuant to the Code requirements in 
relation to stakeholder engagement, 
together with the obligations arising 
under section 172 of the Companies 
Act, we have taken time as a Board to 
focus on how we engage with our key 
stakeholders and how we consider their 
needs, concerns and expectations in 
board discussions and decision-making. 
More information on this may be found 
on pages 51 to 53.

Also in accordance with the 
requirements of the Code, and our 
policy of a three-year Board evaluation 
cycle, the 2019 Board evaluation was 
externally facilitated. I am pleased to 
report the conclusion that the Board 
and its Committees are operating 
effectively. Further information on the 
evaluation process and the outcomes 
can be found in the Nomination 
Committee report on page 58.

As mentioned above, in December 
2019 we announced the proposed 
acquisition of Cineplex Inc., the leading 
cinema chain in Canada. The transaction 
was approved by shareholders at an 
extraordinary general meeting held 
on 11th February 2020. Once the 
transaction completes, Cineworld will 
be the largest cinema chain in North 
America, the second largest in the 
world, and we will continue to strive to 
be the best.

Anthony Bloom 
Chairman
12 March 2020

changes may be found within this 
governance report, and also in Alicja’s 
opening statement in the Directors’ 
Remuneration Report on page 66.

In 2019, we considered our Purpose 
(which is set out on page 2), Values 
and Strategy, and undertook a review 
of our corporate culture, assessing the 
extent to which our values had been 
embedded throughout the Group. 
Our analysis incorporated a wide 
range of key cultural indicators, such 
as workforce engagement survey 
results, employee turnover figures, 
feedback in relation to our learning and 
development programmes, feedback 
from site visits, our gender pay-gap 
data, and a continuous review (at every 
Board meeting) of our health and safety 
reports. In addition, the Board reviewed 
and monitored whistleblowing statistics 
and themes. We report more specifically 
on workforce engagement on page 67 
of the Directors’ Remuneration Report. 

Our employees bring our values and 
our culture to life in the day-to-day 
running of the business. During the year 
I, along with other Board members, 
visited a number of sites, giving us 
the opportunity to hear first-hand the 
views of our workforce on a number of 
matters and an insight into the extent 
to which our business policies, our 
leadership and our strategies are being 
implemented. I am pleased to report 
that during 2019 we continued to focus 
on employee engagement. 

We know from previous tracking that 
there is a clear link between employee 
engagement and an optimum customer 
experience, as our customer satisfaction 
scores are consistently higher where 
employee engagement is at its greatest. 
More details of the Group’s related 
initiatives can be found in the Resources 
and Relationships section on page 32.

Under the Code, the Board is 
encouraged to take the interests of 
employees into consideration in Board 
discussions and decision-making, 
and the importance of strengthening 
the voice of the workforce in the 
Boardroom is strongly emphasised. 
For the 2019 financial year, the Board 
commissioned a report in this area from 
the Group Senior Vice President of HR, 
drawing on a variety of data sources 
and employee initiatives. This detailed 
report enabled the Board to form a 
firm view of the opinions and areas 
of focus of our people, so that we 
can have these in mind when thinking 
about our strategic priorities. As part 
of the Board’s development in this 

Anthony Bloom 
Chairman

Dear shareholders

I am pleased to present the Corporate 
Governance Statement for 2019.

In January 2019, I announced that I will 
be stepping down at the 2020 Annual 
General Meeting (“AGM“), having served 
as the Company’s Chairman for nearly 
25 years. As part of the succession 
planning process for the role of Chair, 
which you can read more about on 
page 57, Alicja Kornasiewicz, the 
Deputy Chair, has been designated as 
the incoming Chair and will stand for 
election as such at the AGM. I wish Alicja 
every success.

One of our core strategic objectives 
is ensuring that good governance is 
a fundamental part of our corporate 
culture. It supports the implementation 
of our strategy, helps ensure we can 
meet our business goals, and provides a 
foundation for the creation of long-term 
value for our shareholders and other 
stakeholders. Good governance is a 
discipline that is particularly important 
during times of change. As we continue 
to integrate the Regal business, and 
as we anticipate further growth into 
Canada following the announcement 
last December of our proposed 
acquisition of Cineplex Inc., good 
governance will remain a key focus 
going forward.

On 16 July 2018, the Financial 
Reporting Council published its new 
UK Corporate Governance Code (the 
“Code”). We have spent time as a Board 
analysing and implementing the new 
Code’s guidance, including in the areas 
of stakeholder engagement, corporate 
culture, succession planning, diversity, 
and the various other aspects that apply 
to our remuneration policies. Details of 
how we have implemented the Code 

42

Cineworld Group plc 
Annual Report and Accounts 2019

 
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Board Statements

Requirement

Board Statement

Compliance with the UK Corporate 
Governance Code

 Read more page 47

Going Concern

 Read more pages 62 and 101

Viability

 Read more pages 30 and 31

The principal governance rules applying to companies with a premium 
listing for the year covered by this statement are contained in the Code 
published by the UK Financial Reporting Council (“FRC”) in July 2018 (the 
“Code”), and a copy is available on its website www.frc.org.uk. For the 
year ended 31 December 2019, the Board considers that the Company was 
compliant with the provisions of the Code save that Alicja Kornasiewicz, 
when appointed to the role of Chair of the Remuneration Committee, had 
not served on a remuneration committee for 12 months, and Anthony Bloom 
has served as Chairman for longer than 9 years. Please see notes on pages 
48 and 51 of this Corporate Governance Statement.*

The Directors consider whether the Group has adequate resources to 
continue in operational existence for at least 12 months from the date of 
signing these accounts. Thus they continue to adopt the going concern 
basis in preparing the annual financial statements, but have highlighted 
a material uncertainty regarding the future impact on the Group of the 
recent COVID-19 outbreak. For full details of the going concern assessment, 
please see page 101. The Directors have considered the business activities 
as set out on pages 36 to 41 and the Principal Risks and Uncertainties on 
pages 24 to 29. The financial position of the Group, its cash flows, liquidity 
position and borrowing facilities, as well as the Group’s objectives, policies 
and processes for managing capital, are described in Note 26 on page 145. 
Financial risk management objectives, details of financial instruments and 
hedging activities, and exposure to credit risk and liquidity risk are described 
in Note 27 to the financial statements.

The Directors have assessed the viability of the Group over a three year 
period, taking into account the Group’s current position and the potential 
impact of the principal risks and uncertainties set out on pages 24 to 29. 
This assessment considered the established controls for the risks, and 
the available mitigating actions, as well as the uncertainty as to the future 
impact on the Group of the recent COVID-19 outbreak. For full details of 
the Directors’ assessment on the viability of the Group over the three year 
period to 2022, please see pages 30 and 31.

Robust Assessment of Emerging and 
Principal Risks

 Read more pages 24 to 29 and 54

The Directors consider they have undertaken a robust assessment of the 
emerging and principal risks facing the Group, including those that would 
threaten its business model, future performance, solvency and liquidity. 
Please refer to pages 24 to 29 for further information on the Company’s 
principal risks and uncertainties, and their impact on the prospects of 
the Group.

Review of Internal Control and Risk 
Management

The Directors have carried out a review of internal control and risk 
management. Please refer to pages 54 and 55 for further information.

 Read more pages 54 and 55

Fair, Balanced and Understandable

 Read more page 61

The Directors consider the Annual Report and Accounts, taken as a whole, 
is fair, balanced and understandable and provides the information necessary 
for shareholders to assess the Group’s position and performance, business 
model and strategy. Please refer to page 61.

*Provisions 32 and 19 of the Code

Cineworld Group plc  
Annual Report and Accounts 2019

43

 
 
 
Board of Directors
At 31 December 2019

Anthony Bloom 
Chairman

Alicja Kornasiewicz 
Deputy Chair

Independent: No

Committee memberships: 
No formal memberships, but 
has attended all meetings 
by invitation

Tenure on Board: 
15 years 2 months

Relevant skills, qualifications 
and experience:
Anthony Bloom joined the 
Board in October 2004 as 
Chairman, and has served 

Independent: Yes

Committee memberships: 
(cid:8) A  (cid:8) R

Tenure on Board: 
4 years 7 months

Relevant skills, qualifications 
and experience:
Alicja Kornasiewicz joined 
the Board in May 2015 as an 
independent Non-Executive 
Director, is Chair of the 
Remuneration Committee 

as Chairman since the business was founded in 1995. He was 
previously Chairman and Chief Executive of The Premier Group 
Limited (South Africa) and a director of Barclays Bank (South 
Africa), South African Breweries and Liberty Life Assurance. 

Mr Bloom holds Bachelor of Commerce and Bachelor of Law 
(cum laude) degrees from the University of Witwatersrand in 
South Africa and a Masters of Law degree from Harvard Law 
School. He was a Sloan Fellow at the Stanford Graduate School 
of Business. In 2002, Mr Bloom was awarded the degree of 
Doctor of Law (H.C.) by the University of Witwatersrand in 
recognition of his contribution towards the establishment of a 
non-racial society in South Africa. Mr Bloom was awarded the 
‘Lifetime Achievement’ award at CinemaCon in Las Vegas in 
April 2019.

and a member of the Audit Committee. Alicja was appointed 
as Deputy Chair in 2019, and is due to become Chair of the 
Company following the AGM in May 2020, when Anthony 
Bloom steps down. 

Ms Kornasiewicz brings extensive Central and Eastern Europe 
financial and political experience to the Board. Previously, she 
was the Chief Executive Officer of Bank Pekao SA, and Head 
of Investment Banking for Emerging European countries at 
Unicredit Group. Ms Kornasiewicz served as Secretary of State 
in the Polish Ministry of Treasury from 1997 to 2000. Over the 
last 20 years she has held a number of supervisory board 
positions. Ms Kornasiewicz holds a PhD in economics from 
Poznan University of Economics and graduated from Harvard 
Business School. 

Principal external appointments: 
Non-Executive Director London Symphony Orchestra and Non- 
Executive Director of TechnoServe, Inc.

Principal external appointments:
Senior Adviser for Investment Banking Division at Morgan 
Stanley; Non-Executive Director of EuroCash Group.

Moshe (Mooky) Greidinger 
Chief Executive Officer

Israel Greidinger
Deputy Chief Executive 
Officer 

Independent: No

Committee memberships: 
None

Tenure on Board: 
5 years 10 months

Relevant skills, qualifications 
and experience:
Moshe Greidinger joined the 
Board in February 2014 as Chief 
Executive Officer. Prior to that 
he was Chief Executive Officer 
of Cinema City International 

Independent: No

Committee memberships: 
None

Tenure on Board: 
5 years 10 months

Relevant skills, qualifications 
and experience:
Israel Greidinger joined the 
Board in February 2014 as Chief 
Operating Officer. In August 
2014, his role changed to 
Deputy Chief Executive Officer. 

(“CCI”). He joined Cinema City in 1976. Since 1984, Mr Greidinger 
has held executive positions with Cinema City, has served as 
a Director and Deputy Managing Director of Israel Theatres 
Limited since 1983, and as Co-Chairman of the Cinema Owners 
Association in Israel since August 1996. 

Mr Greidinger achieved the “Exhibitor of the Year Award” at 
ShoWest in Las Vegas in 2004, “International Exhibitor of the 
Year Award” at CineEurope, in Amsterdam in 2011, with special 
recognition for having developed new markets in Central and 
Eastern Europe, and the “Global Achievement in Exhibition 
Award” at CinemaCon in Las Vegas in April 2016.

Principal external appointments:
Director of Israel Theatres Limited; Co-Chairman of the 
Cinema Owners Association, Israel; Head of the Board of 
Trustees, the Hebrew Reali School of Haifa. He is a member 
of the National Association of Theatre Owners Global Cinema 
Federation (NATO).

From 1994 until 2014, he worked for Cinema City International 
(“CCI”) and was appointed Chief Financial Officer of CCI in 1995. 
Mr Greidinger has also served as a Director of Israel Theatres 
Limited since 1994. 

From 1985 to 1992, he was Managing Director of C.A.T.S. 
Limited (Computerised Automatic Ticket Sales), and from 
1992 to 1994, he was President and Chief Executive Officer 
of Pacer C.A.T.S. Inc. 

Principal external appointments: 
Director of Israel Theatres Limited since 1994; Chairman of the 
Israeli Friends of Rambam Health Care Campus. 

44

Cineworld Group plc 
Annual Report and Accounts 2019

Committee membership key

(cid:8) N   Nomination 
Committee

(cid:8) A   Audit  

Committee

(cid:8) R   Remuneration 
Committee

  Committee Chair

Nisan Cohen 
Chief Financial Officer

Independent: No

Committee memberships: 
None

Tenure on Board: 
3 years

Relevant skills, qualifications 
and experience:
Nisan Cohen joined the Board in 
January 2017 as Chief Financial 
Officer, and before that had 
been part of the Cineworld 
Group for 16 years. 

Previously, as Vice President of Finance, he led the integration of 
the finance teams in the Cineworld Group across nine countries 
after the Cinema City Combination in 2014. In 2018, Mr Cohen 
made a major contribution to the successful acquisition of Regal 
Entertainment Group, including leading the integration of the 
UK, ROW and US financial teams. 

Principal external appointments:
Member of The Institute of Certified Public Accountants 
in Israel.

Renana Teperberg 
Chief Commercial Officer

Independent: No

Committee memberships: 
None

Tenure on Board: 
1 year 6 months

Relevant skills, qualifications 
and experience: 
Renana Teperberg was 
appointed to the Board in July 
2018, and has been part of the 
Cineworld Group for over 20 
years. Ms Teperberg first joined 
Cinema City International as a cashier in 1997, while studying for 
a BA in psychology at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. 

After progressing to General Manager, she moved to the 
Cinema City International Head Office where she subsequently 
became Head of Programming and Marketing. 

Following the combination with Cineworld, she became Senior 
Vice President of Commercial and then Chief Commercial 
Officer in 2016. In 2018, Renana played a major role in the 
acquisition of Regal Entertainment Group. 

Renana holds an executive MBA in business management from 
IDC Herzliya.

Principal external appointments:
Non-Executive Director of AC JV, LLC (Fathom Events), 
National Cinema Media, Inc., and Digital Cinema Media Limited.

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Eric (Rick) Senat 
Non-Executive Director 
and Senior Independent 
Director

Independent: Yes

Committee memberships:  
(cid:8) N

Tenure on Board: 
9 years 5 months

Relevant skills, qualifications 
and experience:
Rick Senat joined the 
Board in July 2010 and is 
Chair of the Nomination 
Committee. He is also Senior 
Independent Director. 

Mr Senat has over 40 years’ experience in the film industry, 
joining Warner Bros in 1976 and becoming its Senior 
Vice-President for Business Affairs in Europe. He retired 
from Warner Bros after 25 years’ service. 

Mr Senat was also a director of the legendary film company 
Hammer Film Productions, and has previously served as Vice 
Chair of the British Film Institute. 

Until recently, he was a partner in the Blair Partnership, a 
Non-Executive Director of Pottermore Limited and Bank 
Leumi (UK) plc., and Non-Executive Chairman of the London 
Film Museum.

Mr Senat is a graduate of University College London and 
a solicitor.

Principal external appointments:
Non-Executive Chairman of Mad Dog Casting Limited.

Scott S. Rosenblum 
Non-Executive Director

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Independent: No

Committee memberships: 
(cid:8) N

Tenure on Board: 
5 years 10 months

Relevant skills, qualifications 
and experience:
Scott S. Rosenblum joined 
the Board in February 
2014 as a non-independent 
Non-Executive Director. 

He is a member of the Nomination Committee. 

Prior to his appointment, he was a member of the Supervisory 
Board of Cinema City International (“CCI”), becoming its 
Chairman in 2011. 

Mr Rosenblum is licensed as a lawyer and is admitted to the 
New York Bar Association. For nearly 30 years, he has been 
a partner in the law firm of Kramer Levin Naftalis & Frankel 
LLP, New York, where he was Managing Partner between 
1994 and 2000 and a member of the Executive Committee 
until 2018. Mr. Rosenblum is also Co-Chairman of the 
Corporate Department.

Mr Rosenblum is a graduate of Dartmouth College and the 
University of Pennsylvania Law School. He has extensive 
experience in areas of general corporate and securities law, 
corporate finance, corporate governance, mergers and 
acquisitions and joint ventures. 

Principal external appointments: 
Partner since 1991 and Co-Chairman since 2000 of the 
Corporate Department of Kramer Levin Naftalis & Frankel 
LLP; Director and adviser to the boards of various public and 
private companies.

Cineworld Group plc  
Annual Report and Accounts 2019

45

 
 
 
 
Board of Directors continued

Committee membership key

(cid:8) N   Nomination 
Committee

(cid:8) A   Audit  

Committee

(cid:8) R   Remuneration 
Committee

  Committee Chair

Dean Moore 
Non-Executive Director

Independent: Yes

Committee memberships: 
(cid:8) A  (cid:8) R

Tenure on Board: 
3 years

Relevant skills, qualifications 
and experience:
Dean Moore joined the 
Board in January 2017 as an 
independent Non-Executive 
Director. He is Chair of the Audit 
Committee, and a member of 

the Remuneration Committee. 

Prior to Cineworld, Mr Moore worked as Chief Financial Officer 
of N Brown Group plc for 12 years from 2003 to 2015, before 
which he was Chief Financial Officer of T&S Stores plc until it 
was acquired by Tesco plc in early 2003. 

From 1996 to 1999 he was Chief Financial Officer of Graham 
Group plc, and he has held a number of other senior finance 
positions. Mr Moore is a Chartered Accountant (ICAEW) and 
graduate of University of Aston (Business Management BSc).

Principal external appointments: 
Non-Executive Director, Audit Committee Chair, and Senior 
Independent Director of Volex Plc.

Camela Galano 
Non-Executive Director

Independent: Yes

Committee memberships: 
(cid:8) R

Tenure on Board: 
1 year 6 months

Relevant skills, qualifications 
and experience: 
Camela Galano was appointed 
to the Board as an independent 
Non-Executive Director in July 
2018. She is a member of the 
Remuneration Committee.

Camela began her career at New Line Cinema, progressing 
to the role of President of International Sales, Marketing & 
Distribution, where she oversaw the international distribution of 
innumerable titles, including the blockbuster trilogy “The Lord 
of the Rings”. 

Subsequently, Camela became the President of International 
Film Acquisitions for Warner Bros. Following her time at Warner 
Bros., she served as President of Relativity International, 
overseeing global sales, marketing and distribution 
management of Relativity’s own titles, acquisitions and third-
party releases. 

Ms Galano is a longtime member of the Academy of Motion 
Picture Arts and Sciences, and the British Academy of Film and 
Television Arts.

Principal external appointments:
Head of International at Studio8. 

Arni Samuelsson 
Non-Executive Director

Independent: Yes

Committee memberships: 
(cid:8) N  

Tenure on Board: 
5 years 10 months

Relevant skills, qualifications 
and experience:
Arni Samuelsson joined the 
Board in February 2014 as an 
independent Non-Executive 
Director. He is a member of the 
Nomination Committee. 

He has over 40 years of cinema exhibition and film distribution 
experience, principally through SAMfélagið (Samfilm) – a 
cinema exhibitor and film distributor in Iceland, of which he 
has been joint owner and Chief Executive Officer since it was 
formed in 1975. 

Mr Samuelsson has been Chief Executive Officer of Samfilm 
EHF (SAMfélagið’s distribution arm) since 1975, and Chief 
Executive Officer of SAMcinema (SAMfélagið’s cinema arm) 
since the same year. Prior to this, Mr Samuelsson was a Director 
and owner of Vikurbaer, a supermarket business in Keflavik, 
from 1972 until its sale in 1982. 

Principal external appointments: 
Chief Executive Officer of Samfilm EHF (SAMfélagið’s 
distribution arm) since 1975; and Chief Executive Officer of 
SAMcinema (SAMfélagið’s cinema arm) since 1975.

Helen Weir
Non-Executive Director

Independent: Yes

Committee memberships: 
(cid:8) A  (cid:8) R

Tenure on Board: 
2 months

Relevant skills, qualifications 
and experience:
Helen Weir joined the Board 
in November 2019 as an 
independent Non-Executive 
Director. Helen is a member of 
the Audit and Remuneration 
Committees. Ms Weir was the Chief Financial Officer at Marks 
and Spencer Group plc between 2015 and 2018, and Group 
Finance Director at the John Lewis Partnership between 2012 
and 2014. In addition, Helen has held senior executive roles at 
Lloyds Banking Group and Kingfisher plc. She has previously 
served as a non-executive director at SAB Miller plc, Royal Mail 
Holdings plc, and Just Eat plc.

Principal external appointments: 
Non-executive director and Senior Independent Director at 
Superdry Plc, non-executive director at Greencore Group plc, 
non-executive director of the Rugby Football Union and a 
trustee of Marie Curie. 

Julie Southern
Non-Executive Director

Julie Southern stepped 
down from the Board 
on 15 May 2019

Independent: Yes

Committee memberships: 
(cid:8) A  (cid:8) R

Tenure on Board: 
4 years

46

Cineworld Group plc 
Annual Report and Accounts 2019

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Corporate Governance Statement

Application of Code Principles
The table below explains where to find further information on how the Company has applied the main principles of the UK 
Corporate Governance Code 2018 (“Code”). The information required to be disclosed by Disclosure Guidance and Transparency 
Rule 7.2.6 is set out in the Directors’ Report on pages 80 to 85 and is incorporated into this statement by reference.

1. Board leadership and company purpose

A. The Role of the Board

B.  Purpose, Values and Strategy

C.  Effective Controls and Risk Management

D.  Stakeholder Engagement

E.  Workforce Policies

2. Division of responsibilities

F.  The Role of Chair

G.  Board Balance and Division of Responsibilities

H.  The Role of the Non-Executive Directors

Pages 47 and 49

Page 42

Pages 54 and 55

Pages 52 and 53

Pages 33, 42, 59 and 67

Page 49

Pages 48 and 58 

Page 49

I.  Policies, Processes, Information, Time and Resources

Pages 45 to 47 and 55 to 57

3. Composition, succession and evaluation

J.  Succession Planning and Diversity

K.  Skills, Experience, Knowledge and Tenure on the Board

L.  Board Evaluation

4. Audit, risk and internal control

Page 59

Pages 58 and 59

Page 58

M.  Independence of the Internal and External Auditors, and the Integrity of 

Pages 60 and 64

Financial Statements

N.  Fair Balanced and Understandable

O. Principal Risks

5. Remuneration

Page 61

Pages 24 to 29

P.  Policies and Practices to Support Strategy and Promote Long-Term Sustainable Success

Page 68

Q.  Formal and Transparent Procedure for Developing Policy on Executive Remuneration

Page 66

R.  Independent Judgement and Discretion when Authorising Executive Remuneration

Page 66

The Role of the Board
The Group is ultimately controlled by 
the Board of Directors of the Company. 
The Board is responsible for the 
overall leadership of the Group and for 
determining its long-term objectives 
and commercial strategy to create and 
deliver strong and sustainable financial 
performance to enhance shareholder 
value. In fulfilling its role, the Board 
ensures that necessary financial and 
other resources are available to enable 
the Group’s objectives to be met. 
The basis on which the Board seeks to 
preserve value over the longer term and 
the strategy for delivering the objectives 
is set out in the Strategic Report on 
pages 1 to 41. The Board meets regularly 
in the year for its scheduled meetings 
and also annually for a strategy session. 
Ad hoc meetings of the Board take 
place as required. The meetings follow a 

formal agenda, which includes matters 
specifically reserved for decision by 
the Board. The Board also meets, as 
and when necessary, to discuss and 
approve, if appropriate, specific issues. 
All Directors receive notice of such 
meetings and are given the opportunity 
to comment on the issues being 
discussed if they are unable to attend 
the meeting.

A schedule of matters specifically 
reserved for decision by the Board 
has been agreed and adopted. 
These matters include: setting Group 
strategy; approving an annual budget 
and medium-term forecasts; reviewing 
operational and financial performance; 
approving major acquisitions, 
divestments and capital expenditure; 
approval of site selection; succession 
planning; approving appointments 

to the Board and of the Company 
Secretary and approving policies 
relating to Directors’ remuneration 
and contracts.

The Board is supplied on a regular basis 
with detailed financial and operational 
information. Regular briefings by the 
Executive Management Team are given 
to the Board, to deepen the collective 
understanding of the business, leading 
in turn to more effective debate.

Cineworld Group plc  
Annual Report and Accounts 2019

47

 
 
 
Corporate Governance Statement continued

Division of Responsibilities
The posts of Chairman and Chief 
Executive Officer are separate. 
The division of responsibility between 
the Chairman of the Board, Anthony 
Bloom, and the Chief Executive Officer, 
Moshe Greidinger, is clearly defined in 
writing. Further details of the respective 
responsibilities are set out below.

Board Committees
The Board has appointed three 
Committees: an Audit Committee, 
a Nomination Committee, and 
a Remuneration Committee, to 
which certain Board functions have 
been delegated. Each of these 
Committees has formal written terms 
of reference which clearly define 
their responsibilities. 

Governance Framework

The terms of reference of each of 
the Board’s three Committees are 
available on the Company’s website 
(www.cineworldplc.com/en/about-us/
corporate-governance).

The Board
Implementation of the Group’s long-term strategy

Audit Committee
The Committee assists the Board in 
discharging its responsibility with 
regard to financial reporting, the 
control environment, the work of 
the External and Internal Auditors, 
and the Risk and Assurance Team.

Nomination Committee
The Committee is responsible for 
evaluating the balance of skills, 
knowledge and experience on 
the Board, the size, structure 
and composition of the Board, 
retirements and appointments 
of additional and replacement 
Directors. It is also responsible for 
overseeing the development of a 
diverse pipeline for succession. 

Remuneration Committee
The Committee makes 
recommendations to the Board 
for approval of the Group’s broad 
policy for the remuneration of the 
Chairman, the Executive Directors, 
the Company Secretary and Senior 
Management, and for the design of 
performance related pay schemes 
and long-term incentive plans.

Chair: Dean Moore

Chair: Rick Senat

Chair: Alicja Kornasiewicz

  Audit Committee Report  
page 60

  Nomination Committee Report  
page 57

  Remuneration Committee Report  
page 66

Membership of the Audit, Nomination and Remuneration Committees
Membership of the Audit, Nomination and Remuneration Committees at the commencement of the financial year was 
as follows: 

Chair

Member

Member

Audit Committee

Julie Southern

Alicja Kornasiewicz

Dean Moore

Nomination Committee

Rick Senat

Scott Rosenblum

Arni Samuelsson

Remuneration Committee

Dean Moore

Rick Senat

Julie Southern

Membership of the Audit, Nomination and Remuneration Committees at the end of the financial year was as follows: 

Chair

Member

Member

Member

Audit Committee

Dean Moore(1)

Alicja Kornasiewicz

Helen Weir(3)

Nomination Committee

Rick Senat

Scott Rosenblum

Arni Samuelsson

Remuneration Committee

Alicja Kornasiewicz(2) Dean Moore

Camela Galano(4)

Helen Weir(3)

(1)  Dean Moore was appointed as Chair of the Audit Committee on 15 May 2019, taking over from Julie Southern.

(2)  Alicja Kornasiewicz was appointed as Chair of the Remuneration Committee on 15 May 2019, taking over from Dean Moore.

(3)  Helen Weir was appointed as a member of the Audit and Remuneration Committees on 15 November 2019.

(4)  Camela Galano was appointed as a member of the Remuneration Committee on 15 May 2019.

All the Committees remained compliant with the Code as regards their membership during the year, save that on appointment 
to the role of Chair of the Remuneration Committee, Alicja Kornasiewicz had not served on a remuneration committee for 
12 months. Whilst Alicja did not have 12 months’ experience, the Board considered that her previous experience in a variety of 
senior business roles meant that she was appropriately qualified for this position.

48

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Annual Report and Accounts 2019

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Roles and Responsibilities of the Directors
Role

Name

Responsibility

Chairman

Anthony Bloom

Alicja Kornasiewicz is due 
to become Chair following 
the AGM in May 2020, 
when Anthony Bloom will 
step down.

The Chairman, together with the Chief Executive Officer, leads the Board in 
determination of its strategy having regard to the Group’s responsibilities to its 
shareholders, customers, employees and other stakeholders. He is responsible for 
organising the business of the Board, and ensuring that Directors receive accurate, 
timely and clear information. The Chairman also facilitates constructive board 
relations and the effective contribution of all the Non-Executive Directors and 
when appropriate, discusses matters with the Non-Executive Directors without the 
Executive Directors being present.

Moshe (Mooky) Greidinger The Chief Executive Officer has direct charge of the Group on a day-to-day basis 
and is accountable to the Board for the financial and operational performance of 
the Group. He holds regular meetings with his Executive Management Team.

Chief  
Executive  
Officer

Non-
Executive 
Directors

Senior 
Independent 
Director

Camela Galano, Alicja 
Kornasiewicz, Dean Moore, 
Scott S. Rosenblum, Arni 
Samuelsson, Eric (Rick) 
Senat, Helen Weir

Eric (Rick) Senat

Company 
Secretary

Fiona Smith

The Non-Executive Directors provide constructive challenge, provide strategic 
guidance, offer specialist advice, and hold Management to account. They meet 
during the year in the absence of the Executive Directors, and play a key role in 
reviewing proposals, in particular in respect of strategy.

The Senior Independent Director is available to shareholders if they have concerns 
which contact through the normal channels of Chairman, Chief Executive Officer, 
Deputy Chief Executive Officer or Chief Financial Officer has failed to resolve or for 
which contact is inappropriate.

The Company Secretary is responsible for advising and supporting the Chairman 
and the Board on corporate governance matters, ensuring Board procedures are 
followed and facilitating the good information flow within the Board and the Board-
appointed Committees.

Attendance at Meetings 
The number of scheduled Board meetings and Committee meetings attended by each Director during the year was as follows:

Number of meetings in year

6

5

4

Board (including 
strategy session)

Audit 
Committee

Remuneration 
Committee

Nomination 
Committee

2

Independent

Attended

Attended

Attended

Attended

Directors

Anthony Bloom

Nisan Cohen

Camela Galano

Israel Greidinger

Moshe Greidinger

Alicja Kornasiewicz

Dean Moore

Scott Rosenblum

Arni Samuelsson

Rick Senat(5)

Julie Southern(6)

Renana Teperberg

Helen Weir(7)

No

No

Yes

No

No

Yes

Yes

No

Yes

Yes

Yes

No

Yes

6/6(1)

5/5(2)

6/6

6/6

6/6

6/6

6/6

6/6

6/6

6/6

4/6

2/3

6/6

1/1

N/A

N/A

N/A

N/A

5/5

5/5(1)

N/A

N/A

1/3(5)

2/2

N/A

N/A

4/4(2)

N/A

3/3(3)

N/A

N/A

3/3(1) (4)

4/4 

N/A

N/A

1/1

1/1

N/A

N/A

1/2(2)

N/A

N/A

N/A

N/A

N/A

N/A

2/2

2/2

2/2(1)

N/A

N/A

N/A

(1)  Chair of Board/Board Committee.

(2)  Anthony Bloom, the Chairman of the Company, attended these meetings by invitation.

(3)   Camela Galano was appointed as a member of the Remuneration Committee on 15 May 2019. Between that time and the year end, there were only 

three Committee meetings, so Camela attended the maximum number of meetings possible. 

(4)   Alicja Kornasiewicz was appointed as Chair of the Remuneration Committee on 15 May 2019. Between that time and the year end, there were only three 

Committee meetings, so Alicja attended the maximum number of meetings possible.

(5)   Rick Senat was a member of the Audit Committee between 15 May 2019 and 15 November 2019. During that time Rick attended one of the three 

scheduled Audit Committee meetings. Non-attendance at the Board and Audit Committee meetings specified in the table was due to circumstances 
outside of Rick’s control, including changes by the Company to Board meeting dates (conflicting with pre-arranged events), and funeral attendance.

(6)   Julie Southern stepped down from the Board at the AGM on 15 May 2019. Until that time, there had been three Board meetings, one Remuneration 

Committee meeting, and two Audit Committee meetings.

(7)   Helen Weir was appointed as a Director on 1 November 2019, and attended all Board meetings that took place between that time and the year end. 
Helen became a member of the Remuneration and Audit Committees on 15 November 2019. Between that time and the year end, there were no 
scheduled Committee meetings.

Cineworld Group plc  
Annual Report and Accounts 2019

49

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Corporate Governance Statement continued

Directors and Directors’ 
Independence 
At the start of the year, the Board was 
composed of twelve members, six of 
whom were considered independent. 
On 15 May 2019, Julie Southern stepped 
down from the Board. On 1 November 
2019, Helen Weir was appointed to the 
Board as an independent Non-Executive 
Director. At the end of the year, 
the Board was again composed of 
twelve members, six of whom are 
considered independent.

The Code recommends that at least 
half the Board of Directors (excluding 
the Chairman) should comprise non-
executive directors determined by the 
Board to be independent. The Board 
considers that Camela Galano, Alicja 
Kornasiewicz, Dean Moore, Arni 
Samuelsson, Rick Senat, Helen Weir and 
Julie Southern were, for the year (or 
the portion of the year for which they 
served as Non-Executive Directors), 
independent Non-Executive Directors.

The Board is satisfied that Dean 
Moore meets the requisite criteria 
to be considered independent, 
notwithstanding his previous interim 
employment within the Group, given 
the nature of the role he performed in 
the ten month period from March 2016, 
where his mandate was to focus on 
the Chief Financial Officer succession 
planning process. 

Rick Senat has served on the Board 
for more than nine years. The Board 
undertook a rigorous review as to 
whether it considered Rick to remain 
independent. The discussion focused 
on the quality, nature and effectiveness 
of Rick’s contribution to the Board 
in discussions generally, including 
in relation to his role as Nomination 
Committee Chair. The Board was 
confident that Rick was able to 
demonstrate independent judgement 
in Board discussions, to provide 
effective challenge, and exercise 
independence of thought. As a result, 
the Board continues to consider Rick 
to be independent.

Scott Rosenblum is not viewed as 
independent because of his previous 
business dealings with the Greidinger 
family and its interests, and as he 
is the Global City Theatres B.V. 
appointee under the Relationship 
Agreement as described on page 81 
of the Directors’ Report.

The names of the Directors at the year 
end, together with their biographical 
details, are set out on pages 44 to 46.

50

Cineworld Group plc 
Annual Report and Accounts 2019

The terms and conditions of 
appointment of the Non-Executive 
Directors are set out in letters of 
appointment and are made available 
for inspection by any person at the 
Company’s registered office during 
normal business hours, and will be 
available at the AGM. Further details 
of the letters of appointment of the 
Non-Executive Directors and the 
service contracts of the Executive 
Directors can be found in the Directors’ 
Remuneration Policy (as published in 
the 2017 Annual Report, available on the 
Company’s website).

The independent Non-Executive 
Directors bring an objective viewpoint 
and range of experience to the Group 
and ensure that no individual or group 
of individuals is able to dominate the 
Board’s decision-making. They play 
a key role in reviewing proposals and 
providing constructive challenge 
generally and in particular in respect 
of strategy. They also ensure that 
appropriate standards are maintained. 
All the Non-Executive Directors have 
access to independent legal advice 
subject to consulting with the Board and 
following the agreed procedure.

Board Evaluation 
In accordance with the Code, the 
Company conducts an annual 
evaluation of Board and Board 
Committee performance, which is 
facilitated by an independent third 
party at least once every three years. 
For 2019, the performance of the Board 
and Committees was assessed by 
Edis-Bates Associates. Further details 
of the evaluation can be found in the 
Nomination Committee Report on 
pages 57 to 59. 

Election And Re-election
The appointment and replacement of 
directors is governed by the Company’s 
Articles, the UK Corporate Governance 
Code (the “Code”), the Companies 
Act 2006 and related legislation. 
All directors intending to continue in 
office seek election or re-election by 
shareholders at each AGM. The Articles 
may be amended by a special resolution 
of the shareholders.

Biographical details of all the current 
Directors are set out on pages 44 to 46. 
In view of the performance evaluation, 
the Board is satisfied that each Director 
standing for election or re-election 
continues to show the necessary 
commitment and continues to be 
an effective member of the Board 
due to his or her skills, expertise and 
business acumen.

Chairman and Deputy Chair’s 
Commitments
The current Chairman, and the Deputy 
Chair, perform a limited number of 
external roles, but the Board is satisfied 
that these are not such as to interfere 
with the performance of the duties to 
the Group.

Stakeholder Engagement
The Directors value contact with the 
Company’s institutional and private 
investors. An Annual Report is sent to 
all new shareholders and is otherwise 
made available to shareholders via the 
Company’s website unless they have 
specifically requested that a copy is 
sent to them. Presentations are given 
to shareholders and analysts following 
the announcement of the interim results 
and the preliminary announcement of 
the full year results. Trading updates 
are typically issued in advance of the 
full year results and the interim results. 
Separate announcements of all material 
events are made as necessary. 

In addition to the Chief Executive 
Officer, Deputy Chief Executive Officer 
and Chief Financial Officer, who have 
regular contact with shareholders, the 
Chairman and the Committee Chairs 
are available to meet with shareholders 
as and when required. Additionally, 
the Chief Executive Officer, Deputy 
Chief Executive Officer and Chief 
Financial Officer provide focal points 
for shareholders’ enquiries and dialogue 
throughout the year. The whole Board is 
kept up to date at its regular meetings 
with the views of shareholders and 
analysts and it receives reports on 
changes in the Company’s share register 
and market movements.

The Board uses the AGM to 
communicate with private and 
institutional investors and welcomes 
their participation. The Chairman 
aims to ensure that the Chairs of the 
Audit Committee, Remuneration 
Committee and Nomination Committee 
are available at the AGM to answer 
questions, and that all Directors attend.

The Company’s website 
(www.cineworldplc.com) provides an 
overview of the business. Major Group 
announcements are available on the 
website and new announcements are 
published without delay. All major 
announcements are approved by the 
Chairman and Executive Directors and 
circulated to the Board prior to issue. 
The Group also has internal and external 
checks to guard against unauthorised 
release of information.

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Chairman’s Tenure
Anthony Bloom was Chairman during 2019, even though he had served on the Board for more than nine years. The Company 
was in the process of carrying out the search for a successor for the role of Chair, and the Board considered it beneficial for 
Mr Bloom to continue in office during this time due to his extensive understanding of the business, and this enabled an effective 
and orderly handover period to incoming Chair, Alicja Kornasiewicz.

Directors’ Duties – compliance with s.172 of the Companies Act 2006
Section 172 of the Companies Act 2006 (“s.172”) requires directors to promote the success of the Company for the benefit of 
the members as a whole and in doing so have regard to the interests of stakeholders including customers, employees, suppliers, 
and the wider community in which it operates. The Board is focused on its responsibilities under s.172, and the impact of the 
business on key stakeholder groups is considered on a regular basis. During 2019, the Board spent time examining stakeholder 
engagement mechanisms and a summary of these is set out on pages 52 and 53. These mechanisms will continue to be 
reviewed to consider whether there are ways to enhance their effectiveness and improve on the programme of engagement 
activities that are already in place. The table below identifies where in the Annual Report information on factors the Board 
believe demonstrate its compliance with section 172(1)(a)-(f) are set out in more detail.

Section 172 – Further Information

The Board has had regard  
to the following matters:

(a) Long-term results 

 − the likely consequences of any decision in the long term

(b) Our workforce 
 − the interests of the Company’s employees 

(c) Our business relationships 
 − the importance of developing the Company’s business relationships 

with suppliers, customers and others

(d)  The community and our environment 
 − the impact of the Company’s operations on the community and 

the environment

(e) The Company’s reputation 
 − the desire to maintain a reputation for high standards of 

business conduct

More information:

Strategic Report:

Our business model, page 12 
Chairman’s Letter, page 4 
CEO’s Review, page 6 
Capital allocation, pages 36 to 41 
Key performance indicators, pages 14 to 17 
Risk management, pages 24 to 29 
Viability statement, pages 30 and 31
Corporate Governance:
Chairmans’ Introduction, page 42
Audit Committee report, page 60

Strategic Report:
Our business model, page 12 
Resources and Relationships, page 33
Corporate Governance:
Stakeholder engagement, pages 52 and 53
Workforce engagement, page 42 
Nomination Committee report, page 59 
Remuneration Report:
Remuneration Committee Chair’s statement, 
page 66

Strategic Report:
Our business model, page 12 
Market Drivers, pages 10 and 11 
Stakeholder engagement, pages 52 and 53 
Resources and Relationships, page 34 
Risk management, pages 24 to 29

Strategic Report:
Resources and Relationships, page 34
Corporate Governance:
Stakeholder engagement, pages 52 and 53 
Directors’ Report:
GHG emissions data, pages 84 and 85

Strategic Report:
Non-financial information statement, page 32 
Anti-bribery and corruption, pages 35 and 
54 to 56 
Resources and Relationships, pages 32 to 35
Corporate Governance:
Audit Committee report, page 60

(f)  Fairness between Shareholders 
 − the aim to act fairly as between members of the Company

Corporate Governance:
Shareholder engagement, pages 50 and 52

Cineworld Group plc  
Annual Report and Accounts 2019

51

 
 
 
Corporate Governance Statement continued

Board discussions and 
decision-making
The following is an example of how 
the Directors have had regard to the 
matters set out in sections 172(1) (a)-(f) 
when discharging their duties. 

Expansion and refurbishment 
programme
A key pillar of Cineworld’s strategy 
is to expand and enhance the global 
estate. During the year, the Board 
received continuous updates on new 
sites and the refurbishment programme 
from the CEO, and saw progress itself 
through site visits. The programme 
directly supports the strategy and 
overarching purpose of Cineworld to be 
“The Best Place to Watch a Movie” and 
the Board considers it to be supportive 
of long-term sustainable success. 
Engagement with customers finds 
they are overwhelmingly supportive 
of refurbishments that deliver a 
higher quality viewing experience 
and new cinema openings are widely 
welcomed. Employee feedback is 
communicated up to the Board from 
site visits and employee engagement 
surveys, and employees report 
enjoying modernised workspaces and 
delivering a superior customer service 
experience. Site openings create 
new jobs within the community, and 
the expansion of the estate means 
there are greater opportunities for 
development for existing employees. 
The Board is cognisant that expanding 
the estate has a significant impact 
on the surrounding community. 
Consideration of community and 
local issues is taken at management 
level and reported to the Board in the 
context of new sites and refurbishments. 
The durability of refurbishments, energy 
efficient new builds, and collaboration 
with local authorities and suppliers are 
all considered.

52

Cineworld Group plc 
Annual Report and Accounts 2019

Customers
Our customers are key to our success. We focus on 
ensuring that they have a positive experience every 
time to increase the likelihood of repeat visits.

Engagement 
mechanisms
 − Primary method 

of customer 
engagement through 
voice of the customer 
programme “Rant 
and Rave”

What do they care 
about most?
 − Quality of cinema 

experience

 − Customer service 

in cinema

 − Innovation

 − Customer contact

 − Booking efficiency 

and smart technology 

 − Sustainability

 − Social media

 − Unlimited 

membership and 
feedback – US, UK, 
Poland

 − Site visits 

Shareholders
The Chief Executive Officer, Deputy Chief 
Executive Officer, and Chief Financial Officer 
provide focal points for shareholders’ enquiries 
and dialogue throughout the year. The Board 
uses the AGM to communicate with private and 
institutional investors.

Engagement 
mechanisms
 − Investor meetings 

What do they care 
about most?
 − Strategy

 − Governance meetings 

 − Strong leadership

 − Strong returns

– Chairman and 
Committee Chairs

 − AGM

 − Investor conference 

participation

Employees
Nurturing talent is a key part of our people strategy 
and, in support of our growth strategy, we are 
proud that over the last 12 months more than 50% 
of cinema management positions were filled by 
internal applicants.

Engagement 
mechanisms
 − Employee 

engagement surveys 
across Group

What do they care 
about most?
 − Being able to develop 
careers within the 
business

 − Site visits feedback

 − Feeling involved

 − Whistleblowing line

 − Being listened to

 − Turnover data

 − Being motivated

 − Gender and diversity 

information

 − Managers motivating 
and standing up for 
employees

Engaging with our  
stakeholders and  
responding to  
their needs

Suppliers
We work hard at developing and maintaining 
good relationships with a range of film studios and 
distributors. Strong relationships with our principal 
retail suppliers enable us to work together on 
promotions that help drive retail sales.

What do they care 
about most?
 − Collaborative 
relationships

 − Good communication

Engagement 
mechanisms
 − Supplier exhibitions

 − Regular meetings

 − Payment practice 

reporting and analysis 

 − Property relationships 
– developers, landlords 
and local planners

 − Innovation – 
commercial 
relationships with 
suppliers of technology

 − Retail – commercial 
relationships with 
suppliers of retail

 − Industry body 
memberships

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Wider community
Our work with charities, schools, and community groups across all our 
territories is very important to us. We are involved with a wide range 
of activities including working with distributors on charity screenings, 
providing free shows for organisations and working closely with 
local schools.

Engagement mechanisms
 − Social media

What do they care about most?
 − Jobs and local investment

 − Numerous local initiatives – 

 − Active support for local charities 

dialogues with local businesses, 
schools, councils and charities

and organisations

 − Requests from charities 

received directly

 − Partnership with charities

 − Our apprenticeship  

programmes

Cineworld Group plc  
Annual Report and Accounts 2019

53

 
 
 
 
 
 
Corporate Governance Statement continued

Audit
The Board is responsible for the 
preparation of the Annual Report 
and ensuring that the financial 
statements present a fair, balanced 
and understandable assessment of the 
Group’s financial position and prospects. 
The detailed work to ensure this, and 
to substantiate the fair, balanced 
and understandable statement, is 
undertaken by the Audit Committee.

The Board confirms that, in 
accordance with the Code:

 − there is an ongoing and robust 

process for identifying, evaluating 
and managing the emerging 
and principal risks faced by the 
Group (for more details please see 
Principal Risks and Uncertainties 
on pages 24 to 29);

 − the Company’s systems of risk 

management and internal control 
have been in place for the year 
under review, are regularly 
reviewed by the Executive 
Directors and the Board, and are 
deemed to be effective with no 
significant weaknesses identified; 
and

 − the systems comply with the FRC 
Guidance on risk management, 
internal control and related 
financial and business reporting.

Risk and Internal Control
The Board has overall responsibility 
for establishing, monitoring and 
maintaining an effective system of 
risk management and internal control. 
These systems provide reasonable 
assurance that the Group’s assets are 
safeguarded, and that material financial 
errors and irregularities are prevented 
or detected with a minimum delay. 
The Group approach is implemented 
using the principles of the Three Lines 
of Defence model, as illustrated in the 
diagram below.

During the year, the Board has directly, 
and through delegated authority to 
the Executive Management Team and 
the Audit Committee, overseen and 
reviewed the performance and evolution 
of the approach to risk management 
and internal control.

The ongoing review and evaluation of 
risk management and internal control is 
undertaken by the Risk and Assurance 
team whose key responsibilities are:

 − Risk Management

 − Internal Audit

 − Fraud Detection and Loss Prevention

 − Insurance

Board and Committees

Executive Directors

SUPPORT
FUNCTIONS

OPERATIONS
US(cid:7)UK(cid:7)ROW

1st Line

Process and control implementation 
and development at cinemas

Operationalise:

—  Cinema operating manuals  
(policies and processes)

—  Regional/District 

manager oversight

2nd Line

Group and territory oversight/
monitoring and strategy/
policy setting

Support and review:

—  Operational performance reviews

—  Executive Directors’ oversight 

and challenge

—  Training and development

—  Group Board and Committee 

—  Regulation and compliance

oversight and challenge

—  Financial oversight and review

—  Risk Management Framework design 

and implementation

—  Assistance in process and 

control development

—  Management self-assessments

—  Customer satisfaction surveys

54

Cineworld Group plc 
Annual Report and Accounts 2019

3rd Line

Independent challenge to the 
levels of assurance provided by 
Management on the effectiveness of 
governance, risk management and 
internal controls

Challenge and assure:

—  Risk-based audits 

—  Financial controls reviews

—  Cinema compliance 

assurance programme

—  Health and safety 

assurance programme

—  Insurance inspections

—  Fraud and loss 

prevention monitoring

—  PCI Testing

— Data Privacy Testing

—  IT and information security 

assurance activity

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Risk
The Board, supported by the Audit 
Committee and the Executive 
Management Team, has overall 
responsibility for implementing an 
effective risk management approach. 
The Group’s approach is governed by 
its Risk Management Framework that 
sets out the policy, oversight structure, 
accountability and processes for the 
monitoring and reporting of risk within 
the Group, and facilitates the following 
objectives for risk management:

 − to identify, measure, control 

and report on business risk that 
would potentially undermine the 
achievement of the Group strategic 
objectives, both strategically and 
operationally, through appropriate 
analysis and assessment criteria;

 − to better allocate effort and resources 

for the management of key and 
emerging risks;

 − to drive business improvements 
and improve intelligence for key 
decision-making; and

 − to support and develop the Group’s 
reputation as a well governed and 
trusted organisation.

The application of the key components 
of the Risk Management Framework 
have been as follows:

Oversight structure and accountability 
– The risk management oversight 
and accountability structure has 
ensured that risk consideration is from 
both a “top-down” and “bottom-up” 
perspective. The Group maintains 
a Principal Risk Register as well as 
operational risk registers for support 
functions, cinema operations and 
specific projects.

Ongoing process – At each level the risk 
assessment process is based on five 
key steps:

1.  Risk identification (using cause and 

effect analysis)

2. Assessment of inherent risk severity

3.  Identification of existing controls and 

assessment of effectiveness

4. Assessment of residual risk severity

5.  Development and implementation of 

risk mitigation

Details of the Group’s principal risks 
and how they are being managed 
or mitigated are provided on 
pages 24 to 29.

As part of this process, risk appetite is 
considered by the Board annually for 
each of the principal risks, allowing the 
Board to clearly set out the nature and 
extent of the risk the Group is willing 
to accept, and the level of investment 
in control in pursuit of the Group’s 
strategic objectives.

Escalation, monitoring and reporting 
– A clear escalation policy is in place 
to ensure changes to risk exposure are 
notified up through the governance 
structure as required. Risk owners are 
identified for all risks and have the 
responsibility for ongoing monitoring of 
the effectiveness of current controls and 
the progress against the implementation 
of further mitigating actions.

There is a cycle of ongoing monitoring 
and reporting activities in place with 
risk information being presented to the 
Board and Audit Committee. 

Culture – To support embedding the 
application of the Risk Management 
Framework into the culture and 
behaviours of the Group, ongoing 
training has been delivered by the Risk 
and Assurance team.

Internal Control
Whilst the Board has overall 
responsibility for the Group’s system 
of internal control and for reviewing 
its effectiveness, it has delegated 
responsibility for the operation of 
the system of internal control to 
the Executive Management Team. 
The detailed review of internal control 
has been delegated to the Audit 
Committee. Senior Management 
within each part of the Group are 
responsible for internal control and 
risk management within their own area 
and for ensuring compliance with the 
Group’s policies and procedures.

The Audit Committee has oversight 
of the programme of assurance 
activities to allow for its ongoing 
review of the effectiveness of internal 
control. The delivery of this assurance 
programme is undertaken by the Risk 
and Assurance team, which is supported 
by specialist advisers as required.

Details of the activities of the Audit 
Committee during 2019 are set out 
on page 61.

Internal audit – The internal audit plan 
is a combination of Group-wide risk-
based reviews (providing assurance 
over the key controls relied upon for the 
principal risks), financial and information 
technology controls testing and 
additional specific reviews requested by 
Management. The Risk and Assurance 
team has been supported by BDO to 
deliver the 2019 plan. 

Cinema compliance – The Cinema 
Compliance programme has operated 
across the Group with reviews 
being undertaken to understand the 
application of the key controls within the 
operational procedures in the areas of 
cash, retail, payroll/HR and operations. 

Each cinema in the Group has been 
risk assessed based on operational and 
management information to determine 
which cinemas would be included in the 
audit programme for the year. 

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Quarterly management reporting 
of key themes and trends help 
support the Group to make 
continued improvements.

In addition to the programme of 
on-site reviews conducted by the 
Risk and Assurance team, an annual 
self-assessment audit is undertaken 
by each cinema in the Group.

Fraud detection and loss prevention – 
To support the Group in fraud detection 
and loss prevention, ongoing analysis of 
our key data sources is undertaken to 
identify any irregular transaction activity 
that could indicate instances of fraud, 
loss or failure of procedural compliance. 

External audit – The External Auditor 
provides a supplementary, independent 
and autonomous perspective on those 
areas of the internal control system 
which it assesses in the course of its 
work. Its findings are reported to the 
Audit Committee.

Operational controls – The Executive 
Directors, on a day-to-day basis, are 
involved in reviewing the key operations 
of the business through their interaction 
with their Senior Management 
teams across the Group and their 
discussions on operational performance 
and delivery.

Cineworld Group plc  
Annual Report and Accounts 2019

55

 
 
 
Corporate Governance Statement continued

As a result of GDPR, additional 
assurance activities have been 
undertaken that focused on reviewing 
the maturity of the Group in the 
application of the regulation.

In line with requirements under 
PCI-DSS, an independent security 
assessor provides reports on 
compliance (where applicable).

Policies and procedures – The Group 
has in place a range of governance 
related policies which are regularly 
reviewed and communicated to 
employees. These include Gifts and 
Hospitality, Anti-Fraud and Bribery, and 
Health and Safety. In addition, the Group 
has in place whistleblowing policies so 
that the workforce may raise concerns 
in confidence. Whistleblowing data 
is routinely reviewed by the Board 
and follow up actions are considered. 
For more details of the Group’s policies 
see the Resources and Relationships 
section on pages 32 to 35.

Financial control – The Group has 
internal control and risk management 
arrangements in relation to the Group’s 
financial reporting processes and the 
preparation of its Consolidated Financial 
Statements. The arrangements include 
procedures to ensure the maintenance 
of records which accurately and fairly 
reflect transactions, to enable the 
preparation of financial statements in 
accordance with International Financial 
Reporting Standards as adopted by 
the EU or FRS 101, as appropriate, with 
reasonable assurance, and that require 
reported data to be reviewed and 
reconciled, with appropriate monitoring 
internally and by the Audit Committee.

Ongoing financial performance is 
monitored through regular reporting to 
the Executive Directors and the Board. 
Capital investment and all revenue 
expenditure is regulated by a budgetary 
process and authorisation levels, 
with post-investment and period end 
reviews as required. A comprehensive 
budgeting system allows managers 
to submit detailed budgets which are 
reviewed and amended by the Executive 
Directors prior to submission to the 
Board for approval.

Other assurance activities – A 
programme of health and safety/food 
safety audits (delivered by outsourced 
providers) takes place in the UK and US.

56

Cineworld Group plc 
Annual Report and Accounts 2019

Nomination Committee Report

Eric (Rick) Senat 
Chairman of the  
Nomination Committee

Chair

Committee  
members

Number of  
scheduled meetings 
held in 2019

Rick Senat

Scott Rosenblum 
Arni Samuelsson

2

The Company Secretary acts as 
Secretary to the Committee

“ The Committee’s 
key objective at the 
beginning of 2019 was 
to find a successor for 
the role of Chair.”

Dear shareholders 
I am pleased to present our report on 
the Nomination Committee and its 
activities during the year.

As mentioned in my report last year, 
the Committee’s key objective at 
the beginning of 2019 was to find a 
successor for the role of Chair. This task 
involved detailed planning, and we 
spent a significant amount of time as a 
Committee discussing and considering 
the attributes required for such an 
important leadership role. 

As part of the selection process, a 
number of individuals were interviewed 
and, after careful consideration, it 
was decided that Alicja Kornasiewicz 
was the outstanding candidate, with 
an exceptional background, and 
remarkable business acumen. We wish 
Alicja every success as she embarks on 
the new role in May.

In other Board changes during the 
year, Julie Southern stepped down 
at the 2019 AGM after four years of 
service, for which we are very grateful. 
The Nomination Committee instigated 
a search for a replacement independent 
non-executive director and, in October 
2019, we announced that Helen Weir 
would join the Board with effect from 
1 November 2019. 

Other activities of the Committee 
during the year included discussions 
on succession planning, and a 
consideration of the mechanisms in 
place at the Company to support and 
encourage the development of talent 
at the levels below Board. We also took 
time to consider our diversity policy 
and objectives – diversity has become a 
much-discussed topic in society today, 
and rightly so. 

As regards diversity in the Boardroom, 
we are in line with the recommendations 
of the Hampton-Alexander Review, with 
one-third female representation on the 
Board. In fact, we received an extremely 
positive rating in the Hampton-
Alexander Report in 2019, in which we 
were ranked Number 1 in the Travel and 
Leisure sector. More details regarding 
the gender balance of employees and 
our senior management team can be 
found on page 35. 

Of course, diversity is about more 
than gender, and we are also mindful 
as a Committee of the Parker Review 
on ethnic diversity on UK boards. 
More details of our Diversity Policy can 
be found on page 59.

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Rick Senat
Chairman of the  
Nomination Committee

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Annual Report and Accounts 2019

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Nomination Committee report continued

Gender breakdown  
of the Board(1)

Balance of the Board(1)

Length of tenure of 
Non-Executive Directors(1)

33%

67%

7

1

4

2

2

Male

Female

Total Board members

8

4

12

(1)  As at 31 December 2019.

Chairman

Executive Directors

Non-Executive Directors

1

4

7

4

0-2 years

3-6 years

7+ years

2

4

2

Nomination Committee Composition
During the year, the Committee 
comprised three Non-Executive 
Directors (namely Rick Senat (Chair), 
Scott Rosenblum, and Arni Samuelsson). 
While Rick Senat and Arni Samuelsson 
are considered to be independent, Scott 
Rosenblum is not. The majority of the 
Committee are independent as required 
by the Code.

appointment, and thereafter, with such 
matters being specifically addressed 
in the letters of appointment of the 
Non-Executive Directors. Prior approval 
is sought before a Director accepts 
an external appointment. The terms 
of reference of the Committee are 
available on the Company’s website 
(www.cineworldplc.com/en/about-us/
corporate-governance).

The Role, Responsibilities and 
Activities of the Nomination 
Committee
The Committee assists the Board 
in discharging its responsibilities 
relating to the composition of the 
Board. It is responsible for evaluating 
the balance of skills, knowledge and 
experience on the Board, the size, 
structure and composition of the Board, 
retirements and appointments of 
additional and replacement Directors, 
the independence of Directors, the 
development of the talent pool of the 
business, and it makes appropriate 
recommendations to the Board on 
such matters. It is also responsible for 
ensuring that Directors have sufficient 
time to discharge their duties on 

The Committee met for two scheduled 
meetings during the financial year and 
held a number of additional meetings as 
required on an ad hoc basis, including 
in relation to succession planning for 
the Chairmanship. 

Due to the important role that the 
Directors play in the success of the 
Group, the Chairman is invited to attend 
meetings, and does so, except when 
his own position or his succession is 
being discussed. 

During the year the Committee 
reviewed its own performance, reviewed 
the structure of the Board and the three 
Committees, and discussed succession 
and diversity issues.

Board Evaluation
During the year, a performance 
evaluation was carried out in respect 
of the Board, the Audit, Remuneration 
and Nomination Committees and 
each individual Director including the 
Chairman. In accordance with the 
requirements of the Code, the process 
for 2019 was facilitated by an external 
consultant, Jon Edis-Bates of Edis-
Bates Associates, who had no other 
connection with the Company or any 
of the Directors of the Company. 

As part of the evaluation process, Jon 
Edis-Bates met individually with each of 
the Directors and other key individuals, 
and discussed a range of questions 
that had been pre-agreed with the 
Chairman. He then collated the results 
and reported back to the Chairman. 

A summary was then presented to 
the Board and each Director given the 
chance to ask further questions. A short 
confidential report was also prepared on 
the performance of each Director which 
the Chairman shared with the individual.

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The evaluation confirmed that overall 
the Board and Committee processes 
were working appropriately. However, 
there were a few matters identified 
where Directors felt that more 
time should be allocated to them 
and processes could be improved 
further in certain areas. Such matters 
included more regularly reviewing 
the Board’s composition with a 
particular focus on succession planning 
for the Non-Executive Directors. 
Additional time has already been spent 
on some of these matters, and an Action 
Plan has been drawn up to progress 
some of the recommendations of the 
Report in the coming year. 

Skills, Experience and Knowledge
All Directors have a good understanding 
of the markets, territories, regulatory 
and risk management frameworks 
within which the Group operates, 
as well as the technology it uses. 
The biographies of the Directors, as 
set out on pages 44 to 46 highlight 
the skills and experience each Director 
brings to the Board. The Nomination 
Committee monitors the length of 
tenure and the skills and experience of 
the Non-Executive Directors to assist 
in succession planning. The Committee 
is confident that the Board has the 
necessary mix of skills and experience 
to contribute to the Company’s 
strategic objectives. 

Tenure
The tenure of each of the Directors is set 
out in their biographies on pages 44 to 
46, and summarised on page 58.

Succession Planning and the Pipeline 
of Talent
To find the most suitable candidates for 
the Board, the Nomination Committee 
considers the skills, experience and 
attributes required to create a diverse 
Board which is capable of driving 
the Company forward successfully in 
fulfilment of its purpose and strategic 
goals. The Committee also considers the 
initiatives that are in place to develop 
the talent pipeline at a senior level 
across the business. Initiatives that were 
reviewed by the Committee in relation to 
development of talent at a senior level 
included advanced coaching schemes, 
management conferences, training 
on leadership, sessions on well-being, 
resiliance and mental health awareness, 
and access to mentoring schemes. 
More information on the development 
initiatives for Senior Management can 
be found on page 33 of the Resources 
and Relationships section.

Policy on Diversity and Inclusion
While the Committee considers diversity 
to be important when reviewing the 
composition of the Board and possible 
new appointees, it believes that the 
single most important factor is to 
identify, recruit and retain the people 
it considers, on merit, to be the best 
candidates for each particular role. It is 
not currently in favour of setting specific 
targets for Board representation 
to be achieved by particular dates. 
As part of the process of recruiting new 
Directors, it has agreed that candidates 
from a wide variety of backgrounds, 

including different ethnic backgrounds, 
should be considered and, where 
reasonably possible, shortlists should 
comprise candidates of different 
genders. Diversity extends beyond 
the Boardroom and the Committee is 
supportive of Management’s efforts 
to build a diverse organisation and 
maintain a diverse talent pipeline. 
For more information about the Group’s 
approach to diversity, please see the 
“Employees” section of the Directors’ 
Report on page 84 and the “Diversity 
and Human Rights” section of Resources 
and Relationships on page 33.

Recruitment Process for 
Board Directors
It was announced on 28 October 2019 
that Helen Weir had been appointed 
to the Board as an Independent 
Non-Executive Director, with effect 
from 1 November 2019. With regard 
to the appointment of Helen, Board 
advisers AGM Transitions were engaged. 
AGM Transitions had no connection with 
the Company or any of the Directors 
of the Company, other than in relation 
to the succession planning advice 
which it has provided to the Company 
since 2016, and its work in respect 
of the succession of the Chairman as 
described in the 2018 Annual Report 
and Accounts.

Cineworld Group plc  
Annual Report and Accounts 2019

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Audit Committee Report

Dean Moore
Chairman of the  
Audit Committee

Chair

Committee  
members

Dean Moore

Alicja Kornasiewicz, 
Helen Weir

Number of  
scheduled meetings 
held in 2019

5

The Company Secretary acts as 
Secretary to the Committee

“ A key focus area for 
the Committee in 2019 
was the audit tender, 
which was considered 
appropriate to undertake 
at this time given the 
increased size and 
complexity of the Group 
following the acquisition 
of Regal in 2018.” 

Dear shareholders 
As Chair of Cineworld’s Audit 
Committee (“the Committee”), I 
am pleased to present our Audit 
Committee Report for the year to 
31 December 2019. 

This Report sets out details of the 
activities undertaken by the Committee 
during the period in order to discharge its 
responsibilities in relation to supporting 
the Board, its oversight and monitoring 
of the robustness and integrity of 
financial reporting, and in gaining 
assurance on the effectiveness of the risk 
management and internal control system 
that we have in place at Cineworld.

The Committee had several areas of 
focus in 2019. One key area was the 
implementation of new accounting 
standards, in particular IFRS 16, which 
has had a significant impact for the 
Group in that it affects all property 
leases. One of the Committee’s 
responsibilities in the area of financial 
reporting is that we consider and report 
on the significant risks and issues in 
relation to the financial statements, 
and consider how these should be 
addressed. The adoption of IFRS 16 
has been identified as a significant 
matter, and our formal position on this 
issue is set out on page 63 of the Audit 
Committee Report.

Another focus area was the tender of 
the 2019 audit, which was considered 
appropriate to undertake at this time 
given the increased size and complexity 
of the Group following the acquisition of 
Regal in 2018 and therefore in the best 
interests of the Company. The process 
was led by the Committee and resulted 
in the appointment in June 2019 of 
PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, taking 
over from KPMG LLP. More details of the 
audit tender process can be found on 
page 63.

During the year, a significant part of 
the Committee’s time was dedicated 
to the area of risk management. 
Supported by the Risk and Assurance 
team, we have reviewed our principal 
risks and uncertainties, including 
emerging risks, and considered the 
potential impact of these risks on our 
business model, future performance, 
solvency and liquidity. Details of our 
principal risks and uncertainties can be 
found on pages 24 to 29, including how 
we consider these risks in the context 
of our strategic objectives.

The Committee also reviewed the 
effectiveness of the Group system 
of risk management and its internal 
controls, and more details of our work 
and the assurance activities in these 
areas can be found on pages 54 to 56. 
In addition, the Committee received 
reports in relation to cyber security as 
part of ensuring that the Group is well 
placed to counter the risks in this area.

As a Committee we are mindful of the 
changing landscape of the UK audit 
sector, and have received a number of 
updates in relation to this, including in 
respect of the CMA market study, the 
Kingman Review, the BEIS consultation 
on the Kingman recommendations, and 
the Brydon Review. We will continue 
to monitor all relevant developments 
in this area.

Lastly, I would I would like to thank 
Julie Southern, who stepped down 
from the Board at the 2019 AGM, for 
her considerable contribution to the 
Committee’s work, and also to welcome 
Helen Weir who joined the Committee 
as a member on 15 November 2019.

Dean Moore
Chair of the  
Audit Committee

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Annual Report and Accounts 2019

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Composition
For the duration of the year, the 
Committee comprised three 
Independent Non-Executive Directors.
At the start of the year, the Committee 
comprised Julie Southern (Chair), 
Dean Moore, and Alicja Kornasiewicz. 
Following the stepping down of Julie 
Southern on 15 May 2019, Dean Moore 
became Chair of the Committee, and 
Rick Senat joined the Committee at the 
same time. On 15 November 2019 it was 
announced that Helen Weir would also 
join the Committee, at which time Rick 
Senat stepped down.

Therefore, at the year end, the 
Committee comprised Dean Moore 
(Chair), Alicja Kornasiewicz, and Helen 
Weir. Both Dean and Helen are qualified 
accountants, and are considered by 
the Board to have recent and relevant 
financial experience. The Committee 
as a whole is considered to have 
competence relevant to the sector in 
which the Company operates.

The Chairman, the Chief Executive 
Officer, the Deputy Chief Executive 
Officer, the Chief Financial Officer, other 
Directors and Senior Executives, the 
Head of Risk and Assurance, the Internal 
Auditor and the External Auditor may 
be invited to attend meetings, but are 
not members.

The Role, Responsibilities  
and Activities of the Audit 
Committee
The Committee has a clear set of 
responsibilities that are set out in 
its terms of reference, which are 
available on the Company’s website 
(www.cineworldplc.com/en/about-us/
corporate-governance). The Committee 
assists the Board in discharging its 
responsibilities with regard to financial 
reporting, the integrity of financial 
statements, the control environment, 
the work of the External and Internal 
Auditors, and the Risk and Assurance 
team, including:

 − monitoring the financial 

reporting process;

 − reviewing the integrity of the Annual 

and Interim Reports, including 
reviewing significant financial 
judgements therein;

 − reviewing the Group’s risk assessment 

process, the output of that 
assessment and the associated risk 
management systems;

 − reviewing the effectiveness of the 

Group’s internal controls;

 − considering the scope of the Internal 

and External Auditors’ activities, 
and the work of the Risk and 
Assurance team, their reports and 
their effectiveness;

 − reviewing and monitoring the extent 
of the non-audit work undertaken by 
the External Auditor; and

 − advising on the appointment of the 

External Auditor.

The ultimate responsibility for reviewing 
and approving the Annual and Interim 
Reports remains with the Board.

What the Committee  
did in 2019
The Committee met five times during 
the year, during which time it:

 − monitored the financial reporting 

process and reviewed the interim and 
annual financial statements (including 
the preliminary announcement) with 
particular reference to accounting 
policies, principal risks and 
uncertainties, together with significant 
estimates and financial reporting 
judgements and the disclosures 
made therein;

 − considered the interim results and the 
Annual Report and Accounts in the 
context of the requirement that they 
are fair, balanced and understandable; 

 − received and discussed (in the 

absence of Management, where 
appropriate) reports from the External 
Auditor in respect of its review of the 
interim results, the internal audit plan 
for the year and the results of the 
annual audit. These reports included 
the scope for the interim review 
and annual audit, the approach to 
be adopted by the External Auditor 
to evaluate and conclude on key 
areas of the audit, its assessment of 
materiality, the terms of engagement 
and raising awareness of the likely 
impact of future changes to regulation 
and accounting standards;

 − monitored the performance of the 

Risk and Assurance team (including 
input from BDO), and reviewed the 
effectiveness of the Group’s internal 
financial controls together with its 
broader internal control and Risk 
Management Framework, to ensure 
consistent and appropriate financial 
controls across the Group;

 − reviewed the accounting papers 
provided by Management on 
the changes to IFRS accounting 
standards and their impact on the 
Group’s financial statements and 
other key accounting topics;

 − monitored the implementation of 
the Group’s internal audit plan for 
2019, including further embedding 
the Risk Management Framework, 
the risk-based assurance plan for 
the financial control environment, 
and the Group-wide cinema 
compliance programme;

 − reviewed the results of non-financial 
audits (including food hygiene and 
fire safety) and where applicable 
agreed enhancements to procedures 
and reviewed remedial actions;

 − made recommendations to the Board 
with regard to the appointment and 
remuneration of the External Auditor 
and the tender process that was 
instigated in April 2019 and which 
resulted in the appointment of PwC 
as External Auditor in June 2019;

 − oversaw the Group’s relations with 

the External Auditor, determined its 
independence and monitored the 
effectiveness of the audit process;

 − engaged with the Financial Reporting 
Council (“FRC”) with regard to its 
review of the Group’s 2018 Annual 
Report and Accounts;

 − discussed the requirements for a 

longer-term viability statement and the 
related assessment work to enable the 
Board to make such a statement; and

 − reviewed the Committee’s terms 
of reference and carried out a 
performance evaluation as required 
by the Code. The results of the 
evaluation confirmed that the 
Committee is performing satisfactorily 
and providing strong support to 
the Board.

Fair, Balanced and 
Understandable
During the year, the Committee 
considered the interim results and the 
Annual Report and Accounts in the 
context of the requirement that they 
are fair, balanced, and understandable 
by reviewing papers prepared by 
Management with regard to this 
principle. This included reviewing 
the documents to ensure that the 
description of the business agrees with 
the Committee’s own understanding, 
the risks reflect the issues that 
concern the Group, the discussion 
of performance properly reflects the 
relevant period, and there is a clear link 
between all the areas of disclosure.

Cineworld Group plc  
Annual Report and Accounts 2019

61

 
 
 
Audit Committee Report continued

Going Concern
At 31 December 2019, the Group’s 
financing arrangements consisted 
of USD and Euro term loans totalling 
$3.6bn and a revolving credit facility 
of $462.5m (‘secured bank loans’) 
which had been drawn down by 
$95.0m. The revolving credit facility 
is subject to certain covenants, which 
are triggered above 35% utilisation, 
and the term loans also have cross 
default provisions in respect of this 
covenant. The Group is not currently at 
this revolving credit facility utilisation 
level and it is not expected to increase 
above this threshold in the period 
under assessment.

Subject to certain regulatory conditions, 
the Group expects to complete the 
acquisition of Cineplex and therefore 
the Group’s forward looking funding 
requirements and forecast cash 
flows are considered more likely than 
not to include Cineplex in the wider 
Group. Therefore, the going concern 
assessment has been made based 
on the proposed new banking facility 
structure and the enlarged Group’s 
forecasts. The additional financing for 
the Cineplex acquisition will include 
a secured incremental term loan for 
c. $1.9bn and a c. $0.3bn unsecured 
bridge loan. The bridge loan facility 
includes financial covenant ratios set 
at the same level as the secured bank 
loans of the Group, being a limit of 5.5x 
of Net Debt to Consolidated Adjusted 
EBITDA until December 2020, which 
limit then reduces to 5.0x from 30 June 
2021 onwards. The covenant applies 
at all times, irrespective of the bridge 
facility drawing levels.

The Group’s forecasts and projections, 
taking account of reasonably possible 
changes in trading performance, show 
that the enlarged Group will be able to 
operate within the level of its facilities 
for at least 12 months from the approval 
date of these Consolidated Financial 
Statements. Accordingly, the Group 
continues to adopt the going concern 
basis in preparing its Consolidated 
Financial Statements.

The uncertainty as to the future impact 
on the Group of the recent COVID-19 
outbreak has been considered as part 
of the Group’s adoption of the going 
concern basis. Thus far, we have not 
observed any material impact on 
our movie theatre admissions due to 
COVID-19. Following an increase in 
admissions in the first two months of 
the year against the same period in 
the previous year, we continue to see 
good levels of admissions in all our 

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Annual Report and Accounts 2019

territories, despite the reported spread 
of COVID-19. Although the release of the 
new Bond movie has been postponed to 
November 2020 largely due to closure 
of cinemas in the Asian markets, the 
studios have advised us that in the 
countries in which we operate, they 
currently remain committed to their 
release schedule for the coming months 
and remainder of the year. 

In the downside scenario analysis 
performed, the Board has considered 
the potential impact of the COVID-19 
outbreak on the Group’s results. 
In preparing this analysis the following 
key assumptions were used: the impact 
of a total loss of revenue across the 
enlarged estate for between one 
and three months, no fixed costs 
reductions should sites be closed, run-
rate combination benefits of c.$133m 
expected to be achieved as part of the 
Cineplex acquisition, forecast capital 
expenditure reduced in 2020 by 90%, 
and cessation of dividend payments 
from 1 July 2020. This analysis does 
not take account of the fact that in 
the case of widespread site closures 
the films scheduled to be released 
during this period of closure could be 
moved to later in 2020. These downside 
scenarios are currently considered 
unlikely, however it is difficult to predict 
the overall outcome and impact of 
COVID-19 at this stage. Under the 
specific downside scenario, however, 
of the Group losing the equivalent of 
between two and three months’ total 
revenue across the entire estate there is 
a risk of breaching the Group’s financial 
covenants, unless a waiver agreement 
is reached with the required majority of 
lenders within the going concern period. 

Only the specific downside scenario 
detailed above would indicate the 
existence of a material uncertainty 
which may cast significant doubt 
about the Group’s ability to continue 
as a going concern. The Consolidated 
Financial Statements do not include 
the adjustments that would result if 
the Group was unable to continue as a 
going concern.

Viability
Part of the Committee’s work in the 
year has been to discuss and consider 
the requirement under the Code for a 
longer-term viability statement, and 
the related assessment work needed 
in order to enable the Directors to 
make such a statement. The Directors’ 
Viability Statement, together with 
details of the assessment work, is set 
out on pages 30 and 31 (with a summary 
on page 43, “Board Statements”).

Significant Issues  
Considered in Relation  
to the Financial Statements
During the year the Committee, 
Management and the External Auditor 
considered and concluded what the 
significant risks and issues were in 
relation to the financial statements 
and how these would be addressed. 
In relation to the 2019 Group financial 
statements, significant risks have been 
identified which are outlined as follows:

Valuation of Property,  
Plant and Equipment
As detailed in Note 12 to the financial 
statements, there is a inherent risk that 
elements of the value of Group’s PPE 
assets may prove to be irrecoverable, 
due to fluctuations in the performance 
of cinemas or one-off events. 
Given the number of factors involved 
in forecasting the performance of 
cinema sites operated by the Group, 
in multiple countries, this results in an 
element of judgement being applied 
to the valuation of an individual cash 
generating unit (“CGU”), predominantly 
at cinema site level. At each Balance 
Sheet date, Management prepares 
an assessment which estimates the 
value in use of the CGUs to which the 
tangible fixed assets (which also now 
includes right-of-use assets following 
the adoption of IFRS 16 from 1 January 
2019) are allocated. Where individual 
sites’ cash flows are not considered 
independent from one another, mainly 
due to strategic or managerial decisions 
being made across more than one 
site, they may be combined into a 
single CGU. The resulting calculation is 
sensitive to the assumptions in respect 
of future cash flows and the discount 
rate applied. The main assumptions 
over growth rates, the impact of one-
off events, expected cost increases 
and discount rates are updated to 
reflect Management’s best estimate. 
When considering the appropriateness 
of the discount rate, Management 
assess the territory specific discount 
rates, and ensure that they are updated 
for current market information and 
the Group’s current leverage. At the 
year end Management prepared their 
valuation models for the Committee’s 
consideration, together with their 
proposed site impairments, and drew 
the Committee’s attention to any 
specific judgements taken within the 
models. Management confirmed to the 
Committee that they have applied a 
consistent group-wide methodology 
in the preparation of the valuation 
models. The Committee satisfied itself 
that the approach was appropriate, 
the assumptions reasonable and the 

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impairments proposed were complete 
and accurate. The Committee also 
satisfied itself through enquiry of 
Management and review of the Board 
papers that all significant events which 
may have impacted on the valuation of 
PPE had been appropriately captured 
in Management’s assumptions and 
reflected in the valuation models and 
that appropriate disclosures, including 
in relation to sensitivities, had been 
included in the financial statements.

Adoption of IFRS 16 “Leases”
On 1 January 2019 the Group adopted 
the new accounting standard, IFRS 
16 “Leases” applying the modified 
retrospective approach and has not 
restated comparatives for the 2018 
reporting period. The Group has 
recognised lease liabilities in relation 
to leases which had previously been 
classified as ‘operating leases’ under 
the principles of IAS 17 “Leases”. 
These liabilities were measured at 
the present value of the remaining 
lease payments, discounted using the 
lessee’s incremental borrowing rate as 
of 1 January 2019. For leases previously 
classified as finance leases the entity 
recognised the carrying amount of 
the lease asset and lease liability 
immediately before transition as the 
carrying amount of the right-of-use 
asset and the lease liability at the date 
of initial application. The measurement 
principles of IFRS 16 are only applied 
after 1 January 2019. The associated 
right-of-use assets for property leases 
were measured on a retrospective basis 
as if the new rules had always been 
applied. The adoption of IFRS 16 had 
a significant impact on the Group’s 
Balance Sheet – at 1 January 2019 the 
lease liability recognised was $3,396.3m 
and the right-of-use assets $2,845.7m.

One of the key judgements in the 
calculation of the lease liability is the 
lease term. IFRS 16, “Leases” defines 
the lease term as the non-cancellable 
period of a lease together with the 
options to extend or terminate a lease, 
if the lessee were reasonably certain 
to exercise that option. Where a lease 
includes the option for the Group 
to extend the lease term, the Group 
makes a judgement as to whether it is 
reasonably certain that the option will 
be taken. This will take into account 
the length of time remaining before 
the option is exercisable; current 
trading; future trading forecast as to 
the ongoing profitability of the site; and 
the level and type of planned future 
capital investment. Extension options 
(or periods after termination options) 
are only included in the lease term 

if the lease is reasonably certain to 
be extended (or not terminated). 
Therefore potential future cash outflows 
have not been included in the lease 
liability where it is not reasonably 
certain the extension periods will be 
taken or that the leases will be extended 
on similar terms (or not terminated).

Based on the Committee’s enquiries of 
Management and review of accounting 
papers, the Committee has satisfied 
itself that:

 − From the analysis of potential 

adoption approaches provided 
by Management, the modified 
retrospective approach applied on 
adoption was the most suitable for 
the Group;

 − The practical expedients taken on 
adoption were appropriate for the 
Groups lease portfolio, consistent with 
the requirements of the accounting 
standard and acceptable under the 
Group’s chosen adoption approach;

 − A detailed impairment analysis of 
newly created right-of-use assets 
was undertaken on transition with 
any impairments recognised taken 
to equity. Where an onerous lease 
provision existed for a given CGU, 
the expedient to net the provision 
from the right-of-use asset and not 
to prepare an impairment analysis 
was taken;

 − The judgement applied by 

Management in assessing whether 
a lease option period should be 
included in the lease liability has 
been carefully considered, taking into 
account the facts and circumstances 
around the lease and the historic 
decisions taken over lease options and 
the decision making process prior to 
executing a lease option; and 

 − The discount rates used to discount the 
lease payments have been provided by 
an independent professional services 
firm and the rates have been calculated 
for portfolios of leases with similar 
characteristics, as permitted under 
IFRS 16, with lease term and asset-
specific adjustments.

Accounting for Joint 
Arrangements
As part of the Regal acquisition the 
Group acquired a significant share 
in Digital Cinema Implementation 
Partners (“DCIP”), a joint arrangement 
with other US exhibitors set up to 
collect and administrate Virtual Print 
Fee (“VPF”) income received from 
studios to compensate exhibitors for 
their investment in digital projection 

equipment. Through a long term 
leasing arrangement with DCIP, the 
exhibitors retain control over the 
projection equipment it has acquired. 
In addition, the Group determined 
that under the terms of the leasing 
arrangements and the associated 
minimum rental charges expected to 
be made, it has a joint obligation for the 
debt taken out by DCIP to finance the 
acquisition of the projection equipment. 
Under the requirements of IFRS 11 “Joint 
Arrangements”, Management had to 
assess whether the joint arrangement 
agreement in relation to DCIP should be 
accounted for as a joint venture or as a 
joint operation. Management prepared 
an analysis of the DCIP arrangement 
against IFRS 11 which was presented to 
the Committee in 2018 as part of the 
Regal acquisition accounting. Based on 
the Committee’s review and discussions 
with Management and the External 
Auditors we concurred that, with joint 
control over the material assets and 
liabilities of DCIP, it should classified as 
a joint operation. Further details of this 
arrangement can be found in Note 15 to 
the Financial Statements.

External Audit
The Committee reviews the 
appointment of the External Auditor 
each year before the cycle of 
audit commences and in deciding 
whether to renew the appointment 
takes note of the quality of the 
service received, the proposed fees 
and the Auditor’s independence. 
Management and all members of 
the Committee are consulted during 
the process. Further details of these 
processes are set out below, together 
with details of the Audit Tender carried 
out in 2019.

Audit Tender
Following the completion of the Regal 
acquisition in 2018, given the increased 
size and complexity of the Group, it was 
considered appropriate to undertake 
an audit tender process. This process 
was led by the Committee, and a tender 
document was distributed to three 
firms. The assessment criteria included 
capability in particular with regard to 
international audits, understanding of 
key issues pertinent to the business and 
industry, experience, independence, 
cultural fit and an assessment of the 
overall audit approach and quality. 
After careful consideration and 
discussion, the Committee decided 
to recommend to the Board that PwC 
should be appointed. 

Cineworld Group plc  
Annual Report and Accounts 2019

63

 
 
 
The Committee is satisfied that the 
above work was best undertaken by the 
External Auditor and that its objectivity 
and independence as auditor has not 
been impaired by reason of this further 
work. An analysis of audit and non-audit 
fees may be found in Note 7 to the 
financial statements.

Insurance
It is not practical or possible to insure 
against every risk to the fullest extent. 
The Group has in place an insurance 
programme to help protect it against 
certain insurable risks. The portfolio of 
insurance policies is kept under regular 
review with the Company’s insurance 
broker to ensure that the policies are 
appropriate to the Group’s activities 
and exposures taking into account cost, 
and the likelihood and magnitude of the 
risks involved.

Audit Committee Report continued

The Company will continue to comply 
with the relevant tendering and auditor 
rotation requirements applicable under 
UK and EU regulations, which require the 
next external audit tender to occur by 
2029. In addition, the External Auditor 
will be required to rotate the audit 
partner responsible for the Group audit 
every five years and, as a result, the 
current lead audit partner, Christopher 
Richmond, will be required to change in 
2024. The Committee continues to review 
the auditor appointment and the need to 
tender the audit. 

The Company considers it has 
complied with the Competition and 
Markets Authority’s Statutory Audit 
Services Order.

FRC Review
During the year the Financial Reporting 
Council (“FRC”) undertook a review 
with regard to the Group’s 2018 Annual 
Report and Accounts. The scope of 
the review performed by the FRC was 
to consider the Group’s compliance 
with the UK reporting requirements, 
it did not verify all the information 
provided. Following the review, no 
material financial reporting changes 
were required to the Group’s Income 
Statement or Statement of Financial 
Position or underlying accounting 
treatments. However, certain line items 
within the Statement of Cash Flows 
have been restated. These changes also 
impacted the movements in the Net 
Debt table, but not the overall closing 
positions and these movements have 
been restated accordingly. In addition, 
the 2018 adjusted earnings per share 
calculation has been restated to 
reflect the Group’s change in policy 
of including one-off tax items in the 
Adjusted Earnings Per Share calculation. 

Independence and Effectiveness
During the year, the Committee 
evaluated the performance and 
objectivity of KPMG, the Company’s 
previous auditors, and reviewed its 
independence and effectiveness as 
External Auditor in relation to the prior 
year accounts. The effectiveness of the 
2018 audit, which was carried out by 
KPMG, was assessed by reference to 
the following:

 − the effectiveness of the lead audit, 
engagement partner, including the 
support provided to the Committee;

 − the planning and scope of the audit 
including identification of areas of 
audit risk and communication of any 
changes to the plan, and changes in 
perceived audit risks;

64

Cineworld Group plc 
Annual Report and Accounts 2019

 − the quality of communication with 

the Committee, including the regular 
reports on accounting matters, 
governance and control;

 − the competence with which the 
External Auditor handled key 
accounting and audit judgements 
and communication of those to 
Management and the Committee;

 − KPMG’s reputation and standing, 
including its independence and 
objectivity and its internal quality 
procedures; and

 − the quality of the formal report 

to shareholders.

Further, at the conclusion of each 
year’s audit, the Committee discusses 
the performance of the External 
Auditor with the Executive Directors 
and relevant senior finance managers 
considering areas such as the quality of 
the audit team, business understanding, 
audit approach and management. 
Where appropriate, actions are agreed 
against points raised and subsequently 
monitored for progress. There were no 
significant findings from the evaluation 
this year.

After taking into account all of the above 
factors, the Committee concluded that 
KPMG, as External Auditor, had been 
effective. In addition, the Committee 
is satisfied that it has sufficient 
oversight of the External Auditor and 
its independence and objectivity is not 
compromised due to the safeguards 
in place.

Independence of the Auditors
The External Auditor is required to 
periodically assess whether, in its 
professional opinion, it is independent 
and confirm this to the Committee. 
PwC has provided this confirmation. 

Non-Audit Services
The Committee considers the 
independence of the External Auditor 
on an ongoing basis and has established 
policies to consider the appropriateness 
or otherwise of appointing the External 
Auditor to perform non-audit services. 
In particular, all non-audit work and the 
associated fees need to be approved by 
the Committee.

The only non-audit service subject to 
Audit Committee approval provided by 
PwC to the Group during 2019 related 
to its review of the Group’s interim 
statement and fees relating to the 
Cineplex transaction resulting in total 
fees of £707,000.

Remuneration Committee

Remuneration Committee 
Composition 
At the start of the year, the Company’s 
Remuneration Committee comprised 
three independent Non-Executive 
Directors, which increased to four by the 
end of the year. 

At the start of the year, the Committee 
comprised Dean Moore (Chair), 
Rick Senat, and Julie Southern. 
As announced on 12 March 2019, Alicja 
Kornasiewicz would become Chair of 
the Remuneration Committee at the 
conclusion of the AGM on 15 May 2019. 
In addition, Rick Senat stepped down 
from the Committee, and Camela 
Galano joined the Committee on 15 May 
2019. On 15 November 2019 it was 
announced that Helen Weir would also 
join the Committee.

The Committee is comfortable that 
the EY engagement partner and 
team that provide remuneration 
advice to the Committee do not 
have connections with the Company 
or Directors of the Company that 
may impair their independence. 
On appointment as advisers, the 
Committee reviewed the potential for 
conflicts of interest and judged that 
there were no conflicts or potential 
conflicts arising. The Company receives 
advice in relation to the Remuneration 
Policy and its implementation in 
respect of the Chairman, Executive 
Directors, Company Secretary and 
Senior Management. 

The terms of engagement with EY 
are available on request from the 
Company Secretary.

Therefore, at the year end, the 
Committee comprised Alicja 
Kornasiewicz (Chair), Dean Moore, 
Camela Galano and Helen Weir. 

The Committee met for four scheduled 
meetings during the year and, in 
addition, held a number of ad hoc 
meetings to deal with specific issues. 

Roles and Responsibilities
The activities of the Committee are 
covered in the Directors’ Remuneration 
Report on pages 66 to 79, and are 
incorporated into this Corporate 
Governance Statement by reference.

The Committee assists the Board 
in determining its responsibilities in 
relation to remuneration, including 
making recommendations to the Board 
on the Group’s policy on executive 
remuneration, determining the individual 
remuneration and benefits package 
of each of the Executive Directors, 
and monitoring and approving the 
remuneration of Senior Management 
below Board level.

The Committee appointed EY as 
external advisers in September 2019 
and took advice from them during 
the year. EY has no other connections 
with Cineworld except the provision of 
transactional advisory services and tax 
advice to the Group. 

Between January and June 2019, the 
Committee received remuneration 
advice from PwC. PwC stepped 
down from their role as remuneration 
advisers to the Committee following the 
appointment of PwC as External Auditor 
in June 2019.

The Chief Executive Officer is consulted 
on the remuneration packages of 
the other senior executives and 
attends discussions by invitation 
except when his own position is being 
discussed. Given the essential part 
remuneration plays in the success of 
the Group, the Chairman of the Board 
is also invited to attend meetings of 
the Committee and does so except 
when his own remuneration is being 
considered. The Committee does not 
deal with the fees paid to the Non-
Executive Directors. The report of the 
Remuneration Committee is set out on 
pages 66 to 79.

The terms of reference of 
the Committee are available 
on the Company’s website 
(www.cineworldplc.com/en/about-us/
corporate-governance).

By order of the Board

Anthony Bloom
Chairman
12 March 2020

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Annual Report and Accounts 2019

65

 
 
 
Directors’ Remuneration Report
Directors’ Remuneration Report

Alicja Kornasiewicz
Chair of the Remuneration  
Committee

Chair

Committee  
members

Number of  
scheduled meetings 
held in 2019

Alicja 
Kornasiewicz

Dean Moore
Camela Galano
Helen Weir

4

The Company Secretary acts as 
Secretary to the Committee

66

Cineworld Group plc 
Annual Report and Accounts 2019

Annual Statement
Dear shareholders
As Chair of Cineworld’s Remuneration 
Committee (the “Committee”), I am  
pleased to present our Remuneration  
Report for the year to 31 December 2019.

UK Corporate Governance Code
During 2019, the Committee considered 
the relevant requirements of the new 
UK Corporate Governance Code (the 
“Code”). The Committee welcomes the 
Code and has responded as follows:

2019 Performance and Remuneration
Total revenue for the Group for 2019 
was $4,369.7m (2018: $4,119.1m on a 
statutory basis) and Adjusted EBITDA 
(under IAS 17) was $1,032.6m (2018: 
$925.4m).

Annual bonuses for the Executive 
Directors in 2019, which were based 
on a matrix of Group Adjusted EBITDA 
performance against budget, the 
achievement of stretching individual 
objectives, and the delivery of synergy 
benefits associated with the Regal 
acquisition in 2018, paid out at the level 
of 54% of the maximum opportunity for 
the CEO and Deputy CEO, and 55% of 
the maximum opportunity for the CFO 
and CCO.

In respect of the Performance Share 
Plan (“PSP”) which is due to vest in 
April 2020, the compound annual 
growth in Earnings Per Share (“EPS”) 
over the three year period 2017-2019 
was in excess of the maximum of the 
target range resulting in 100% vesting 
of the award. 

The Remuneration Committee believes 
that incentive payouts made to 
Executive Directors, as described in the 
Directors’ Remuneration Report, are 
aligned to the overall performance of 
the Group. In considering the outcome 
for the 2019 bonus, the Committee 
considered it appropriate to exercise 
its discretion, details of which are 
outlined in the Annual Bonus section 
on pages 71 to 73.

 − Pension provision for new Executive 
Directors (or Executive Directors 
new in role) has been reduced. 
The Company contribution in the 
event of such an appointment 
will be set at no higher than the 
“workforce rate”, being the level 
broadly made available to the wider 
workforce globally. This is currently 
set at 4% of base salary across the 
Group but will change from time 
to time as the profile of pension 
arrangements across the Group 
changes. For example, the Committee 
will review the workforce rate in light 
of any acquisition activity to ensure it 
remains relevant and fit for purpose. 
In its determination of the workforce 
rate, the Committee took into account 
both actual and offered contribution 
levels across its UK and US population 
(which represents the majority of 
its workforce). It did not take into 
account employer social security 
contributions paid in jurisdictions 
where employer funded pension 
arrangements are not commonplace 
(which are often material), but will 
keep this aspect under review to 
ensure that the workforce rate is 
genuinely reflective of employer 
cost. Finally, the Committee intends 
to review the pension arrangements 
for the incumbent Executive Directors 
as part of its policy review which will 
commence in 2020. It will therefore 
put its policy proposals for pension 
arrangements for existing Executive 
Directors to shareholders for approval 
in 2021. 

 − The Committee recognises the 
importance of ensuring that 
Executive Directors are aligned with 
long-term shareholder interests 
and have approved the adoption 
of post-cessation shareholding 
guidelines for new Executive Directors 
(and Executive Directors new in role), 
set at the level of 100% of the current 
shareholding requirement of 150% 
of salary and to apply for 2 years. 
The Committee will review emerging 
practice on shareholding guidelines 
as part of its policy review which will 
commence in 2020.

 − The Committee reviewed the LTIP 

rules to ensure there exists sufficient 
discretion to override formulaic 
outcomes in the determination of 
vesting levels which are not (for 
example) reflective of the overall 
shareholder experience and the plan 
rules have been amended accordingly 
to allow for this discretion. The ability 
to exercise discretion applies to all 
awards granted in 2019 onwards.

 − The Committee applied a two-year 
post-vesting holding period to LTIP 
awards, applicable to all awards 
granted from 2019 onwards. 

 − The Committee intends to update the 
Remuneration Policy to reflect the 
amendments described above at its 
next renewal.

Consideration of wider workforce 
remuneration
During 2019 the Committee continued 
to review remuneration practices 
across the Group. This was to inform 
decision making on Executive Director 
and Senior Management Team (“SMT”) 
remuneration, as well as to ensure 
remuneration practices across the 
Group are aligned to the long-term 
strategy of the organisation, fair, and 
free from discrimination. As part of this, 
the Committee reviewed and approved 
base pay increases awarded to the 
wider workforce; reviewed pension 
contribution levels in each jurisdiction; 
reviewed annual bonus and LTIP 
awards; and analysed the gender pay 
gap results. 

Overall the Committee observed a 
well-balanced and structured approach 
to remuneration that contributed to an 
engaged and productive environment. 

Engagement with the wider workforce 
Engagement with employees is an 
ongoing focus with a range of formal 
and informal channels available for 
employees to share ideas and concerns 
with members of the Cineworld Board.  

For the 2019 year, the requirements 
in the Code in respect of workforce 
engagement were addressed using 
a number of existing and enhanced 
tools, and a detailed report on such 
engagement activities and their 
outcomes was commissioned by 
the Board from the Group Senior 
Vice President of HR. As part of the 
Board’s development in this area, Dean 
Moore has been appointed as the 
Non-Executive Director to represent 
employees in the Boardroom, taking up 
this position formally in 2020.  

The Board will continually review the 
engagement mechanisms in place to 
ensure they remain fit for purpose.

This report
This report has been prepared in 
accordance with the Large and Medium-
sized Companies and Groups (Accounts 
and Reports) (Amendment) Regulations 
2013, the UKLA Listing Rules and the 
2018 Code. 

It is split into three parts:

 − My Annual Statement as Chair of the 

Remuneration Committee;

 − An “At a Glance” section which 

provides an overview of remuneration 
outcomes in 2019, a summary of our 
approved policy, and its link to our 
strategy; and 

 − The Annual Report on Remuneration, 
which sets out payments made to 
the Directors and details the link 
between Company performance and 
remuneration for the 2019 financial 
year, and how it is intended the 
Remuneration Policy will be applied 
in 2020. The Annual Report on 
Remuneration, together with this 
Annual Statement, is subject to an 
advisory shareholder vote at the AGM 
on 13 May 2020.

The Committee has always aimed to 
be clear and transparent in matters 
of remuneration, and we hope that 
this report continues this approach. 
Should you have any queries or 
comments on this report, or more 
generally in relation to the Company’s 
remuneration, then please do not 
hesitate to contact me via the 
Company Secretary. 

I hope that you find this report 
informative, and I look forward 
to your continued support at the 
Company’s AGM.

Alicja Kornasiewicz
Chair of the Remuneration Committee
12 March 2020

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Annual Report and Accounts 2019

67

 
 
 
 
 
Directors’ Remuneration Report continued

At a Glance
Summary of Remuneration Policy
The Directors’ Remuneration Policy (the “Policy”) was  
approved by shareholders at the AGM on 16 May 2018 
and became effective from that date.

The table below summarises the current Policy, and how  
this was implemented in 2019. The full Policy is detailed  
in the 2017 Annual Report, which can be found in the 
“Investors” section under “Reports and Presentations”  
on the Company’s website. 

Our strategy

Provide the best cinema experience – to give our 
customers a choice of how to watch a movie, with a 
variety of retail offerings, all underpinned by the best 
customer service
Expand and enhance our estate – to provide consistent, 
high quality, modern cinemas

Be technological leaders in the industry – to offer the 
latest audio and visual technology

Drive value for shareholders – by delivering our growth 
plans in an efficient and effective way

Base salary, pension, benefits

Annual bonus

LTIP

Shareholding requirement

Element of reward

Purpose

To provide a core level of 
remuneration and market 
competitive benefits to  
enable the Group to 
attract and retain skilled, 
high-calibre executives to 
deliver its strategy.

To incentivise the annual 
delivery of financial and 
operational targets.

To encourage sustainable 
profitability over a period  
of time aligned to the 
overall objective of 
achieving sustainable 
growth.

To provide alignment 
between Executive 
Directors and shareholders.

Base salary, 
pension  
and other 
benefits

Annual  
bonus

LTIP

Shareholding 
requirements

9
1
0
2

0
2
0
2

1
2
0
2

2
2
0
2

3
2
0
2

4
2
0
2

Key features of Policy

Implementation of Policy in 2019

Salaries may be adjusted and any 
increase will ordinarily be in line  
with those across the Group.

Salaries for Executive Directors were 
increased to the following amounts with 
effect from 1 July 2019:

Link to 
strategy

Employer pension contribution up  
to 20% of base salary.

CEO – £645,750

Deputy CEO – £517,625

Executives may opt out of the Group 
pension scheme and instead receive 
a cash pension allowance.

CFO – £404,875

CCO – £404,875

Market competitive benefits including 
provision of a company car or car 
allowance, private mileage, life 
insurance, permanent health insurance 
and private medical insurance.

Maximum opportunity of 150%  
of salary.

Two thirds of the bonus is based  
on Adjusted EBITDA and personal 
performance.

One third of the bonus is based on 
performance against strategic targets.

Any bonus earned up to 100% of 
salary will be paid in cash; any bonus 
earned above 100% of salary will be 
deferred into shares for a period of 
two years.

Discretion to apply malus provisions.

Normal maximum opportunity equal 
to 200% of base salary.

Vesting subject to EPS growth 
performance over a three year 
performance period and reviewed 
annually to ensure the targets are 
sufficiently stretching in light of  
both internal and external 
performance expectations.

Clawback provisions apply.

Each Executive Director is expected 
to build up a shareholding equal to 
150% of their base salary.

Pension contributions were paid at the levels 
of 16% and 13% to the CEO and the Deputy 
CEO respectively, and 14.8% to the CFO and 
CCO.

Maximum opportunity of 150% of salary 
for the CEO and Deputy CEO and 100% of 
salary for the CFO and CCO.

Two thirds of the bonus is based on a matrix 
of Adjusted EBITDA targets and individual 
strategic objectives, with none of this 
element payable if a minimum of 90% of 
budgeted Adjusted EBITDA is not achieved. 
All of this element is payable if 110% of 
budgeted Adjusted EBITDA and exceptional 
performance is achieved.

For FY19 the strategic targets were based 
on the delivery of synergy benefits as 
a result of the Regal acquisition.

Vesting linked to EPS growth performance.

25% of the award will vest at threshold 
performance.

100% of the award will vest at stretch 
performance.

On vesting, participants will receive dividend 
equivalents in the form of additional shares 
or a cash sum.

Executive Directors are expected to retain 
50% of any shares they acquire under the  
PSP or LTIP or on exercise of options until 
such a holding has been built up.

Malus and clawback
The Remuneration Committee reserves the discretion to apply malus and clawback provisions in circumstances of misconduct  
or misstatement of financial results. The malus provision applies to annual bonus awards, while clawback applies to both annual 
bonus and LTIP awards.

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Annual Report and Accounts 2019

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
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The Remuneration Committee and its Role
At the beginning of the year, the Company’s Remuneration Committee comprised three independent Non-Executive Directors, 
namely Dean Moore (Chair), Rick Senat, and Julie Southern. 

On 15 May 2019, Alicja Kornasiewicz took over from Dean Moore as Chair of the Committee and, at the same time, Rick Senat 
and Julie Southern both stepped down from the Committee (Julie Southern having stepped down from the Board).

Camela Galano joined the Remuneration Committee on 15 May 2019 so that the Committee was made up of Alicja Kornasiewicz 
(Chair), Dean Moore and Camela Galano. 

On 15 November 2019, Helen Weir also became a member of the Committee and therefore, at the end of the year, the 
Committee comprised four independent Non-Executive Directors, namely Alicja Kornasiewicz (Chair), Dean Moore, Camela 
Galano and Helen Weir. 

All of Alicja Kornasiewicz, Dean Moore, Camela Galano, and Helen Weir are considered to be independent.

The Committee’s principal responsibilities are to:

 − make recommendations to the Board for approval of the Group’s broad policy for the remuneration of the Chairman, the 

Executive Directors, the Company Secretary, and Senior Management;

 − determine the specific remuneration packages of the Chairman, the Executive Directors, the Company Secretary and 

Senior Management;

 − approve the terms of the service agreements of the Executive Directors, the Company Secretary and Senior Management; 

and

 − approve the design of, and determine the targets for, any performance related pay schemes and LTIPs.

The full terms of reference of the Committee are available on the Company’s website (www.cineworldplc.com–about-us/en/
corporate-governance). The terms are reviewed annually.

The Committee met for four scheduled meetings during the period and details of the members’ attendance record is set out on 
page 49. In addition to the four scheduled meetings, the Committee met for a number of ad hoc meetings.

Activities over the year
The Remuneration Committee met for four scheduled meetings during 2019 and its key activities were as follows:

March 
2019

May 
2019

August 
2019

November 
2019

Overall remuneration

Considering the remuneration arrangements across the Group

Determining the salary increases to be awarded to  
Executive Directors and Senior Management Team

Annual bonus

Deciding the targets for the annual bonus scheme

Determining bonus payments to be awarded,  
including for the wider workforce

LTIP

Making awards under the 2017 Long Term Incentive Plan 

Approving vesting of awards under the 2007 Performance Share Plan 
and the 2010 Company Share Option Plan

Governance

Reviewing the 2019 AGM voting figures and considering the views  
of shareholders

Review and Update of Committee Terms of Reference

Committee Evaluation

Review of Directors’ Remuneration Report

Agreeing Forward Looking Agenda

Review of Gender Pay reporting outcomes

Consideration of proposed revisions to the UK Corporate  
Governance Code

Remuneration Adviser Review

(cid:22)

(cid:22)

(cid:22)

(cid:22)

(cid:22)

(cid:22)

(cid:22)

(cid:22)

(cid:22)

(cid:22)

(cid:22)

(cid:22)

(cid:22)

(cid:22)

(cid:22)

(cid:22)

(cid:22)

(cid:22)

(cid:22)

Cineworld Group plc  
Annual Report and Accounts 2019

69

 
 
 
Directors’ Remuneration Report continued

Annual Report on Remuneration
Remuneration for 2019
This section covers the reporting period from 1 January 2019 to 31 December 2019 and provides details of the implementation 
of the Company’s Remuneration Policy during the period.

Single Total Figure Table (audited information)
The table below gives a single figure for the total remuneration and breakdown for each Executive and Non-Executive Director 
in respect of the 2019 financial year. Comparative figures for the 2018 financial year have also been provided.

Financial 
year

Base salary 
and fees 
£000

Benefits(1)
£000

Annual 
Bonus 
£000

PSP (2)(3)(4) 
£000

Pension 
£000

Total 
£000

Executive Directors

Moshe Greidinger

Israel Greidinger

Nisan Cohen

Renana Teperberg(5)

Non-Executive Directors

Anthony Bloom

Dean Moore

Alicja Kornasiewicz(6)

Scott Rosenblum

Arni Samuelsson

Rick Senat

Julie Southern(7)

Camela Galano(8)

Helen Weir(9)

2019
2018

2019
2018

2019
2018

2019
2018

2019
2018

2019
2018

2019
2018

2019
2018

2019
2018

2019
2018

2019
2018

2019
2018

2019
2018

638
621

511
486

400
378

400
179

215
182

78
72

129
52

58
52

58
52

78
67

29
72

58
26

10
 –

58
58

84
78

–
5

3
2

 –
 –

 –
 –

 –
 –

 –
 –

 –
 –

 –
 –

 –
 –

 –
 –

 –
 –

519
861

416
690

220
360

220
163

 –
 –

 –
 –

 –
 –

 –
 –

 –
 –

 –
 –

 –
 –

 –
 –

 –
 –

795
1,218

542
831

164
61

164
64

 –
 –

 –
 –

 –
 –

 –
 –

 –
 –

 –
 –

 –
 –

 –
 –

 –
 –

99
124

66
97

60
56

60
26

 –
 –

 –
 –

 –
 –

 –
 –

 –
 –

 –
 –

 –
 –

 –
 –

 –
 –

2,109
2,882

1,619
2,182

844
860

847
434

215
182

78
72

129
52

58
52

58
52

78
67

29
72

58
26

10
 –

( 1)  See page 71 for details of the benefits provided to the Executive Directors.

(2)   As the PSP will not vest until 12 April 2020, the value of shares vesting has been calculated using a share price of £2.159 being the average mid-market 
share price between 1 October 2019 to 31 December 2019. The figure includes a cash sum equivalent to the dividends that would have been paid on 
the vested shares in respect of dividend record dates occurring between grant and vesting. Currently, the dividend equivalent payment to Moshe 
Greidinger would amount to £151,426, the dividend equivalent payment to Israel Greidinger would amount to £103,244, the dividend equivalent 
payment to Nisan Cohen would amount to £31,158, and the dividend equivalent payment to Renana Teperberg would amount to £31,158. Further details 
of these awards are set out on page 77.

(3)   Share price appreciation does not currently account for any of the value of the 2019 PSP vest. The Committee has determined that the level of vesting 

is currently appropriate in the context of overall business performance and does not intend to apply any discretion at this time.

(4)   Details of the actual gains made are set out on page 77. The actual figures set out the table above differ from those included in the 2018 Annual Report 
as last year an estimated value of £2.824 per share was used to calculate the theoretical gain, as the awards had not yet vested. The figures above 
reflect the share price of £3.196 on the date of vesting, 18 April 2019.

(5)   Renana Teperberg was appointed to the Board on 19 July 2018. Figures in respect of Renana’s 2018 remuneration reflect the portion of the year Renana 

was a Director.

(6)  Alicja Kornasiewicz, was appointed Deputy Chair on 17 January 2019. The increase in remuneration since 2018 reflects her appointment to this position.

(7)   Julie Southern left the Board on 15 May 2019. Figures in respect of Julie’s 2019 remuneration reflect the portion of the year for which Julie was 

a Director.

(8)   Camela Galano was appointed to the Board on 19 July 2018. Figures in respect of Camela’s 2018 remuneration reflect the portion of the year for which 

Camela was a Director.

(9)   Helen Weir was appointed to the Board on 1 November 2019. Figures in respect of Helen’s 2019 remuneration reflect the portion of the year for which 

Helen was a Director.

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Annual Report and Accounts 2019

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Base Salary (audited information)
The base salaries of the Executive Directors are usually reviewed on an annual basis. As described in the Policy, the Committee 
compares the Group’s remuneration packages for its Executive Directors and employees with those for Directors and 
employees of similar seniority in companies whose activities are broadly comparable with those of the Group. It also takes into 
account the progress made by the Group, contractual considerations, and salary increases across the rest of the Group.

Average salaries across the UK and US businesses were increased by 2.5%. 

Salary levels as at the end of the financial period were:

Moshe Greidinger

Israel Greidinger

Nisan Cohen

Renana Teperberg

£645,750

£517,625

£404,875

£404,875

Part of Moshe Greidinger’s, Israel Greidinger’s, and Nisan Cohen’s salaries are paid in Israel to enable social security and government healthcare deductions 
to be made.

Pension (audited information)
Executive Directors are invited to participate in a Group Personal Pension Plan, which is a money purchase plan, or alternatively 
may receive a pension allowance in cash. The Executive Directors have elected not to participate in this scheme and instead 
receive a cash pension allowance. For 2019 the cash pension allowance entitlement was up to 20% of salary for the CEO and 
Deputy CEO, and up to 14.8% of salary for the CFO and CCO.

Company pension contributions/allowances for the period were:

Moshe Greidinger

Israel Greidinger

Nisan Cohen

Renana Teperberg

£000

£99

£66

£60

£60

Other Benefits (audited information)
Benefits in kind for Executive Directors comprised the provision of a company car or car allowance, private mileage, life 
insurance, permanent health insurance and private medical cover.

Benefit

Car/car allowance

Permanent health insurance/private medical cover

Life assurance

Disturbance allowance

Moshe 
Greidinger

Israel 
Greidinger

Nisan  
Cohen

Renana 
Teperberg

£14,000

£14,000

£2,602

£3,738

£1,164

£26,432

£40,000

£40,000

–

–

–

–

–

3,045

–

–

Israel Greidinger and Moshe Greidinger both received a disturbance allowance of £40,000 for the period as, under the terms 
of their employment contracts, they are required to spend a sufficient and proportionate amount of time at different locations 
across the Group. 

Annual Bonus (audited information)
Annual bonus opportunity for the Executive Directors in the year was a maximum of 150% of base salary for the CEO and 
Deputy CEO and 100% of base salary for the CFO and CCO. As described in the Policy, two thirds of the annual bonus for 
the year was determined by a matrix of Adjusted EBITDA compared to budget, and the achievement of specified individual 
objectives. None of this element is payable if a minimum of 90% of budgeted Adjusted EBITDA is achieved. All this element is 
payable if 110% of budgeted Adjusted EBITDA and exceptional personal performance against objectives is achieved.

The choice of these measures reflects the Committee’s belief that incentive compensation should be tied both to the overall 
performance of the Group and to those areas that the relevant individual has clear accountability for. The weighting between 
the Group’s financial performance and personal performance for this element of the annual bonus was circa 80% : 20%. 

The remaining third of the annual bonus for the year was determined based on the delivery of synergy benefits as a result of the 
Regal acquisition, measured through the Adjusted EBITDA synergies delivered during 2019.  

The Committee retains the absolute discretion to apply “malus” and “clawback” by reducing or withholding annual bonus 
payments from the formulaic outcome based on Adjusted EBITDA performance (for example, in the event of misconduct or 
misstatement of financial results). 

Cineworld Group plc  
Annual Report and Accounts 2019

71

 
 
 
 
Directors’ Remuneration Report continued

Personal Objectives
The individual performance element for the CEO focused on the achievement of the Group budget, and implementing Group 
strategy. In addition, importance was placed on the efficient implementation of the Group’s construction programme, by the 
opening of new cinemas and ensuring the successful refurbishment of agreed Group-wide renovations. Further objectives 
included identifying potential new sites for cinemas, maintaining good supplier relationships, implementing technological 
advancements, and developing the customer experience. The CEO was also tasked with maintaining staff morale 
and commitment. 

For the Deputy CEO, objectives focused on supporting the CEO, and ensuring the efficient functioning of the Group’s financial 
function by overseeing the CFO. In addition, importance was placed on the Deputy CEO’s work in relation to the Group’s IT and 
cybersecurity systems and, together with the CFO, the reduction of Group debt. Other objectives related to the oversight of 
customer service operations, the introduction of the ERP system throughout the Group, and the development of the investor 
relations function.

Objectives for the CFO centred on the management of the investor market, leading the Group wide finance function to ensure 
that robust, efficient and appropriate financial controls and systems are maintained, work on the ERP system implementation, 
and financial reporting to key stakeholders. Further objectives related to the monitoring of financial KPIs based on the 
Group-wide strategy, and preparation for the implementation of IFRS16.

Focus areas for the CCO included leading commercial activity, and overseeing the film departments across the Group. 
Additional objectives were the setting of strategy for key marketing activities, sales and pricing. The CCO was also tasked with 
overseeing key communication initiatives, both internally and externally, to drive and embed the Group’s vision to be ‘The Best 
Place to Watch a Movie’. 

The Committee judged the individual objectives to have been achieved at the “Exceeding Expectations” level for the CEO and 
Deputy CEO, and the “Above and Beyond” level for the CFO and CCO. In making this assessment, the Committee considered 
a number of factors, including the completion of two sale and leaseback transactions for a total of $556.3m relating to 35 
US-based sites in line with the Group’s operating model, the reduction of net debt to $3.5bn (excluding leases) from $3.7bn at 
31 December 2018, the successful launch of “Unlimited” in the US, and the development of the relationship with NCM.

The Committee also considered the opening of a further 23 4DX screens, the opening of 31 ScreenX and 30 4DX screens 
globally so that, at the end of 2019, there were 135 IMAX screens, 83 4DX screens, 50 ScreenX and 118 Premium Large Format 
screens across the circuit. The opening of 14 new cinemas: seven in the US, five in the UK and two in ROW, making a total of 160 
screens, was also taken into account, together with the acquisition of 2,000 next-generation projectors (improving the quality 
of the customer experience), and the investment in IT systems and customer interface solutions (resulting in the number of 
tickets booked online and through the app reaching a record high). 

As part of the assessment process, the Committee, in conjunction with the Chairman, determined the performance ratings for 
the CEO and Deputy CEO and the Committee took recommendations from the CEO and Deputy CEO in respect of the CCO 
and CFO respectively. 

Adjusted EBITDA Performance
In considering the outcome for this element of the 2019 bonus, the Remuneration Committee, taking into account all relevant 
circumstances, decided to exercise its discretion to modify the budget to take into account the impact of exceptional business 
items (which included the impact of the sale and leaseback transaction, the impact of foreign exchange rate movement, and 
material changes to the release schedule) which were not foreseen when the original targets were set, while adjusting for 
one-off trading gains which were eliminated as detailed in the CFO Review on pages 36 to 41. The Committee believes this 
provides a fairer measure and reflection of business performance.

Adjusted EBITDA synergies
The Adjusted EBITDA synergy benefit target for FY19 of $100m was achieved in full. As a result, the maximum bonus was 
payable under this element. 

72

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Annual Report and Accounts 2019

 
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2019 Annual Bonus Outcome
The table below shows the 2019 annual bonus targets and performance achieved against them.

Moshe Greidinger

Israel Greidinger

Nisan Cohen

Renana Teperberg

Adjusted 
EBITDA 
performance

EBITDA 
synergies 
delivered

90% of 
budgeted 
Adjusted 
EBITDA 
achieved

100% of 
maximum 
Adjusted 
EBITDA 
synergies 
target 
achieved

Individual 
performance

Exceeding 
Expectations

Exceeding 
Expectations

Above and 
Beyond

Above and 
Beyond

Threshold 
bonus 
opportunity 
(£000)

Maximum 
bonus 
opportunity 
(£000)

Bonus paid

 % of 
maximum

% of 
salary

957

54.2%

81.3%

767

54.2%

81.3%

£000

519

416

400

55.1%

55.1%

220

400

55.1%

55.1%

220

194

155

81

81

The Cineworld Group Performance Share Plan (“PSP”) (audited information) 
Awards Vesting Following the End of the Performance Period Ending 31 December 2019
Awards under the PSP made in April 2017 are due to vest on 12 April 2020. The performance condition applicable to these 
awards is summarised below:

EPS growth performance

Less than 5% p.a.

5% p.a.

11% p.a.

Between 5% and 11% p.a.

Vesting level

Nil

25%

100%

Straight–line basis

The Adjusted diluted EPS figure for the year represented compound average annual growth of 11.4% on a pro forma basis, 
compared to the base year, with the result that the level of vesting for this award was 100%. 

Awards Made in the Year
Awards were made to the Executive Directors under the LTIP on 21 May 2019. The vesting of these awards will be based on 
Cineworld’s three year EPS growth performance, as summarised in the table below:

EPS growth performance

Less than 8% p.a.

8% p.a.

15% p.a.

Between 8% and 15% p.a.

Vesting level

Nil

25%

100%

Straight–line basis

The number and value of share options under the PSP which were awarded to the Executive Directors and vested during the 
period are set out on page 77 of this report.

Non-Executive Directors’ Fees (audited information) 
The table below sets out the fees payable to Non-Executive Directors:

Position held

Chair

Deputy Chair(1)

Senior Independent Director

Non-Executive Director (base fee)

Audit Committee Chair

Remuneration Committee Chair

Nomination Committee Chair

Committee member

(1)    The role of Deputy Chair was created on 17 January 2019.

Fees as at 1 January 2019

Fees as at 31 December 2019

£215,000 p.a.

–

£10,000 p.a.

£57,500 p.a.

£20,000 p.a.

£20,000 p.a.

£10,000 p.a

£Nil

£215,000 p.a.

£118,000 p.a.

£10,000 p.a.

£57,500 p.a.

£20,000 p.a.

£20,000 p.a.

£10,000 p.a.

£Nil

Cineworld Group plc  
Annual Report and Accounts 2019

73

 
 
 
Directors’ Remuneration Report continued

The Non-Executive Directors do not receive any share options, bonuses or other performance related payments, nor do they 
receive any pension entitlement or other benefits apart from expenses in relation to travel costs to attend Cineworld Board 
meetings, including related sustenance and accommodation.

Loss of Office Payments (audited information)
There were no loss of office payments during the financial year. 

Payments to Past Directors
There were no payments made to past Directors in 2019.

External Appointments
Moshe and Israel Greidinger are both directors of Israel Theatres Limited. In relation to these roles, they did not receive any fees. 
None of the Executive Directors receive any fees in relation to external non-executive roles (as set out in their biographies on 
pages 44 to 46).

Directors’ Shareholdings at 31 December 2019 (audited information) 
The interests of Directors and their connected persons in ordinary shares as at 31 December 2019, including any interests in 
shares and share options provisionally granted under the PSP or LTIP are presented below. 

Ordinary shares at 
31 December 2019

Ordinary shares at 11 
March 2020

Share options subject to 
performance

conditions at 31 December 2019(1)

Share options subject to 
performance
conditions at 11 March 2020

Executive Directors

Moshe Greidinger

Israel Greidinger

Nisan Cohen

Renana Teperberg

Non-Executive Directors

Anthony Bloom

Camela Galano

Alicja Kornasiewicz

Dean Moore

Scott Rosenblum

Arni Samuelsson

Rick Senat

Helen Weir

385,146,888(2)

385,146,888(4)

384,828,474(2)

384,828,474(4)

38,230

82,495

38,230

82,495

5,208,006(3)

5,208,006

–

135,000

15,000

100,000

9,500

274,447

4,127

10,000

135,000

15,000

100,000

9,500

276,452

4,127

1,206,929

931,766

488,730

488,730

1,206,929

931,766

488,730

488,730

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

(1) 

 Relates to unvested awards under the PSP. This figure includes awards made in 2017, 2018 and 2019 as the vesting of the 2017 awards described above 
will not happen until 12 April 2020 and has been adjusted to take account of the February 2018 rights issue. 

(2)   Includes ordinary shares held by Global City Theatres B.V (“Major Shareholder”). Shares in the Major Shareholder are held in trust for the benefit of the 

children of Moshe Greidinger and Israel Greidinger.

(3)   Shares are held by a nominee for trusts of which Anthony Bloom is one of the potential discretionary beneficiaries.

(4)   At 31 December 2019, Global City Holdings B.V. (“GCH”) held 383,131,720 shares with a further 1,000,000 shares held by Global City Theatres B.V., a 

wholly owned subsidiary of GCH. Shares in GCH are held in trust for the benefit of the children of Moshe Greidinger and Israel Greidinger. On 9 March 
2020 the Company announced that it had been informed by Global City Theatres B.V. (“GCT”) that GCT had agreed to sell c. 108 million ordinary 
shares in Cineworld. However, due to the timing of this Report, as at the latest practicable date, the Company had not yet received the formal 
notifications of changes of shareholding from GCT. 

As described in the Policy, each Executive Director is expected to build up, over a period of time, a holding in shares equal to 
150% of their base salary. 

Shareholding 
guidelines 
(% of 2019 
salary)

Shares owned 
outright (at 
31 December 
2019)

Current 
shareholding (% of 
salary as at 
31 December 
2019)

150%

150%

150%

150%

1,015,168

696,754

38,230

82,495

346%

296%

21%

45%

Guidelines met

Yes

Yes

Building

Building

Executive Directors

Moshe Greidinger

Israel Greidinger

Nisan Cohen

Renana Teperberg

74

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Annual Report and Accounts 2019

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Ten-Year Total Shareholder Return Performance and CEO Pay
The graph below compares the Company’s Total Shareholder Return performance against the FTSE 250 and FTSE All-
Share Travel & Leisure indices over the past ten financial years. The Remuneration Committee believes these to be the most 
appropriate comparators as Cineworld is a member of both indices.

)
0
0
1
o
t
d
e
s
a
b
e
r
(
n
r
u
t
e
R
r
e
d
o
h
e
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a
h
S

l

l

a
t
o
T

700

600

500

400

300

200

100

0

Dec
2009

Dec
2010

Dec
2011

Dec
2012

Dec
2013

Dec
2014

Dec
2015

Dec
2016

Dec
2017

Dec
2018

Dec
2019

Cineworld

FTSE 250

FTSE All-Share Travel & Leisure

Financial year

2019

2018

2017

2016

2015

2014

2013

2012

2011

2010

CEO single 
figure of total 
remuneration 
£000(1)

Bonus as 
proportion 
of maximum 
opportunity

LTI vesting as 
proportion 
of maximum 
opportunity

£2,109

£2,756

£2,346

£2,973(2)

£1,213

£1,440

£1,326

£1,258

£1,252

£1,212

54%

91%

79%

79%

87%

76%

41%

60%

68%

82%

100%

100%

100%

100%

– (3)

100%

81%

99%

100%

100%

(1) 

 Up to 2013 these figures solely relate to Stephen Wiener who was CEO up to and including 27 February 2014. For 2014, it represents a combination of 
two months of Stephen Wiener and ten months of Moshe Greidinger who both held the office of CEO during 2014.

(2)   The increase in the CEO single figure between 2015 and 2016 primarily relates to the first vesting of a PSP award to the CEO since appointment. 

The value of this award vesting increased due to the significant increase in the Company’s share price over the vesting period.

(3)   Moshe Greidinger, CEO, did not have an LTIP which vested in this year. For those who did, the proportion was 100%.

Percentage Increase in CEO Remuneration
The percentage changes in the value of salary, non-pension benefits and bonus between 2018 and 2019 for the CEO and 
employees generally are set out in the table below:

Salary

Non-pension benefits

Annual bonus

CEO

2.5%

0%

(39.7%)

Employees(1)

2.5%

0.6%

(14.1%)

(1) 

 The figures reflect increases for UK and US based salaried employees excluding the Senior Management group and employees employed on an hourly 
rate basis. This group has been selected as being reflective of the jurisdictions in which the CEO spends a significant amount of his time. 

Cineworld Group plc  
Annual Report and Accounts 2019

75

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Directors’ Remuneration Report continued

Relative Importance of Spend on Pay
The table below shows figures for people costs, shareholder dividends and a number of other significant distributions of 
turnover that the Committee considers to be relevant in order to provide context to the relevant importance of pay spend:

Directors’ remuneration costs(1) 

Staff and employee costs

Corporation tax paid

Dividends paid

Retained earnings

2019

£6.1m

$555.0m

$108.1m

$520.2m

2018

£6.9m

$507.6m

$55.5m

$122.8m

$2,645.2m

 $3,157.3m

% change

(11.6%)

9.3%

94.8%

323.6%

(16.2%)

(1) 

 The 2018 Directors’ remuneration costs are restated to reflect the restated Single Total Figure table on page 70. The 2018 Annual Report and Accounts 
reported 2018 Directors’ remuneration costs of £6.7m.

Figures in the table above are set out in USD to align with the figures as stated in the Financial Statements, except for the 
Directors’ Remuneration figures, which are set out in Sterling to align with the figures contained in the Single Total Figure table 
on page 70.

Shareholder Voting Results from 2019 AGM
The Directors’ Annual Report on Remuneration was subject to a shareholder vote at the AGM on 15 May 2019, the results of 
which were as follows:

Remuneration Report

For

Discretionary

Against

Total votes cast

Votes withheld(1)

Number 
of votes

% 
of votes cast

1,048,310,308

184,407

83,593,233

1,132,087,948

28,036,003

92.60

0.02

7.38

100%

–

(1)  A vote withheld is not counted as a vote in law.

Shareholder Voting Results in respect of Remuneration Policy
The Remuneration Policy was subject to a shareholder vote at the AGM on 16 May 2018, the results of which were as follows:

Remuneration Policy

For

Discretionary

Against

Total votes cast

Votes withheld(1)

Number 
of votes

% 
of votes cast

732,830,243

161,539

385,117,781

1,118,109,563

9,479,366

65.55

0.01

34.44

100

–

(1)  A vote withheld is not counted as a vote in law.

CEO to UK employee pay ratio
The table below presents the Company’s CEO to UK worker pay ratio. The ratios compare the unadjusted single total figure 
of remuneration of the CEO with the equivalent figures for the lower quartile (P 25), median quartile (P 50) and upper quartile 
(P 75) of all UK employees of the Group. The reporting will build up over time to show a rolling 10-year period.

The calculation methodology used reflects Option B as defined under the regulations using data in respect of the 5 April 2019 
snapshot date. This option utilises data analysed within our Gender Pay Gap report, with employees at the three quartiles 
identified from this analysis and their respective single figure values calculated. This option was chosen as it represents the 
most efficient method to determine the respective pay ratios. To ensure the identified employees were representative, the total 
remuneration for a group of individuals above and below the identified employee at each quartile within the Gender Pay Gap 
analysis were also reviewed.

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Year

2019

Method

P 25 pay ratio

P 50 pay ratio

P 75 pay ratio

Option B

119: 1

114: 1

100: 1

In order to calculate the base salary component for the representative employees, the hourly rate of pay was multiplied to arrive 
at a full-time equivalent rate. Note that the pension rate available to the majority of the UK workforce (4%) was applied to the 
full-time equivalent base salary rate for each representative employee. The base salary and total pay and benefits for each of 
the representative employees are presented in the table below. No element of pay was omitted from the calculation.

Component

Base salary

Total pay and benefits

P 25 

£16,848

£17,777

P 50

£17,722

£18,467

P 75

£19,968

£21,074

The Committee has reviewed the ratios and pay data for the individuals identified at each of the relevant quartiles and believes 
they are a fair reflection of the Company’s wider pay, reward and progression policies of the UK workforce. The pay ratio results 
reflect the impact of the vesting of annual and long-term incentives which make up a higher proportion of the Chief Executive 
Officer’s total remuneration. It should be noted that the calculation is based solely on the UK workforce and hence the ratios 
will not be representative of the Group as a whole. The UK workforce accounts for approximately 20% of the Group’s total 
headcount and a proportion of the SMT are based outside the UK.

Cineworld has a range of policies and practices to ensure that employees are fairly rewarded for the work they undertake. 
These include offering a valued total reward package that includes an all-employee bonus scheme that allows employees to 
share in the success of the Group. We also operate a robust approach to salary management that is underpinned by market 
benchmarking to ensure we offer competitive and fair rates of pay across all the different markets in which we operate.

Share and Share Option Awards Granted and Vesting During the Year (audited information)
Awards or grants were made under the Company’s Share and Share Option Schemes as follows:

PSP: Awards consisting of nil cost options over shares were granted to the CEO, Deputy CEO, CFO and CCO equivalent in 
value to 200%, 200%, 150% and 150% of their base salaries (as at 1 March 2019) respectively on 21 May 2019 which will become 
exercisable after three years. Details of the awards are set out below. Awards are subject to continued employment and the 
achievement of the performance conditions as set out on page 73. 

Awards granted or vesting during the year:

Cineworld Group Performance Share Plan
Details of awards made and vesting during the period are set out below. All figures have been adjusted for the February 2018 
rights issue:

Name of Director

At 1 January 
2019

Awarded 
during 

year(4),(5)

Vested 
during 
year

Exercised 
during 
year

Lapsed 
during 
year

At 31 
December 
2019

Exercise 
price

Market 
value at 
date of 
exercise(1)

Exercise 
period(2)

Gain(3)

Moshe Greidinger

1,141,237 421,686

355,994 355,994

Israel Greidinger

836,470 338,018

242,722

242,722

Nisan Cohen

308,172

198,293

17,735

17,735

Renana Teperberg

309,078 198,293

18,641

18,641

–

–

–

–

1,206,929

931,766

488,730

488,730

£Nil

£Nil

£Nil

£Nil

£3.022 6 months £1,156,320

£3.022 6 months £788,396

£3.022 6 months

£57,606

£3.022 6 months

£60,549

(1) 

 This was the price per share received in respect of those shares which were sold.

(2)   Subject to satisfaction of the relevant performance conditions (details of which, for the awards made in 2019, are set out on page 73).

(3)   The gain has been calculated using the realised share price on the date of exercising and includes payment of a cash sum equivalent to the dividends 

that would have been paid on the vested shares in respect of dividend record dates occurring between grant and vesting. The dividend equivalent 
payments amounted to £80,663 for Moshe Greidinger, £54,997 for Israel Greidinger, £4,018 for Nisan Cohen, and £4,224 for Renana Teperberg.

(4)   Mid-market closing price of a Cineworld Group plc share on 20 May 2019 was £2.988. The face value of the awards to Israel Greidinger, Moshe 

Greidinger, Nisan Cohen and Renana Teperberg were £1,259,998, £1,009,998, £592,499 and £592,499 respectively. All awards were granted as nil 
cost options.

(5)  The minimum value of the 2019 LTIP awards to Israel Greidinger, Moshe Greidinger, Nisan Cohen and Renana Teperberg amount to £252,499, £314,999,  
£148,125 and £148,125 respectively. This assumes threshold vesting of 25% and is calculated on the share price at the date of grant and excludes any  
dividend equivalent payments.

Cineworld Group plc  
Annual Report and Accounts 2019

77

 
 
 
 
 
Directors’ Remuneration Report continued

Details of the awards vesting in April 2020:

Name of Director

Moshe Greidinger

Israel Greidinger

Nisan Cohen

Renana Teperberg

Date 
awarded

Number 
awarded(1)

Vesting 
date

Number 
vesting

Number 
lapsing

Exercise 
price

12 April 
2017

12 April 
2017

12 April 
2017

12 April 
2017

298,005

203,184

61,319

61,319

12 April 
2020

12 April 
2020

12 April 
2020

12 April 
2020

298,005

203,184

61,319

61,319

0

0

0

0

£Nil

£Nil

£Nil

£Nil

Exercise period

6 months from 
vesting

6 months from 
vesting

6 months from 
vesting

6 months from 
vesting

(1)  Number awarded has been adjusted for February 2018 rights issue.

Cineworld Group Company Share Option Plan
No Director was granted an option during the period and no options vested during the period.

No Director, past or present, holds a CSOP option which will vest in the 2019 financial year.

Cineworld Group Sharesave Scheme
No Directors currently participate in any Company Sharesave Scheme.

Implementation of Policy in 2020
The Remuneration Committee intends to implement the Policy for 2020 as set out below.

For the 2020 financial year the salaries and other benefits of the Executive Directors will be reviewed in the usual manner, with 
any salary increases being effective from 1 July 2020.

Going forward, any new Executive Director (or Executive Director new in role) will have their Company pension contribution set 
at the time of his or her appointment to be no higher than the provision available to that of the wider workforce. This “workforce 
rate” is currently set at 4% of base salary. As a business with a global talent pool, the Group reserves the right to maintain 
different pension arrangements outside of this limit at Executive Director level where they represent real long-term savings 
arrangements, are registered or otherwise qualifying, and are sufficiently prevalent in the local market. No such arrangements 
are utilised currently.

The wider workforce pension rate of 4% has been calculated with reference to the typical rate offered to employees across the 
Group’s two major markets, the UK and US. Across the Group’s other markets, statutory deductions are typically higher than 
this rate and are allocated to a general Government social security fund. The Group will continually review the workforce rate in 
light of any changes to the global footprint of the business.

The maximum annual bonus opportunity will be 150% of salary for the CEO and Deputy CEO and 100% of salary for the CFO 
and CCO.

In line with the Policy, two-thirds of the bonus will be based on performance against Adjusted EBITDA targets and individual 
strategic objectives, with the remaining third being based on strategic targets, which for the 2020 financial year will be based 
on synergy benefits in connection with the proposed Cineplex acquisition. 

Bonus payments will be subject to Committee discretion to apply “malus” and, following payment, the Committee will retain the 
discretion to “claw back” bonuses in the case of misconduct or misstatement of financial results.

The face value of awards under the LTIP in 2020 will be 200% of salary for the CEO and Deputy CEO and 150% of salary for the 
CFO and COO. These awards will vest three years after grant based on the following EPS performance targets. As was the case 
for the 2019 grant, these awards will be subject to a two-year post vesting holding period. 

EPS growth performance

Less than 8% p.a.

8% p.a.

15% p.a.

Between 8% and 15% p.a.

78

Cineworld Group plc 
Annual Report and Accounts 2019

Vesting level

Nil

25%

100%

Straight–line basis

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The EPS target range has been set by the Remuneration Committee incorporating the Cineplex transaction, however, given 
the transaction is yet to complete the Committee will revisit the target range once the impact of the deal on EPS growth is 
clearer. If the target range has to be amended in any way the Committee intend that any adjusted target range will be at least 
as stretching as the original targets were intended to be. The Committee will continue to review both the internal business 
plan projections and the latest available external forecasts when determining whether the target range remains sufficiently 
stretching and appropriate in the context of the profile of the Group. 

The Committee believes that, based on the information available at this time, the current growth targets are stretching and, 
if they are achieved, create significant value for shareholders. Given the international nature of the Group, the Committee 
continues to believe that UK RPI is a less directly relevant factor and will therefore continue to express the targets on an 
absolute growth basis at this time. EPS targets are expressed and will be calculated ignoring the impact of IFRS 16. 

As for the 2019 awards, in addition to the EPS performance condition, the Committee, in its absolute discretion, will need to be 
satisfied that an award holder has performed their duties at a satisfactory level over the three years from the date of grant in 
order for the awards to vest. The Committee therefore will retain the absolute discretion to apply ‘malus’ on unvested awards, 
by reducing or withholding vesting. Following vesting, the Committee will also retain the discretion to claw back the shares in 
the case of misconduct or misstatement of financial result.

Remuneration Committee advisers
Until June 2019, the Company continued to receive advice from PwC whom attended two scheduled meetings during the year 
at the request of the Committee. Following the appointment of PwC as the Company’s External Auditors, the Company initiated 
a competitive tender process which resulted in the appointment of Ernst & Young LLP (“EY”) as advisers in September 2019. 
Aside from the Remuneration Committee advisory services EY also provided transaction and tax advice to the Group during 
the financial year. As members of the Remuneration Consultants Group, both PwC and EY operate under the Voluntary Code of 
Conduct in relation to executive remuneration consulting in the UK. The Committee is satisfied that the advice received from both 
firms was objective and independent. Fees payable to PwC and EY for advice to the Remuneration Committee for the period of 
their appointment were £34,500 and £13,350 respectively.

Other than as provided above, neither EY nor PwC have any other connection with the Company or any of its individual Directors.

The Committee also received assistance from the Chairman of the Company (Anthony Bloom), the Chief Executive Officer 
(Moshe Greidinger), the Deputy Chief Executive Officer (Israel Greidinger), the Chief Financial Officer (Nisan Cohen), the Senior 
Vice President of Human Resources (Tara Rooney) and the Company Secretary (Fiona Smith), although they did not participate 
in discussions relating to the setting of their own remuneration. The Committee also consulted with the Chief Executive Officer 
and received recommendations from him in respect of changes to remuneration packages for Senior Management.

Directors’ service contracts
All Directors’ service contracts and letters of appointment are available for inspection at the Company’s registered office. 
All Executive Directors have a notice period of 12 months. The Non-Executive Directors of the Company do not have service 
contracts but are appointed by letters of appointment, with each independent Non-Executive Director’s term of office running 
for a maximum three year period.

Incorporation by reference
The sections “The Remuneration Committee and its Role” and “Remuneration Committee Advisers” also form part of the 
Corporate Governance Statement, and are incorporated into that statement by reference. 

By order of the Board

Alicja Kornasiewicz
Chair of the Remuneration Committee
12 March 2020

Cineworld Group plc  
Annual Report and Accounts 2019

79

 
 
 
Directors’ Report

The Directors present their Annual Report and the audited Consolidated Financial Statements for the year ended 31 December 
2019. The comparative period is the year ended 31 December 2018.

Management Report
This Directors’ Report, together with the Strategic Report on pages 1 to 41, form the Management Report for the purposes of 
rule 4.1.8R of the Disclosure Guidance and Transparency Rules.

Information Contained Elsewhere in the Annual Report
Information required to be part of this Directors’ Report and certain other information can be found elsewhere in the Annual 
Report as indicated in the table below, and is incorporated into this Report by reference.

Information

Audit Tendering

Corporate Governance Statement

Diversity, Human Rights and Our People

Directors’ Biographies

Financial instruments: Information on the Group’s financial risk 
management objectives and policies, and its exposure to credit 
risk, liquidity risk, interest rate risk and foreign currency risk

Going Concern Statement

Key Performance Indicators

An indication of likely future developments in the business 
affecting the Company

Statement of Directors’ Responsibilities in respect of the Annual 
Report and Financial Statements

Viability Statement

Location in Annual Report

Pages 63 and 64

Pages 42 to 65

Page 33 (Resources and Relationships)

Pages 44 to 46

Note 27, Page 147

Pages 43, 62 and 101

Pages 14 to 17

Pages 1 to 41 (Strategic Report)

Page 86

Pages 30 and 31

Forward-Looking Statements
Certain statements in this Annual Report are forward-looking and so involve risk and uncertainty because they relate to events, 
and depend on circumstances, that will occur in the future. Therefore, results and developments can differ materially from those 
anticipated. The forward-looking statements reflect knowledge and information available at the date of preparation of this 
Annual Report, and the Group undertakes no obligation to update these forward-looking statements. Nothing in this Annual 
Report should be construed as a profit forecast.

Results and Dividends
The results for the Group for the year ended 31 December 2019 are presented under International Financial Reporting 
Standards (“IFRSs”) as adopted by the EU and applicable law. However, the Company has elected to prepare its financial 
statements in accordance with UK Accounting Standards, including FRS 101 “Reduced Disclosure Framework”. The Group 
results for the year are set out in the Consolidated Statement of Profit or Loss on page 95.

The Q3 interim dividend of 3.75 cents per share was paid on 10 January 2020. The Board has proposed a Q4 interim dividend 
of 4.25 cents per share, to be paid on 1 May 2020 to shareholders on the register on 14 April 2020. Interim dividends are paid 
four times a year. Payments in relation to each of the first three quarters of the financial year are equal to 25% of the full year 
dividend of the prior year, with the final interim payment reflective of the Group’s full year earnings performance and resulting in 
a full year dividend payment aligned with the Group’s pay-out ratio. 

Events Affecting the Company Since the Year End
On 16 December 2019, the Group announced the proposed Cineplex transaction by means of an acquisition of the entire issued, 
and to be issued share capital of Cineplex. The acquisition was based on an implied enterprise value of $2.1bn. 

Due to its size, the acquisition was classed as a Class 1 transaction under the Listing Rules, and therefore required shareholder 
approval. The Group and Cineplex shareholders approved the acquisition on 11 February 2020. Prior to the acquisition 
completing the Investment Canada Act Approval must be obtained. 

The consideration for the acquisition of $2.3bn will be fully settled in cash which will be raised through a $2.0bn extension to 
the Group’s existing term loans and a $0.3bn unsecured bridge loan. 

Given the acquisition has not yet completed at the approval date of the 2019 Financial Statements, no accounting for the 
acquisition in accordance with IFRS 3 “Business Combinations” has been included in these Financial Statements. 

Financial Risk Management
The Board regularly reviews the financial requirements of the Group and the risks associated therewith. Full details are set out in 
Note 27 to the Financial Statements, and are incorporated into this Directors’ Report by reference.

80

Cineworld Group plc 
Annual Report and Accounts 2019

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Funding and Liquidity
The financial position of the Group, its cash flows, liquidity position and borrowing facilities are described in the Financial 
Review on pages 36 to 41. In addition, Note 27 to the financial statements includes the Group’s objectives, policies and 
processes for managing its capital, its financial risk management objectives, details of its financial instruments and hedging 
activities, and its exposures to credit risk and liquidity risk. Such sections are incorporated into this Directors’ Report 
by reference.

International Operations and Branches
At the year end, the Group had operations in the UK, US, Jersey, Ireland, Poland, Israel, Hungary, Czech Republic, Bulgaria, 
Romania and Slovakia.

Substantial Shareholdings
At 31 December 2019, the Group had been notified, pursuant to the Disclosure Guidance and Transparency Rules, of the 
following interests in the voting rights of the Company. Notifications confirming a party’s interest has gone below the threshold 
notification level have not been included:

Shareholder

Global City Holdings B.V.(2)

Norges Bank

Aviva plc and its subsidiaries

Polaris Capital Management LLC

Aggregate of Standard Life Aberdeen Plc (affiliated 
investment management entities)

Voting rights

% of total voting rights(1)

Nature of holding

384,131,720

57,398,577

89,292,753

54,923,544

77,922,792

27.99

Direct and Indirect

4.18

6.50

4.01

5.69

Direct

Direct and Indirect

Indirect

Indirect

(1)  Percentages are stated as at the time of notification. The total number of voting rights at 31 December 2019 was 1,371,950,293.

(2)   At 31 December 2019, Global City Holdings B.V. (“GCH”) held 383,131,720 shares with a further 1,000,000 shares held by Global City Theatres B.V., a 

wholly owned subsidiary of GCH. Shares in GCH are held in trust for the benefit of the children of Moshe Greidinger and Israel Greidinger. On 9 March 
2020 the Company announced that it had been informed by Global City Theatres B.V. (“GCT”) that GCT had agreed to sell c. 108 million ordinary 
shares in Cineworld. However, due to the timing of this Report, as at the latest practicable date, the Company had not yet received the formal 
notifications of changes of shareholding from GCT.

The following notifications were received in the period from 1 January 2020 up to the latest practicable date:

Shareholder

Nortust Nominees Limited

Norges Bank

Polaris Capital Management LLC

(1)  Percentages are stated as at the time of notification.

Voting rights

% of total voting rights(1)

Nature of holding

61,682,243

62,035,885

51,418,438

4.496%

4.52%

3.75%

Indirect

Direct

Indirect

Major Shareholder Voting Arrangements
Global City Theatres B.V. (“GCT”) is interested in aggregate in 27.99% of the rights to vote at general meetings of the Company. 
The Company and GCT entered into a relationship agreement dated 5 December 2017 to regulate the relationship between 
them. This agreement replaced the agreement between Global City Holdings and the Company of 10 January 2014 and is on 
the same terms as the previous relationship agreement. Under the relationship agreement, the parties acknowledge that the 
Group is capable of carrying on business independently, and that all arrangements between the Company and GCT will be 
on arm’s length terms. The relationship agreement contains a requirement (where reasonably practical) to consult with and 
consider the reasonable views of the Chairman or Senior Independent Director of the Company prior to a disposal of ordinary 
shares in the Company.

Share Capital and Control
The Company has only one class of share capital formed of ordinary shares. All shares forming part of the ordinary share 
capital have the same rights and each carries one vote. Details of the share capital, and changes in it over the year, are shown 
in Note 26 to the financial statements.

The holders of ordinary shares are entitled to receive Company reports and accounts, to attend and speak at general meetings 
of the Company, to appoint proxies and to exercise voting rights.

There are no restrictions on transfers of, or limitations on the holding of, ordinary shares and there is also no requirement of any 
prior approval of any transfers other than (i) those which may be applicable from time to time under existing laws or regulations 
or, (ii) if a person with an interest in 0.25% of the issued share capital held in certificated form has been served with a disclosure 
notice and fails to respond with the required information concerning interests in that share capital.

No ordinary shares carry any special rights with regard to control of the Company. Except as stated in the paragraph directly 
above and the Major Shareholder Voting Arrangements section above, there are no restrictions on voting rights attaching to 
the ordinary shares and the Company is not aware of any known agreements between shareholders that restrict the transfer of 
voting rights attached to ordinary shares. No treasury shares are held by the Company and no shares are held by any trustee in 
connection with any share scheme operated by the Group.

Cineworld Group plc  
Annual Report and Accounts 2019

81

 
 
 
Directors’ Report continued

Articles of Association
The Company’s Articles of Association (“Articles”), together with English law, define the Board’s powers. Changes to the 
Articles must be approved by shareholders in accordance with the Articles themselves and legislation in force at the relevant 
time. The last changes were approved by shareholders at the AGM held on 16 May 2018.

Change of Control
There are no significant agreements which take effect, alter or terminate in the event of a change of control of the Company 
except that under its current banking arrangements, a change of control may trigger a right for lenders to require early 
repayment of all sums outstanding.

No Director or employee is contractually entitled to compensation for loss of office or employment as a result of a change in 
control; however, provisions in the Company’s share schemes may cause options or awards granted to employees to vest on 
a change of control.

Issue of New Shares and Authority to Purchase Shares 
At the AGM held on 15 May 2019, shareholders gave authority for the allotment of shares up to an aggregate nominal value of 
£4,570,544.88 subject to certain conditions. This authority will expire at the 2020 AGM of the Company or on 14 August 2020, 
whichever is earlier.

Between 1 January 2019 and 31 December 2019, a total of 787,272 shares were issued. Further details of the 787,272 shares 
issued in this period are set out in Note 26 to the financial statements. 

At the AGM held on 15 May 2019, shareholders gave authority for the purchase of up to 137,116,346 ordinary shares in the 
Company for cancellation or placing into treasury. No shares have been acquired under this authority.

The Board proposes to seek shareholder approval at the AGM to renew both the Company’s authority to issue new shares and 
its authority to purchase its own ordinary shares for cancellation or placing in treasury. Details of the proposed resolutions are 
set out in the Notice of AGM (the “AGM circular”) dispatched or made available to shareholders with the Annual Report and 
Accounts (or on notification of its availability).

Directors’ Interests at Year End

Director

Anthony Bloom

Nisan Cohen

Camela Galano

Israel Greidinger

Moshe Greidinger

Alicja Kornasiewicz

Dean Moore

Scott Rosenblum

Arni Samuelsson

Rick Senat

Renana Teperberg

Helen Weir

Ordinary shares held directly

Ordinary shares held by companies 
in which a Director has a beneficial 
interest or is connected

31 December 
2018

31 December 
2019

31 December 
2018

31 December 
2019

–

23,703

–

544,960

799,272

75,000

15,000

84,385

–

269,370

63,854

–

–

5,208,006(1)

5,208,006

38,230

–

696,754

1,015,168

135,000

15,000

100,000

9,500

274,447

82,495

4,127

–

–

–

–

383,131,720(2)

384,131,720(2)

383,131,720(2)

384,131,720(2) 

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

(1)  Shares are held by a nominee for trusts of which Anthony Bloom is one of the potential discretionary beneficiaries.

(2)   Shares are held by Global City Holdings B.V. (“GCH”) and its wholly owned subsidiary Global CIty Theatres B.V. Shares in GCH are held in trust for the 
benefit of the children of Moshe Greidinger and Israel Greidinger. On 9 March 2020 the Company announced that it had been informed by Global City 
Theatres B.V. (“GCT”) that GCT had agreed to sell c. 108 million ordinary shares in Cineworld. However, due to the timing of this Report, as at the latest 
practicable date, the Company had not yet received the formal notifications of changes of shareholding from GCT.

82

Cineworld Group plc 
Annual Report and Accounts 2019

Directors’ Interests at the Latest Practicable Date

Ordinary shares held directly

Ordinary shares held by companies in which 
a Director has a beneficial interest or is 
connected 

Director

Anthony Bloom

Nisan Cohen

Camela Galano

Israel Greidinger

Moshe Greidinger

Alicja Kornasiewicz

Dean Moore

Scott Rosenblum

Arni Samuelsson

Rick Senat

Renana Teperberg

Helen Weir

–

38,230

10,000

696,754

1,015,168

135,000

15,000

100,000

9,500

276,452

82,495

4,127

5,208,006

–

–

384,131,720

384,131,720

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

(1)  Shares are held by a nominee for trusts of which Anthony Bloom is one of the potential discretionary beneficiaries.

(2)   Shares are held by Global City Theatres B.V., a wholly owned subsidiary of Global City Holdings B.V. (“GCH”). GCH is owned by trusts for the benefit 
of the children of Moshe Greidinger and Israel Greidinger. On 9 March 2020 the Company announced that it had been informed by Global City 
Theatres B.V. (“GCT”) that GCT had agreed to sell c. 108 million ordinary shares in Cineworld. However, due to the timing of this Report, as at the latest 
practicable date, the Company had not yet received the formal notifications of changes of shareholding from GCT.

The Directors who held office at the end of the financial year had interests in the ordinary shares of the Company at the 
beginning and end of the year under review, and at the last practicable date, as set out in the tables above.

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Details of the interests in the ordinary shares of the Company arising under the Group’s share option schemes are set out 
in the Remuneration Report on page 74. No rights to subscribe for shares in or debentures of other Group companies were 
granted to any of the Directors or their immediate families, or exercised by them, during the year. None of the Directors had any 
discloseable interest in the shares of Group companies other than the Company.

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Appointment and Replacement Of Directors
The appointment and replacement of directors is governed by the Company’s Articles, the UK Corporate Governance Code 
(the “Code”), the Companies Act 2006 and related legislation. All directors intending to continue in office seek election or 
re-election by shareholders at each AGM. The Articles may be amended by a special resolution of the shareholders.

Following the Board evaluation process undertaken in 2019, the Board is satisfied that each Director standing for re-election or 
election continues to show the necessary commitment, and to be an effective member of the Board due to their skills, expertise 
and business acumen. 

Under the terms of the relationship agreement between the Company and GCT (described further in the Major Shareholder Voting 
Arrangements section above), GCT has the right to appoint one Non-Executive Director (but only if none of Moshe Greidinger, 
Israel Greidinger and Scott Rosenblum are on the Board) for so long as it holds at least 10% of the voting rights in the Company.

Details of the Directors’ remuneration, are set out in the Directors’ Remuneration Report on pages 66 to 79 and information on 
their service contracts are set out in the Remuneration Policy contained in the 2017 Annual Report and Accounts.

Conflicts of Interest
The Articles permit the Board to consider and, if it sees fit, authorise situations where a Director has an interest that conflicts, or 
may possibly conflict, with the interests of the Company. There is in place a formal system for the Board to consider authorising 
such conflicts whereby the Directors who have no interest in the matter decide whether to authorise the conflict. In deciding 
whether to authorise the conflict, the non-conflicted Directors are required to act in the way which they consider would be 
most likely to promote the success of the Company for the benefit of all shareholders and they may, and do, impose conditions 
to be attached to such authorisations. The Board believes that the arrangements for reporting and considering such conflicts 
operate effectively.

Directors’ interests in Contracts
The Group has a number of property lease agreements in place with Global City Holdings B.V. (“GCH”) (and/or its subsidiary 
undertakings). Further details of the amounts paid under these agreements can be found in Note 30 to the Financial 
Statements. Shares in GCH are held in trust for the benefit of the children of Moshe Greidinger and Israel Greidinger.

None of the Directors has a material interest in any contract of significance to which the Company or a subsidiary was a party 
during the financial year, other than as disclosed above, in their service contracts or letters of appointment described in the 
Directors’ Remuneration Report, in Note 30 to the Financial Statements and in the Remuneration Policy contained in the 2017 
Annual Report and Accounts.

Cineworld Group plc  
Annual Report and Accounts 2019

83

 
 
 
Directors’ Report continued

Directors’ and Officers’ Insurance and Indemnity
The Company maintains insurance cover for all Directors and Officers of Group companies against liabilities which may be 
incurred by them while acting as Directors and Officers.

As at the date of this report, indemnities are in force under which the Company has agreed to indemnify the Directors as 
permitted by law and by the Articles against liabilities they may incur in the execution of their duties as Directors of the Company.

Political Donations
In line with the Group’s policy, no donations to political parties were made during the year.

Employees
The policy is to recruit, employ and develop staff on the basis of the suitability of their qualifications and experience, regardless 
of sex, marital status, race, nationality, age, sexual orientation or religion. It is Group policy to give full and fair consideration to 
applications for employment from disabled people, having regard to their particular abilities and aptitudes. Full consideration is 
given to continuing the employment of staff who become disabled, including considering them for other reasonable positions 
and arranging appropriate training.

The health, welfare and development of the Group’s employees remain a priority. With the intent of attracting, recruiting, 
developing and retaining key employees, Cineworld maintains a number of policies and procedures for the benefit of its 
employees, which are available to all employees across the Group. Continuing education, training and development are 
important to the future success of the Group and employee development is encouraged through appropriate training. 
The Group supports individuals who wish to obtain appropriate further education or qualifications and reimburses tuition fees 
up to a specified level.

Regular and open communication between Management and employees is essential for motivating the workforce. Briefings are 
held regularly to provide updates on the Group’s business and to provide the opportunity for questions and feedback. The Group 
encourages the involvement of employees in its performance through the operation of bonus schemes throughout the Group.

Employee and Stakeholder Engagement
The Company is aware of its workforce engagement obligations and details of how the Directors have engaged with 
employees, had regard to employee interests and the impact of such regard on decisions taken by the Company during 
the period can be found throughout this Annual Report. Section B of the s.172 statement on page 51 sets out the relevant 
report sections.

Enhanced engagement with stakeholders (including suppliers, customers and others) has been an area of focus during the year 
and details of the ways in which the Directors have sought to foster the Company’s commercial relationships and relationships 
with the communities in which the Group operates its businesses can be found within the Resources and Relationships section 
of the report on pages 32 to 35 and on pages 52 and 53.

Environmental Matters and Greenhouse Gas Emissions
Information on the Group’s environmental policies is summarised in the Resources and Relationships section on pages 32 to 35. 
This section provides the greenhouse gas (“GHG”) emission data and supporting information required by the Companies Act 
2006 (Strategic Report and Directors’ Report) Regulations 2013.

Organisational Boundary
The organisational boundary used for the Company’s GHG reporting is operational control.

Reporting Scope
The Company is reporting on emissions covered by scopes 1 and 2 (comprising electricity, gas, and fugitive F-gas emissions) 
from global operations.

As well as scope 1 and 2 emissions figures, scope 3 well-to-tank (for all fuels), well-to-tank, transmission and distribution (from 
electricity) emissions are also included.

Emissions Included
Mandatory emissions sources as specified by the Environmental Reporting Guidelines published by the Department for 
Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (“Defra”) have been included in this report (see also “Estimates and Exclusions” below).

Table 1 shows Defra’s stated mandatory areas for reporting and how the stated categories apply to the Group.

Table 1: Reporting Requirements
Ref

Defra requirement

Fuel combustion (stationary)

Fuel combustion (mobile)

Facility operation: process emissions

Facility operation: fugitive emissions

Relevance

Natural gas 

Owned transport

N/A

F-gases: refrigeration and air conditioning

Purchased electricity, heat, steam, cooling

Electricity only

Cineworld Group plc 
Annual Report and Accounts 2019

A1

A2

B

B

C

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GHG Emissions Data
The GHG emissions for the Group for the 12 month period to 30 September 2019 are shown in Table 2 below in tonnes of carbon 
dioxide equivalent (tCO2e).

Table 2: 2019 GhG Emissions
Ref

Category

A1

A2

B

C

Total

Fuel combustion (stationary)

Fuel combustion (mobile)

Facility operation

Purchased electricity

tCO2e 2019

tCO2e 2018(1)

60,821

2,201

7,031

479,999

550,053

39,241

1,830

5,334

390,352

436,757(2)

(1) 

 The 2018 figures stated above have been revised since last years’ publication. This is due to changes in scope three GHG calculation methodology 
regarding electricity use.

(2)  Figures include only seven months of Regal emissions data, as the Regal business was acquired part way through the 2018 emissions reporting period.

Estimates and Exclusions
This report sets out GHG emissions from Cineworld Group plc’s global operations for the reporting period 1 October 2018 to 
30 September 2019.

Polish gas data was captured in local currency and converted into kWh based on an assumed gas price. This affects 1% of 
total emissions.

Some estimates were used to fill gaps in transport fuel use data. This amounts to less than 0.5% of total emissions.  
Also, transport fuel may be slightly inflated, as it is based on total vehicle mileage and may include some non-business trips.

Emissions Intensity
The chosen carbon intensity measure is financial turnover due to ready availability of the data. The value for the year was 125.9 
tonnes CO2e per $1m turnover.

For comparison, 2018’s emissions were 436,757 tonnes CO2e at an intensity of 106.04 tonnes CO2e per $1m turnover (using 
restated figures).

The increase in total emissions in 2019 relative to 2018 reflects the change in calculation methodology for 2019 and the fact that 
emissions generated by the Regal business are included for only seven months of 2018, but for 12 months of 2019.

Annual General Meeting
The Notice convening the AGM, to be held at Vantage London, Great West Road, Brentford TW8 9AG at 10.30am on 13 May 
2020, is contained in the AGM circular. Details of all the resolutions to be proposed are set out in the AGM circular.

Auditor and Tender
In accordance with good corporate governance policy on auditor rotation, during the year the Company conducted a tender 
process for the statutory auditor contract. Following the tender, the Board appointed PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, with a 
commencement date of 17 June 2019. The Company's previous auditor, KPMG LLP, submitted its letter of resignation to the 
Company on 17 June 2019, along with a “statement of reasons” for its resignation. PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP will seek formal 
election for the appointment of external auditor at the Annual General Meeting being held on 13 May 2020.

The Company will continue to comply with the relevant tendering and auditor rotation requirements applicable under UK and 
EU regulations.

Disclosure of Information to Auditor
The Directors who held office at the date of approval of this Directors’ Report confirm that, so far as they are each aware, there 
is no relevant audit information of which the Company’s auditor is unaware; and each Director has taken all steps that he ought 
to have taken as a Director to make himself aware of any relevant audit information, and to establish that the Company’s auditor 
is aware of that information.

By order of the Board

F Smith
Company Secretary
Cineworld Group plc
12 March 2020

Registered Office:
8th Floor
Vantage London
Great West Road
Brentford
TW8 9AG

Registered: England No: 5212407

Cineworld Group plc  
Annual Report and Accounts 2019

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Statement Of Directors’ Responsibilities

Statement of Directors’ Responsibilities in respect of the Annual Report and the Financial Statements
The Directors are responsible for preparing the Annual Report and the Group and parent Company Financial Statements in 
accordance with applicable law and regulations. 

Company law requires the Directors to prepare Group and parent Company Financial Statements for each financial year. 
Under that law they are required to prepare the Group Financial Statements in accordance with International Financial 
Reporting Standards as adopted by the European Union (“IFRSs as adopted by the EU”) and applicable law and have elected 
to prepare the parent Company Financial Statements in accordance with UK accounting standards, including FRS 101 Reduced 
Disclosure Framework. 

Under company law the Directors must not approve the Financial Statements unless they are satisfied that they give a true and 
fair view of the state of affairs of the Group and parent Company and of their profit or loss for that period. In preparing each of 
the Group and parent Company Financial Statements, the Directors are required to: 

 − select suitable accounting policies and then apply them consistently; 

 − make judgements and estimates that are reasonable, relevant, reliable and prudent; 

 − for the Group Financial Statements, state whether they have been prepared in accordance with IFRSs as adopted by the EU; 

 − for the parent Company Financial Statements, state whether applicable UK accounting standards have been followed, subject 

to any material departures disclosed and explained in the parent Company Financial Statements; 

 − assess the Group and parent Company’s ability to continue as a going concern, disclosing, as applicable, matters related to 

going concern; and 

 − use the going concern basis of accounting unless they either intend to liquidate the Group or the parent Company or to cease 

operations, or have no realistic alternative but to do so. 

The Directors are responsible for keeping adequate accounting records that are sufficient to show and explain the parent 
Company’s transactions and disclose with reasonable accuracy at any time the financial position of the parent Company and 
enable them to ensure that its Financial Statements comply with the Companies Act 2006. They are responsible for such 
internal control as they determine is necessary to enable the preparation of Financial Statements that are free from material 
misstatement, whether due to fraud or error, and have general responsibility for taking such steps as are reasonably open to 
them to safeguard the assets of the Group and to prevent and detect fraud and other irregularities. 

Under applicable law and regulations, the Directors are also responsible for preparing a Strategic Report, Directors’ Report, 
Directors’ Remuneration Report and Corporate Governance Statement that comply with that law and those regulations. 

The Directors are responsible for the maintenance and integrity of the corporate and financial information included on the 
company’s website. Legislation in the UK governing the preparation and dissemination of Financial Statements may differ from 
legislation in other jurisdictions. 

Responsibility Statement of the Directors in respect of the Annual Finance Report
 We confirm that to the best of our knowledge: 

 − the Financial Statements, prepared in accordance with the applicable set of accounting standards, give a true and fair view of 
the assets, liabilities, financial position and profit or loss of the Company and the undertakings included in the consolidation 
taken as a whole; and 

 − the Strategic Report includes a fair review of the development and performance of the business and the position of the issuer 
and the undertakings included in the consolidation taken as a whole, together with a description of the principal risks and 
uncertainties that they face. 

We consider the Annual Report and Accounts, taken as a whole, is fair, balanced and understandable and provides the 
information necessary for shareholders to assess the Group’s position and performance, business model and strategy. 

Moshe Greidinger
Chief Executive Officer
12 March 2020

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Cineworld Group plc 
Annual Report and Accounts 2019

Independent Auditors’ Report to the Members of Cineworld Group plc

Report on the Audit of the Financial Statements

Opinion
In our opinion:

 − Cineworld Group plc’s Group financial statements and 

Company financial statements (the “financial statements”) 
give a true and fair view of the state of the Group’s and of 
the Company’s affairs as at 31 December 2019 and of the 
Group’s profit and cash flows for the year then ended;

 − the Group financial statements have been properly 
prepared in accordance with International Financial 
Reporting Standards (IFRSs) as adopted by the 
European Union;

 − the Company financial statements have been properly 

prepared in accordance with United Kingdom Generally 
Accepted Accounting Practice (United Kingdom 
Accounting Standards, comprising FRS 101 “Reduced 
Disclosure Framework”, and applicable law); and

 − the financial statements have been prepared in accordance 
with the requirements of the Companies Act 2006 and, 
as regards the Group financial statements, Article 4 of the 
IAS Regulation.

We have audited the financial statements, included within the 
Annual Report and Accounts (the “Annual Report”), which 
comprise: Consolidated Statement of Financial Position and 
Company Statement of Financial Position as at 31 December 
2019; Consolidated Statement of Profit or Loss, Consolidated 
Statement of Comprehensive Income, Consolidated 
Statement of Changes in Equity, Company Statement of 
Changes in Equity and Consolidated Statement of Cash 
Flows for the year then ended; and the notes to the financial 
statements, which include a description of the significant 
accounting policies.

Our opinion is consistent with our reporting to the 
Audit Committee.

Basis for opinion
We conducted our audit in accordance with International 
Standards on Auditing (UK) (“ISAs (UK)”) and applicable law. 
Our responsibilities under ISAs (UK) are further described 
in the Auditors’ responsibilities for the audit of the financial 
statements section of our report. We believe that the audit 
evidence we have obtained is sufficient and appropriate to 
provide a basis for our opinion.

Independence
We remained independent of the Group in accordance with 
the ethical requirements that are relevant to our audit of 
the financial statements in the UK, which includes the FRC’s 
Ethical Standard, as applicable to listed public interest entities, 
and we have fulfilled our other ethical responsibilities in 
accordance with these requirements.

To the best of our knowledge and belief, we declare that non-
audit services prohibited by the FRC’s Ethical Standard were 
not provided to the Group or the Company.

Other than those disclosed in Note 7 to the financial 
statements, we have provided no non-audit services to the 
Group or the Company in the period from 1 January 2019 to 
31 December 2019.

Material uncertainty related to going concern 
In forming our opinion on the financial statements, which 
is not modified, we have considered the adequacy of 
the disclosure made in Note 1 to the financial statements 
concerning the Group’s and Company’s ability to continue 

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as a going concern. The Group’s forecasts and projections 
assume that the Cineplex deal will complete which will result in 
increased borrowings of $2.3 billion, of which the $0.3 million 
bridge facility has an associated covenant, equivalent to that 
of the existing revolving credit facility. Unlike the revolving 
credit facility, the covenant applies at all times, irrespective of 
the bridge facility drawing levels. There are also cross default 
clauses in respect of the existing term loans and the additional 
term loan required to complete the Cineplex transaction. 
In the event that admissions were to be restricted or cinemas 
were to be closed, resulting in a loss of revenue equivalent 
to a period of between two and three months, as a result of 
COVID-19, then the Group would be in breach of its covenants 
and would need to negotiate a waiver with the majority of the 
lenders in order to avoid its borrowings becoming repayable 
immediately. These conditions, along with other matters 
explained in Note 1 to the financial statements, indicate the 
existence of a material uncertainty which may cast significant 
doubt about the Group’s and Company’s ability to continue as 
a going concern. The financial statements do not include the 
adjustments that would result if the Group and Company were 
unable to continue as a going concern. 

Audit procedures performed
In concluding there is a material uncertainty, our audit 
procedures evaluated the Directors’ assessment of the 
impact of cinemas having restricted attendance or being 
closed for period of between one and three months, and 
the impact this would have on revenue and the ability of the 
Group to manage costs. We also considered the covenant 
calculations and the adjustments that are permitted under 
loan facility agreements.

In assessing the impact of the above scenarios, which are 
referred to in Note 1 of the financial statements, we performed 
the following procedures on the Directors’ assessment that 
the Group and Company will continue as a going concern:

 − agreed the underlying cash flow projections to 

management approved forecasts, assessed how these 
forecasts are compiled, and assessed the accuracy of 
management’s forecasts by reviewing third-party industry 
reports and applying appropriate sensitivities to the growth 
projections where required;

 − evaluated the assumptions regarding the lost revenue and 
associated EBITDA impact that would result from reduced 
attendance and/or cinema closure over a one to three 
month period;

 − evaluated the assumptions in respect of the costs that 

could be avoided in a period of reduced attendance and/or 
closure of the cinemas; 

 − assessed the impact of the mitigating factors available to 
management in respect of the ability to restrict capital 
expenditure and the cash impact associated with non-
payment of dividends;

 − reviewed the terms of the covenant agreement and 

assessed whether the adjustments made to the underlying 
financial numbers within the covenant calculation were 
in line with the agreement. In addition, we reviewed the 
forecast synergies in respect of the Regal and Cineplex 
acquisitions to determine whether these were supportable 
and are expected to be realised within 24 months; and

 − checked the mathematical accuracy of the spreadsheet 

used to model future financial performance and determined 
in what circumstances there was a risk that the covenant 
may be breached.

Cineworld Group plc  
Annual Report and Accounts 2019

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Independent Auditors’ Report to the Members of Cineworld Group plc

Report on the Audit of the Financial Statements continued

Our audit approach
Context
In this first year of audit tenure, our planning procedures involved meetings with Group and local country management, and the 
Board, to understand the business, its challenges, opportunities and associated risks.

Materiality

Audit
scope

Overview
 − Overall Group materiality: $14.1 million, based on 5% of Group profit before tax excluding 

exceptional items.

 − Overall Company materiality: $43.6 million, based on 1% of total assets.

 − The Group operates in ten countries, across 16 reporting units.
 − The eight reporting units, where we performed an audit of their complete financial 

information, accounted for 90% of Group revenue and 83% of Group profit before tax, 
adjusted for exceptional items.

 − The Group engagement team performed the audit work on one reporting unit and visited, 
in person, two component teams responsible for the audit of six reporting units across two 
countries. The Group team attended clearance meetings and held discussions on the audit 
approach and findings with those local teams.

 − Specified procedures have been performed in one country in respect of 

distribution revenue. 

Key audit
matters

 − We attended certain components clearance meetings via conference calls.
 − We maintained regular communication with the component teams throughout the audit 

and assessed the outcome of their audit work.

 − Impairment of property, plant and equipment and right-of-use assets.
 − Impairment of goodwill.
 − Adoption of IFRS 16.
 − Impairment of investments (Company only).

or intentional misrepresentations, or through collusion. 
We focused on laws and regulations that could give rise to a 
material misstatement in the Group and Company financial 
statements, including, but not limited to, the Companies 
Act 2006, the Listing Rules, UK and US tax legislation and 
employment legislation.

 − Our tests included, but were not limited to, review of the 
financial statement disclosures to underlying supporting 
documentation, review of correspondence with the 
Financial Reporting Council, review of correspondence 
with legal advisers, enquiries of management, review 
of significant component auditors’ work and review 
of internal audit reports in so far as they related to the 
financial statements. 

 − We did not identify any key audit matters relating to 

irregularities, including fraud. As in all of our audits we also 
addressed the risk of management override of internal 
controls, including testing journals, in particular those 
posted with unexpected revenue account combinations, 
challenging key assumptions used by management with 
significant estimates and evaluating whether there was 
evidence of bias by the Directors that represented a risk of 
material misstatement due to fraud

There are inherent limitations in the audit procedures 
described above and the further removed non-compliance 
with laws and regulations is from the events and transactions 
reflected in the financial statements, the less likely we would 
become aware of it. Also, the risk of not detecting a material 
misstatement due to fraud is higher than the risk of not 
detecting one resulting from error, as fraud may involve 
deliberate concealment by, for example, forgery or intentional 
misrepresentations, or through collusion.

The scope of our audit
As part of designing our audit, we determined materiality 
and assessed the risks of material misstatement in the 
financial statements. 

Capability of the audit in detecting irregularities,  
including fraud
Based on our understanding of the Group and industry, we 
identified that the principal risks of non-compliance with laws 
and regulations related to, but were not limited to, the Listing 
rules, UK and US tax legislation and employment legislation 
and we considered the extent to which non-compliance might 
have a material effect on the financial statements. We also 
considered those laws and regulations that have a direct 
impact on the preparation of the financial statements such 
as the Companies Act 2006. We evaluated management’s 
incentives and opportunities for fraudulent manipulation 
of the financial statements (including the risk of override of 
controls), and determined that the principal risks were related 
to posting inappropriate journal entries to increase revenue 
and management bias in accounting estimates. The Group 
engagement team shared this risk assessment with the 
component auditors so that they could include appropriate 
audit procedures in response to such risks in their work. 
Audit procedures performed by the Group engagement team 
and/or component auditors included:

 − We gained an understanding of the legal and regulatory 
framework applicable to the Group and the industry 
in which it operates, and considered the risk of acts by 
the Group which were contrary to applicable laws and 
regulations, including fraud. We designed audit procedures 
at Group and significant component level to respond 
to the risk, recognising that the risk of not detecting a 
material misstatement due to fraud is higher than the risk 
of not detecting one resulting from error, as fraud may 
involve deliberate concealment by, for example, forgery 

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Key audit matters
Key audit matters are those matters that, in the auditors’ professional judgement, were of most significance in the audit of the 
financial statements of the current period and include the most significant assessed risks of material misstatement (whether 
or not due to fraud) identified by the auditors, including those which had the greatest effect on: the overall audit strategy; 
the allocation of resources in the audit; and directing the efforts of the engagement team. These matters, and any comments 
we make on the results of our procedures thereon, were addressed in the context of our audit of the financial statements as 
a whole, and in forming our opinion thereon, and we do not provide a separate opinion on these matters. In addition to going 
concern, described in the material uncertainty related to going concern section above, we determined the matters described 
below to be the key audit matters to be communicated in our report. This is not a complete list of all risks identified by our audit.

Key audit matter

How our audit addressed the key audit matter

Impairment of property, plant and equipment and  
right of use assets

Refer to the Audit Committee Report, Note 1 – Accounting 
Policies and Note 12 – Property, Plant and Equipment and 
Note 21 – Leases.

The Group has Property, Plant and Equipment (“PPE”) 
of $2,039.5 million and Right of Use (“ROU”) assets of 
$3,441.2 million as at 31 December 2019. During the period 
$46.9 million of impairment has been recorded.

We have identified the risk of impairment in PPE and ROU 
assets as a significant risk for the Group due to the inherent 
level of management estimation involved in calculating the 
value in use of the assets. As part of its year-end reporting 
process, management conducted an impairment trigger 
assessment of PPE and ROU at the Cash Generating Unit 
(“CGU”) level as required by IAS 36. For sites with an 
identified trigger for impairment, management performed 
further detailed analysis at the CGU level.

Impairment valuations and assessment are based on a 
number of key estimates and assumptions, which include 
forecasting admissions growth, average ticket pricing and 
spend per person. A total impairment charge of $46.9 million 
was recorded. Admissions growth is highly correlated to the 
strength of the film slate in any one year, which management 
is not able to control.

Our procedures included understanding and evaluating 
the controls related to the PPE and ROU asset impairment 
process, together with performing substantive 
audit procedures.

The procedures performed included the following: 

 − Corroborated the impairment trigger analysis by assessing 
the historic financial performance and operational trends 
within the cinema industry and discussing performance with 
local and Group management. 

 − Tested the mathematical accuracy of the impairment 

models including assessing that revenue and costs have 
been appropriately allocated to each of the CGUs

 − Challenged management on the appropriateness of 

key assumptions such as admissions, ticket prices and 
concession growth rates by comparing against industry 
forecasts and historical trends.

 − Involved our internal experts to assess the appropriateness 

of the discount rates used.

 − Performed look back assessments to consider the historic 
growth trends and management forecasting reliability.

 − Performed independent sensitivity analysis to identify if we 

considered there to be further impairments.

 − For owned properties, where required, we have also 

assessed third party valuations.

As the Group engagement team, we were specifically involved 
in assessing the appropriateness of the audit approach of 
each component team, where relevant. This satisfied us that 
the area was well understood and that sufficient focus was 
placed on the risk area with no significant errors identified.

Based on our procedures we consider the impairment booked 
in the period to be appropriate and we also consider the 
disclosures around the sites which are sensitive to impairment 
to be reasonable.

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Annual Report and Accounts 2019

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Independent Auditors’ Report to the Members of Cineworld Group plc

Report on the Audit of the Financial Statements continued

Key audit matter

Impairment of goodwill

Refer to Note 1 – Accounting Policies and Note 13 – 
Intangible Assets.

The Group has goodwill of $5,492.1 million and other 
intangibles of $515.6 million as at 31 December 2019.

The recoverable amounts of these CGUs are dependent on 
certain key assumptions, including the forecast cash flows, 
short and long term growth rates and the discount rate, 
all of which are dependent upon management judgement 
and estimates. 

Our work principally focussed on the US and UK CGUs due to 
their size.

Adoption of IFRS 16

Refer to the Audit Committee Report, Note 2 – Changes in 
Accounting Policy and Note 21 – Leases.

On 1 January 2019 the Group adopted IFRS 16 and recognised 
a right of use (“ROU”) asset and an additional lease liability of 
$2,941.1 million and $3,396.3 respectively. 

We have focused on the adoption of IFRS 16, including the 
completeness of the lease population, due to the significance 
of the balances, given the nature of the environment that the 
Group operates in, the judgement applied by management in 
the application of the standard and the estimates associated 
with the valuation of ROU assets. 

The key judgement made by management relates to the 
length of the lease terms, in particular assessing whether the 
lease is reasonably certain to be extended beyond the first 
option. The assumption used by management is that for the 
majority of leases it is not reasonably certain that leases with 
will be extended rather they will be substantially renegotiated 
on different terms, or exited if the site is no longer viable.

The adoption of IFRS 16 has also involved estimation in 
respect of determining the appropriate discount rate 
and the performance of an impairment test on adoption 
which involves management estimation and resulted in an 
impairment of $17.7 million.

How our audit addressed the key audit matter

The procedures, performed by the Group engagement team, 
included:

 − Understanding the controls and procedures in place in 

respect of the goodwill impairment model.

 − Testing the mechanics and mathematical integrity of 

management’s impairment model.

 − Evaluating the process by which management prepared 
its cash flow forecasts and comparing them to the Board 
approved forecast.

 − Performing look back assessments to consider the historic 

growth trends and management forecasting reliability.

 − Involving our internal experts to assess the appropriateness 

of the discount rates used.

 − We benchmarked against the industry and peers, external 
sources including industry outlook reports and country 
inflation rates.

 − Performing our own sensitivity analysis to understand the 

impact of reasonably possible changes to key assumptions. 

Based on these procedures we have assessed that no 
impairment risk has arisen in the period and we also consider 
the disclosures provided to be appropriate.

The audit procedures in respect of the adoption of IFRS 16 
have been performed by the Group engagement team 
and included:

 − Evaluating the controls and processes in place over the 

adoption process.

 − Testing the accuracy of the underlying lease data input with 
management’s lease system back to the lease agreements.

 − Recalculating for a sample of leases the lease liability and 

ROU asset.

 − Obtained evidence of managements historic renegotiation 

of lease option extensions to support the lease 
length assumptions.

 − Using our internal experts, we assessed the appropriateness 

of the discount rates applied in determining the lease 
liabilities by analysing the credit rating used, country 
in which the lease is held and also the length of the 
lease period.

 − Corroborating and challenging management’s key 

assumptions in the impairment model, for example by 
comparing to industry benchmarks and forecasts and 
historic growth trends.

 − Performing procedures to check the completeness of the 

lease population.

Based on the procedures performed, we consider 
management’s judgements to be reasonable and did not 
identify any material misstatements.

We have also assessed management’s disclosure of the 
impact to enable comparability to the prior period and also 
the sensitivity on the key judgements disclosure which notes 
the impact had lease extension options been accounted for.

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Key audit matter

How our audit addressed the key audit matter

Impairment of investments (Company only)

The substantive audit procedures we performed included:

Refer to Note 32 – Accounting Policies and Note 34 – Fixed 
Asset Investments.

The parent Company has investments in subsidiaries and 
net intercompany receivables of $3,446.0 million and 
$314.3 million respectively as at 31 December 2019.

Due to the magnitude of these balances, the market 
capitalisation at 31 December 2019, and the level of estimation 
and judgement inherent within management’s impairment 
model, this has been a focus area for our Company audit.

The valuation of these investments is dependent on certain 
key assumptions including the forecast cash flows, short and 
longer term growth rates and the discount rate. There is a risk 
that significant changes to assumptions or under performance 
of trading could give rise to impairment.

 − Confirming the mathematical integrity of the 

impairment model.

 − Evaluating the appropriateness of key assumptions by 

benchmarking against industry trends and forecasts and 
comparisons to historical growth trends.

 − Assessing the historical accuracy of 

management’s forecasting.

 − Performing sensitivity analysis to evaluate the impact of 

reasonably possible changes to key assumptions.

Our sensitivities did not identify any indication of impairment.

How we tailored the audit scope
We tailored the scope of our audit to ensure that we performed enough work to be able to give an opinion on the financial 
statements as a whole, taking into account the structure of the Group and the Company, the accounting processes and 
controls, and the industry in which they operate.

The Group operates cinema sites within ten countries, and there are 16 reporting components in total. We identified eight 
reporting components across three countries for which we determined that a full scope audit is required. Additionally, we 
performed the audit of specific balances and transactions in Israel. The reporting components, excluding those audited by 
the Group engagement team, were audited by the US and Poland component teams and reporting over the Digital Cinema 
Implementation Partners joint operation was obtained from its auditor. The Group team performed the audit of the UK 
component. During the year, the Group engagement team visited both the US and Poland component teams. The Group 
engagement team met with local management and discussed the audit approach and findings with the component teams and 
attended their clearance meetings.

Our audit scope was determined by considering the significance of each component’s contribution to profit before tax, 
excluding exceptionals, and individual financial statement line items, with specific consideration to obtaining sufficient coverage 
over significant risks.

Our attendance at the clearance meetings, review of component team reporting results and workpapers, together with the 
additional procedures performed at Group level, gave us the evidence required for our opinion on the financial statements as a 
whole. Our audit procedures at the Group level included the audit of the consolidations, goodwill impairment review and IFRS 
16 opening balances audit. The Group engagement team also performed the audit of the parent Company.

Materiality
The scope of our audit was influenced by our application of materiality. We set certain quantitative thresholds for materiality. 
These, together with qualitative considerations, helped us to determine the scope of our audit and the nature, timing and 
extent of our audit procedures on the individual financial statement line items and disclosures and in evaluating the effect of 
misstatements, both individually and in aggregate on the financial statements as a whole. 

Based on our professional judgement, we determined materiality for the financial statements as a whole as follows:

Group financial statements

Company financial statements

Overall materiality

$14.1 million.

$43.6 million.

How we determined it 5% of Group profit before tax (excluding 

1% of total assets.

Rationale for 
benchmark applied

exceptional items).

Profit on ordinary activities before tax, adjusted 
for the impact of all non-recurring exceptional 
items, provides us with a consistent year-on-
year basis for determining materiality. It is, we 
believe, a metric used commonly used by the 
Shareholders as a body in assessing the Group's 
performance and is a generally accepted auditing 
benchmark.

We believe that total assets is the primary 
measure used by shareholders in assessing the 
performance of the Company and is a generally 
accepted auditing benchmark. 

For the purposes of the Group audit, we applied 
a lower materiality of $14.1 million to Company 
balances and transactions, other than those 
which were eliminated on consolidation in the 
Group financial statements.

Cineworld Group plc  
Annual Report and Accounts 2019

91

 
 
 
 
Independent Auditors’ Report to the Members of Cineworld Group plc

Report on the Audit of the Financial Statements continued

For each component in the scope of our Group audit, we allocated a materiality that is less than our overall Group materiality. 
The range of materiality allocated across components was between $2 million and $13.3 million. Certain components were 
audited to a local statutory audit materiality that was also less than our overall Group materiality.

We agreed with the Audit Committee that we would report to them misstatements identified during our audit above $700 
thousand (Group audit) and $2.2 million (Company audit) as well as misstatements below those amounts that, in our view, 
warranted reporting for qualitative reasons.

Going concern
In accordance with ISAs (UK) we report as follows:

Reporting obligation

Outcome

We are required to report if we have anything material to add 
or draw attention to in respect of the directors’ statement 
in the financial statements about whether the directors 
considered it appropriate to adopt the going concern basis 
of accounting in preparing the financial statements and the 
directors’ identification of any material uncertainties to the 
Group’s and the Company’s ability to continue as a going 
concern over a period of at least twelve months from the date 
of approval of the financial statements.

We are required to report if the directors’ statement relating 
to Going Concern in accordance with Listing Rule 9.8.6R(3) 
is materially inconsistent with our knowledge obtained in 
the audit.

We have nothing material to add or to draw attention to other 
than the material uncertainty relating to going concern as 
described in the section above. 

However, because not all future events or conditions can be 
predicted, this statement is not a guarantee as to the Group’s 
and Company’s ability to continue as a going concern. For 
example, the terms on which the United Kingdom may 
withdraw from the European Union are not clear, and it is 
difficult to evaluate all of the potential implications on the 
Group’s trade, customers, suppliers and the wider economy. 

We have nothing to report.

Reporting on other information 
The other information comprises all of the information in the Annual Report other than the financial statements and our 
auditors’ report thereon. The directors are responsible for the other information. Our opinion on the financial statements 
does not cover the other information and, accordingly, we do not express an audit opinion or, except to the extent otherwise 
explicitly stated in this report, any form of assurance thereon. 

In connection with our audit of the financial statements, our responsibility is to read the other information and, in doing so, 
consider whether the other information is materially inconsistent with the financial statements or our knowledge obtained 
in the audit, or otherwise appears to be materially misstated. If we identify an apparent material inconsistency or material 
misstatement, we are required to perform procedures to conclude whether there is a material misstatement of the financial 
statements or a material misstatement of the other information. If, based on the work we have performed, we conclude that 
there is a material misstatement of this other information, we are required to report that fact. We have nothing to report based 
on these responsibilities.

With respect to the Strategic Report and Directors’ Report, we also considered whether the disclosures required by the UK 
Companies Act 2006 have been included. 

Based on the responsibilities described above and our work undertaken in the course of the audit, the Companies Act 2006 
(CA06), ISAs (UK) and the Listing Rules of the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) require us also to report certain opinions and 
matters as described below (required by ISAs (UK) unless otherwise stated).

Strategic Report and Directors’ Report
In our opinion, based on the work undertaken in the course of the audit, the information given in the Strategic Report and 
Directors’ Report for the year ended 31 December 2019 is consistent with the financial statements and has been prepared in 
accordance with applicable legal requirements. (CA06)

In light of the knowledge and understanding of the Group and Company and their environment obtained in the course of the 
audit, we did not identify any material misstatements in the Strategic Report and Directors’ Report. (CA06)

92

Cineworld Group plc 
Annual Report and Accounts 2019

The directors’ assessment of the prospects of the Group and of the principal risks that would threaten the solvency or 
liquidity of the Group
We have nothing material to add or draw attention to regarding:

 − The directors’ confirmation on page 24 of the Annual Report that they have carried out a robust assessment of the 

principal risks facing the Group, including those that would threaten its business model, future performance, solvency 
or liquidity.

 − The disclosures in the Annual Report that describe those risks and explain how they are being managed or mitigated.

 − The directors’ explanation on page 30 of the Annual Report as to how they have assessed the prospects of the Group, 
over what period they have done so and why they consider that period to be appropriate, and their statement as to 
whether they have a reasonable expectation that the Group will be able to continue in operation and meet its liabilities 
as they fall due over the period of their assessment, including any related disclosures drawing attention to any necessary 
qualifications or assumptions.

We have nothing to report having performed a review of the directors’ statement that they have carried out a robust 
assessment of the principal risks facing the Group and statement in relation to the longer-term viability of the Group. 
Our review was substantially less in scope than an audit and only consisted of making inquiries and considering the directors’ 
process supporting their statements; checking that the statements are in alignment with the relevant provisions of the UK 
Corporate Governance Code (the “Code”); and considering whether the statements are consistent with the knowledge and 
understanding of the Group and Company and their environment obtained in the course of the audit. (Listing Rules)

Other Code Provisions
We have nothing to report in respect of our responsibility to report when: 

 − The statement given by the directors, on page 61, that they consider the Annual Report taken as a whole to be fair, 
balanced and understandable, and provides the information necessary for the members to assess the Group’s and 
Company’s position and performance, business model and strategy is materially inconsistent with our knowledge of the 
Group and Company obtained in the course of performing our audit.

 − The section of the Annual Report on pages 60 to 64 describing the work of the Audit Committee does not appropriately 

address matters communicated by us to the Audit Committee.

 − The directors’ statement relating to the Company’s compliance with the Code does not properly disclose a departure from 

a relevant provision of the Code specified, under the Listing Rules, for review by the auditors.

Directors’ Remuneration
In our opinion, the part of the Directors’ Remuneration Report to be audited has been properly prepared in accordance with 
the Companies Act 2006. (CA06)

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Annual Report and Accounts 2019

93

 
 
 
Independent Auditors’ Report to the Members of Cineworld Group plc

Report on the Audit of the Financial Statements continued

Responsibilities for the financial statements and the audit
Responsibilities of the directors for the financial statements
As explained more fully in the Statement of Directors’ Responsibilities set out on page 86, the directors are responsible for 
the preparation of the financial statements in accordance with the applicable framework and for being satisfied that they give 
a true and fair view. The directors are also responsible for such internal control as they determine is necessary to enable the 
preparation of financial statements that are free from material misstatement, whether due to fraud or error.

In preparing the financial statements, the directors are responsible for assessing the Group’s and the Company’s ability to 
continue as a going concern, disclosing, as applicable, matters related to going concern and using the going concern basis of 
accounting unless the directors either intend to liquidate the Group or the Company or to cease operations, or have no realistic 
alternative but to do so.

Auditors’ responsibilities for the audit of the financial statements
Our objectives are to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements as a whole are free from material 
misstatement, whether due to fraud or error, and to issue an auditors’ report that includes our opinion. Reasonable assurance 
is a high level of assurance, but is not a guarantee that an audit conducted in accordance with ISAs (UK) will always detect a 
material misstatement when it exists. Misstatements can arise from fraud or error and are considered material if, individually or 
in the aggregate, they could reasonably be expected to influence the economic decisions of users taken on the basis of these 
financial statements. 

A further description of our responsibilities for the audit of the financial statements is located on the FRC’s website at: 
www.frc.org.uk/auditors responsibilities. This description forms part of our auditors’ report.

Use of this report
This report, including the opinions, has been prepared for and only for the Company’s members as a body in accordance with 
Chapter 3 of Part 16 of the Companies Act 2006 and for no other purpose. We do not, in giving these opinions, accept or 
assume responsibility for any other purpose or to any other person to whom this report is shown or into whose hands it may 
come save where expressly agreed by our prior consent in writing.

Other required reporting
Companies Act 2006 exception reporting
Under the Companies Act 2006 we are required to report to you if, in our opinion:

 − we have not received all the information and explanations we require for our audit; or

 − adequate accounting records have not been kept by the Company, or returns adequate for our audit have not been received 

from branches not visited by us; or

 − certain disclosures of directors’ remuneration specified by law are not made; or

 − the Company financial statements and the part of the Directors’ Remuneration Report to be audited are not in agreement 

with the accounting records and returns. 

We have no exceptions to report arising from this responsibility. 

Appointment
Following the recommendation of the audit committee, we were appointed by the directors on 17 June 2019 to audit the 
financial statements for the year ended 31 December 2019 and subsequent financial periods. This is therefore our first year of 
uninterrupted engagement.

Christopher Richmond (Senior Statutory Auditor)
for and on behalf of PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP
Chartered Accountants and Statutory Auditors
London
12 March 2020

94

Cineworld Group plc 
Annual Report and Accounts 2019

Consolidated Statement of Profit or Loss 
for the Year Ended 31 December 2019

Revenue
Cost of sales

Gross profit
Other operating income
Administrative expenses

Operating profit

Adjusted EBITDA as defined in Note 3

Finance income
Finance expenses
Net finance costs
Share of profit from jointly controlled entities using equity accounting method 
net of tax
Profit before tax
Tax charge on profit

Profit for the year attributable to equity holders of the Group

Basic Earnings Per Share
Diluted Earnings Per Share

Year ended
31 December
2019
$m

Note

5

6

7

10
10

11

8
8

4,369.7 
(2,749.1)

1,620.6 
5.7 
(901.6)

724.7

1,580.3 

26.3
(568.0)
(541.7)

29.3
212.3 
(32.0)

 180.3

13.1
13.1

Year ended
31 December
2018
$m

4,119.1
(3,125.4)

993.7
5.3
(506.1)

492.9

925.4

53.9
(225.2)
(171.3)

27.4
349.0
(64.7)

284.3

22.5
22.4

The primary statements presented have been prepared in accordance with IFRS 16 for 2019 and IAS 17 for 2018. Note 2 provides 
a reconciliation of the two accounting standards. 

The Notes on pages 100 to 153 are an integral part of these Consolidated Financial Statements.

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Cineworld Group plc  
Annual Report and Accounts 2019

95

 
 
 
Year ended
31 December
2019
$m

Year ended
31 December
2018
$m

 180.3 

284.3

(7.5)

12.6
–
22.2 
(0.7)

26.6

(6.9)

(126.1)
(0.7)
–
0.3

(133.4)

150.9

Consolidated Statement of Comprehensive Income
for the Year Ended 31 December 2019

Profit for the year attributable to equity holders of the Group 

Items that will not subsequently be reclassified to profit or loss 
Net change in fair value of equity investments
Items that will subsequently be reclassified to profit or loss 
Retranslation gain/(loss) of foreign currency denominated operations
Movement in fair value of cash flow hedges
Movement of net investment hedge
Income tax (charge)/credit recognised within other Comprehensive income

Comprehensive income/(loss) for the year, net of income tax 

Total comprehensive income for the year attributable to equity holders of the Group 

206.9

96

Cineworld Group plc 
Annual Report and Accounts 2019

Consolidated Statement of Financial Position
at 31 December 2019

Non-current assets
Property, plant and equipment

Right-of-use assets
Goodwill
Other intangible assets
Investment in equity-accounted investees
Financial assets at FVOCI
Deferred tax assets
Other receivables

Total non-current assets

Current assets

Assets classified as held for sale

Inventories
Trade and other receivables
Fair value of financial derivatives
Cash and cash equivalents

Total current assets

Total assets

Current liabilities
Loans and borrowings
Fair value of financial derivatives
Lease liabilities
Trade and other payables
Deferred revenue
Current taxes payable
Provisions

Total current liabilities

Non-current liabilities
Loans and borrowings
Fair value of financial derivatives
Lease liabilities
Other payables
Deferred revenue
Provisions
Employee benefits
Deferred tax liabilities

Total non-current liabilities

Total liabilities

Net Assets

Equity attributable to equity holders of the Group
Share Capital
Share Premium
Foreign currency translation reserve
Hedging reserve
Fair value reserve
Retained earnings

Total Equity

(1) 

  Refer to Note 1 for further details on the 2018 representation. 

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31 December 
2019 
$m

Note

Represented(1)
31 December 
2018 
$m

12

21
13
13
14
16
17
19

12

18
19
27

20
27
21
22
23

25

20
27
21
22
23
25
24
17

26
26
26
26
26

2,039.5 

3,441.2
5,492.1 
515.6 
300.2 
10.0 
138.8
64.6 

12,002.0

0.9 

33.2 
263.4 
10.4
140.6 

448.5

2,446.3

–
5,482.4
542.3
308.5
7.5
31.6
206.7

9,025.3

2.5

35.1
324.5
–
316.3

678.4

12,450.5

9,703.7

(133.9)
(4.5)
(321.6)
(712.1)
(263.1)
(48.8)
(6.4)

(63.9)
–
(17.5)
(702.4)
(283.8)
(51.0)
(90.6)

(1,490.4)

(1,209.2)

(3,485.4)
(9.7)
(3,875.9)
(12.4)
(635.0)
(0.5)
(3.5)
–

(8,022.4)

(9,512.8)

2,937.7 

20.1 
516.0 
(250.8)
21.6 
(14.4)
2,645.2

 2,937.7

(3,885.3)
–
(83.0)
(156.5)
(659.3)
(277.2)
(3.2)
(9.7)

(5,074.2)

(6,283.4)

3,420.3

20.1
513.8
(263.4)
(0.6)
(6.9)
3,157.3

3,420.3

These Financial Statements were approved by the Board of Directors on 12 March 2020 and were signed on its behalf by:

Nisan Cohen
Director

Cineworld Group plc  
Annual Report and Accounts 2019

97

 
 
 
Consolidated Statement of Changes in Equity
for the Year Ended 31 December 2019

Share 
capital 
$m

Share 
premium 
$m

Merger 
reserve 
$m

Foreign 
currency 
translation 
reserve 
$m

Hedging 
reserve 
$m

Fair value 
reserve 
$m

Retained 
earnings 
$m

Total 
$m

548.1

407.4

(137.3)

(3.4)

1 January 2018

Profit for the year
Comprehensive income
Items that will not subsequently be 
reclassified to profit or loss
Equity investments at FVOCI – net 
change in fair value
Items that will subsequently be 
reclassified to profit or loss
Movement in fair value of cash flow 
hedge
Settlement of net investment hedge
Retranslation of foreign currency 
denominated subsidiaries
Income tax charge recognised within 
other comprehensive income
Contributions by and distributions 
to owners
Dividends
Movements due to share-based 
compensation
Capital transfer (Note 26)
Issue of shares

5.0

–

–

–
–

–

–

–

–

–

–
–

–

–

–

–

–

–
–

–

–

–

–

–

–
–

(126.1)

–

–

–
–
–

–

–

(0.7)
3.5

–

–

–

–
–
–

–

–

224.9

1,044.7

284.3

284.3

(6.9)

–
–

–

–

–

–
–
–

–

–
–

–

(6.9)

(0.7)
3.5

(126.1)

0.3

0.3

(122.8)

(122.8)

1.9
2,768.7
–

1.9
–
2,342.1

–
–
15.1

–
(2,361.3)
2,327.0

–
(407.4)
–

31 December 2018

20.1

513.8

Impact of change in accounting policy

1 January 2019
Profit for the year
Comprehensive income
Items that will not subsequently be 
reclassified to profit or loss
Net change in fair value of equity 
investments
Items that will subsequently be 
reclassified to profit or loss
Movement on net investment hedge
Tax that will subsequently reclassified to 
profit or loss
Retranslation of foreign currency 
denominated operations 
Contributions by and distributions 
to owners
Dividends
Movements due to share-based 
compensation
Issue of shares

–

20.1
–

–

513.8
–

–

–

–

–

–

–
– 

–

–

–

–

–

–
2.2 

31 December 2019

20.1 

516.0 

–

–

–
–

–

–

–

–

–

–
– 

–

(263.4)

(0.6)

(6.9)

3,157.3

3,420.3

–

–

–

(173.3)

(173.3)

(263.4)
–

(0.6)
–

(6.9)
–

2,984.0
180.3

3,247.0
180.3

–

–

–

12.6

–

–
– 

–

(7.5)

22.2

–

–

–

–
– 

–

–

–

–

–
– 

–

–

(7.5)

22.2

(0.7)

(0.7)

–

12.6

(520.2)

(520.2)

1.8
–

1.8
2.2

(250.8)

21.6 

(14.4) 2,645.2

2,937.7

Refer to Note 2 for further details on the impact of change in accounting policy from 1 January 2019. 

98

Cineworld Group plc 
Annual Report and Accounts 2019

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Consolidated Statement of Cash Flows
for the Year Ended 31 December 2019

Year ended 
31 December 
2019 
$m

Note

Restated 
Year ended 
31 December 
2018 
$m

Cash flow from operating activities
Profit for the year
Adjustments for:
  Finance income
  Finance expense
  Taxation
  Share of profit of equity accounted investee

Operating profit
Depreciation and amortisation
Share-based payments charge
Non-cash property charges
Impairment of property, plant and equipment and right-of-use assets
Movement in trade and other receivables
Movements in inventories
Movement in trade, other payables and deferred income
Movement in provisions and employee benefit obligations
(Gain)/loss on sale of assets

10
10
11

7
3

7

Cash generated from operations
Tax paid

Net cash flows from operating activities

Cash flows from investing activities
Interest received
Income from net investment in sublease
Acquisition of subsidiaries net of acquired cash
Movement on fair value of financial derivatives
Acquisition of property, plant and equipment

Investment in joint ventures
Investment in financial asset at FVOCI
Acquisition of distribution rights and other intangibles
Distributions received from equity accounted investees
Proceeds from sale and leaseback
Proceeds from sale of property, plant and equipment

Net cash flows from investing activities

Cash flows from financing activities
Proceeds from issue of shares
Dividends paid to shareholders
Interest paid
Repayment of bank loans
Repayment of loans from equity accounted investees
Draw down of bank loans
Landlord contributions
Payment of lease liabilities*

Net cash flows from financing activities

Cash and cash equivalents at start of the period
Net movements in cash and cash equivalents
Exchange loss on cash and cash equivalents

Cash and cash equivalents at the end of year

180.3

(26.3)
568.0
32.0
(29.3)

724.7
729.8
4.9
–
46.9
37.9
2.3
(97.5)
(35.0)
(12.2)

1,401.8
(108.1)

1,293.7

3.6
1.2
–
–
(455.6)

–
(10.0)
(5.2)
42.6
542.4
22.0

141.0

–
(520.2)
(165.5)
(1,458.5)
(3.0)
1,130.3
28.4
(613.3)

(1,601.8)

316.3
(167.1)
(8.6)

140.6

284.3

(53.9)
225.2
64.7
(27.4)

492.9
320.5
3.2
(38.9)
18.3
(53.2)
1.8
(143.1)
(4.6)
1.0

597.9
(55.5)

542.4

0.9
–
(3,103.4)
(88.4)
(205.6)

(78.4)
–
(4.5)
23.8
–
3.3

(3,452.3)

2,341.0
(122.8)
(146.7)
(2,949.2)
–
3,982.6
49.5
(13.4)

3,141.0

231.1
91.0
(5.8)

316.3

* Payment of lease liabilities includes $304.2m of interest payment and $309.1m of principal lease payments.

Refer to Note 1 for further information on the restatement of the 2018 Consolidated Statement of Cash Flows. In addition, cash 
flows in respect of landlord contributions received have been reclassified from investing to financing activities. 

Cineworld Group plc  
Annual Report and Accounts 2019

99

 
 
 
Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements
(forming part of the Financial Statements)

1. Accounting Policies
Basis of preparation
Cineworld Group plc (the ‘Company’) is a company incorporated in the UK.

The Group financial statements have been prepared and approved by the Directors in accordance with International Financial 
Reporting Standards as adopted by the EU (‘Adopted IFRSs’). The Company has elected to prepare its Parent Company 
Financial Statements in accordance with FRS 101 Reduced Disclosure Framework and the Companies Act 2006; these are 
presented on pages 154 to 164.

The accounting policies set out below have been applied consistently to all years presented in these Group Financial 
Statements, with the exception of leases which have changed as a result of adoption of IFRS 16 “Leases” on 1 January 2019. 
Refer to Note 2 for further details on the impact in change in accounting policy. 

Information regarding the Group’s business activities, together with the factors likely to affect its future development, 
performance and position is set out in the Chief Executive Officer’s Review on pages 6 to 9 and the Principal Risks and 
Uncertainties section on pages 25 to 29. The financial position of the Group, its cash flows, liquidity position and borrowing 
facilities are described in the Chief Financial Officer’s Review on pages 36 to 41. In addition Note 26 to the financial statements 
includes the Group’s objectives, policies and processes for managing its capital; its financial risk management objectives; details 
of its financial instruments and hedging activities; and its exposures to credit risk and liquidity risk.

Presentational currency
The financial results of the Group are presented in US dollar. 

2018 Restatements
During the year the Financial Reporting Council (‘FRC’) undertook a review with regard to the Group’s 2018 Annual Report and 
Accounts. The scope of the review performed by the FRC was to consider the Group’s compliance with the UK reporting 
requirements, it did not verify all the information provided. Following the review, no material financial reporting changes were 
required to the Group’s Income Statement or Statement of Financial Position or underlying accounting treatments.

However, certain line items within the Statement of Cash Flows have been restated. These changes also impacted the 
movements in the Net Debt table, but not the overall closing positions or Net Debt to Adjusted EBITDA ratios and these 
movements have been restated accordingly. The adjustments within the Statement of Cash Flows are primarily connected 
with the Regal acquisition cash flows. The adjustments have arisen following further investigation into the timing of payments 
and the reclassification of items based on IAS 7 “Statement of Cash Flows” guidance. The main adjustments were in respect 
of the incorrect inclusions of the $202.0m payment to the Regal dissenting shareholders which was partly offset by the 
foreign exchange loss on the derivative taken out to hedge the Regal transaction and non-cash movements in respect of the 
take–on assets and liabilities which were not correctly reflected through the working capital movements in the Statement of 
Financial Position. 

A reconciliation of the line items which have been restated within the Statement of Cash Flows is as follows:

Non-cash property charges
Movement in trade and other receivables
Movement in trade, other payables and deferred income
Movement in provisions and employee benefit obligations
Acquisition costs

Cash generated from operations

Acquisition of subsidiaries net of acquired cash
Movement on fair value of financial derivatives
Distributions received from equity accounted investees
Repayment of bank loans

Net increase in cash and cash equivalents

Exchange gains / (losses) on cash and cash equivalents

Cash and cash equivalents at end of year

Previously 
reported 
$m

(30.2)
(54.9)
(113.8)
(2.0)
50.6

687.4

(3,356.6)
–
32.2
(2,895.0)

218.4

6.9

316.3

Reclassification
$m

Restated 
$m

(8.7)
1.7
(29.3)
(2.6)
(50.6)

(89.5)

253.2
(88.4)
(8.4)
(54.2)

12.7

(12.7)

–

(38.9)
(53.2)
(143.1)
(4.6)
–

597.9

(3,103.4)
(88.4)
23.8
(2,949.2)

231.1

(5.8)

316.3

In addition, the 2018 Adjusted Earnings Per Share calculation has been restated to reflect the Group’s change in policy of 
including one-off tax items in the Adjusted Earnings Per Share calculation. In 2018 there was a one-off tax credit which arose 
from a movement on a financial derivative entered into in connection with the Regal acquisition. This has changed the adjusted 
basic Earnings Per Share by 1.5c to 25.8c and the Adjusted diluted earnings per share by 1.5c to 25.7c.

100

Cineworld Group plc 
Annual Report and Accounts 2019

1. Accounting Policies continued
2018 Statement of Financial Position re-presentation
To ensure consistency of presentation, a reclassification of $149.8m from non-current to current deferred income has been 
made within the 2018 comparatives in respect of pre-paid gift cards which can be redeemed at any point in the future. 

Going concern
At 31 December 2019, the Group’s financing arrangements consisted of USD and Euro term loans totalling $3.6bn and a 
revolving credit facility of $462.5m (‘secured bank loans’) which had been drawn down by $95.0m. The revolving credit facility 
is subject to certain covenants, which are triggered above 35% utilisation, and the term loans also have cross default provisions 
in respect of this covenant. The Group is not currently at this revolving credit facility utilisation level and it is not expected to 
increase above this threshold in the period under assessment.

Subject to certain regulatory conditions, the Group expects to complete the acquisition of Cineplex and therefore the Group’s 
forward looking funding requirements and forecast cash flows are considered more likely than not to include Cineplex in the 
wider Group. Therefore, the Going Concern assessment has been made based on the proposed new banking facility structure 
and the enlarged Group’s forecasts. The additional financing for the Cineplex acquisition will include a secured incremental 
term loan for c. $1.9bn and a c. $0.3bn unsecured bridge loan. The bridge loan facility includes financial covenant ratios set at 
the same level as the secured bank loans of the Group, being a limit of 5.5x of Net Debt to Consolidated Adjusted EBITDA until 
December 2020, which limit then reduces to 5.0x from 30 June 2021 onwards. The covenant applies at all times, irrespective of 
the bridge facility drawing levels.

The Group’s forecasts and projections, taking account of reasonably possible changes in trading performance, show that 
the enlarged Group will be able to operate within the level of its facilities for at least 12 months from the approval date of 
these Consolidated Financial Statements. Accordingly, the Group continues to adopt the going concern basis in preparing its 
Consolidated Financial Statements.

The uncertainty as to the future impact on the Group of the recent COVID-19 outbreak has been considered as part of the 
Group’s adoption of the going concern basis. Thus far, we have not observed any material impact on our movie theatre 
admissions due to COVID-19. Following an increase in admissions in the first two months of the year against the same period in 
the previous year, we continue to see good levels of admissions in all our territories, despite the reported spread of COVID-19. 
Although the release of the new Bond movie has been postponed to November 2020 largely due to closure of cinemas in the 
Asian markets, the studios have advised us that in the countries in which we operate, they currently remain committed to their 
release schedule for the coming months and remainder of the year. 

In the downside scenario analysis performed, the Board has considered the potential impact of the COVID-19 outbreak on the 
Group’s results. In preparing this analysis the following key assumptions were used: the impact of a total loss of revenue across 
the enlarged estate for between one and three months, no fixed costs reductions should sites be closed, run-rate combination 
benefits of c.$133m expected to be achieved as part of the Cineplex acquisition, forecast capital expenditure reduced in 2020 
by 90%, and cessation of dividend payments from 1 July 2020. This analysis does not take account of the fact that in the case 
of widespread site closures the films scheduled to be released during this period of closure could be moved to later in 2020. 
These downside scenarios are currently considered unlikely, however it is difficult to predict the overall outcome and impact of 
COVID-19 at this stage. Under the specific downside scenario, however, of the Group losing the equivalent of between two and 
three months’ total revenue across the entire estate there is a risk of breaching the Group’s financial covenants, unless a waiver 
agreement is reached with the required majority of lenders within the going concern period. 

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Only the specific downside scenario detailed above would indicate the existence of a material uncertainty which may cast 
significant doubt about the Group’s ability to continue as a going concern. The Consolidated Financial Statements do not 
include the adjustments that would result if the Group was unable to continue as a going concern. 

Measurement Convention
The Financial Statements are prepared on the historic cost basis except for the following assets and liabilities stated at 
their fair value: derivative financial instruments and financial instruments classified as fair value through the Statement of 
Comprehensive Income.

Basis of Consolidation
Subsidiaries
Subsidiaries are entities controlled by the Group. The Group controls an entity when it is exposed to, or has rights to, variable 
returns from its involvement with the entity and has the ability to affect those returns through its power over the entity. The financial 
statements of subsidiaries are included in the Consolidated Financial Statements from the date on which control commences until 
the date on which control ceases.

Joint arrangements
Under IFRS 11 ‘“Joint Arrangements” investments in Joint Arrangements are classified as either joint operations or joint ventures. 
The classification depends on the contractual rights and obligations of each investor, rather than the legal structure of the joint 
arrangement. The Group holds both joint operations and joint ventures.

Cineworld Group plc  
Annual Report and Accounts 2019

101

 
 
 
Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements
(forming part of the Financial Statements) continued

1. Accounting Policies continued
Joint operations
The Group recognises its share of any jointly held or incurred assets, liabilities, revenues and expenses of the joint operation. 
These have been incorporated in the Consolidated Financial Statements under the appropriate headings. Details of the joint 
operation are set out in Note 15.

Joint ventures
Joint Ventures are those entities over whose activities the Group has joint control, established by contractual agreement and 
requiring the venturers’ unanimous consent for strategic financial and operating decisions. Joint Ventures are accounted for using 
the equity method and are initially recognised at cost. The Consolidated Financial Statements include the Group’s share of the total 
recognised income and expense and equity movements of equity accounted investees, from the date that joint control commences 
until the date that joint control ceases. When the Group’s share of losses exceeds its interest in an equity accounted investee, the 
Group’s carrying amount is reduced to $nil and recognition of further losses is discontinued except to the extent that the Group has 
incurred legal or constructive obligations or made payments on behalf of an investee.

Transactions eliminated on consolidation
Intra-group balances and transactions, and any unrealised income and expenses arising from intra-group transactions, are 
eliminated. Unrealised gains arising from transactions with equity accounted investees are eliminated against the investment to the 
extent of the Group’s interest in the investee. Unrealised losses are eliminated in the same way as unrealised gains, but only to the 
extent that there is no evidence of impairment.

Equity investments
Equity investments are held in entities which have not been classified as a subsidiary, associate or joint arrangement are accounted 
for at fair value. These equity investments are not held for trading purposes and represent strategic investments.

The Group has elected at initial recognition to present value changes through the Statement of Comprehensive Income within the 
revaluation reserve. Any dividends received from these equity investments will be recognised within the Consolidated Statement of 
Profit or Loss.

On disposal of these equity investments, any related balance previously recognized within the fair value through other 
comprehensive income “FVOCI” reserve is reclassified to retained earnings.

Business combinations
For acquisitions on or after 1 January 2010, the Group measures goodwill as the fair value of the consideration transferred (including 
the fair value of any previously held equity interest in the acquiree) and the recognised amount of any non-controlling interests 
in the acquiree, less the net recognised amount (generally fair value) of the identifiable assets acquired and liabilities assumed, 
all measured as of the acquisition date. When the excess is negative, a bargain purchase gain is recognised immediately in the 
Consolidated Statement of Profit or Loss. Transactions costs, other than those associated with the issue of debt or equity securities 
that the Group incurs in connection with business combinations are expensed as incurred.

Foreign currency
Transactions in foreign currencies are translated at the foreign exchange rate relevant at the date of the transaction. 
Monetary assets and liabilities denominated in foreign currencies at the Consolidated Statement of Financial Position date are 
translated at the foreign exchange rate ruling at that date. Foreign exchange differences arising on translation are recognised in 
the Consolidated Statement of Profit or Loss. Non-monetary assets and liabilities that are measured in terms of historical cost 
in a foreign currency are translated using the exchange rate at the date of the transaction. Non-monetary assets and liabilities 
denominated in foreign currencies that are stated at fair value are translated at foreign exchange rates ruling at the dates the 
fair value was determined.

The assets and liabilities of foreign operations, including goodwill and fair value adjustments arising on consolidation, are 
translated at foreign exchange rates ruling at the Consolidated Statement of Financial Position date. The revenues and expenses 
of foreign operations are translated at an average rate for the year where this rate approximates to the foreign exchange 
rates ruling at the dates of the transactions. Translation movements are recognised within the Statement of Comprehensive 
Income and in the foreign currency translation reserve. As share capital, share premium are denominated in Sterling, these are 
translated into presentational currency at the historic rate prevailing on the date of each transaction. 

Financial instruments 
Financial assets and financial liabilities are recognised when the Group becomes a party to the contractual provisions of the 
financial instrument. Financial assets are de-recognised when the rights to receive cash flows from the financial assets have 
expired or have been transferred and the Group has transferred substantially all risks and rewards of ownership. 

Financial liabilities are de-recognised when the contractual obligations are discharged, cancelled or expire. 

Financial assets and financial liabilities are offset and the net amount is reported in the Consolidated Statement of Financial 
Position, when there is a legally enforceable right to offset the recognised amounts and there is an intention to settle on a net 
basis, or realise the financial asset and settle the financial liability simultaneously.

102

Cineworld Group plc 
Annual Report and Accounts 2019

1. Accounting Policies continued
Financial instruments continued
IFRS 9 contains three classification categories for financial assets and liabilities: measured at amortised cost, fair value through 
profit or loss (“FVPL”) and fair value through other comprehensive income (‘FVOCI’). 

At initial recognition, the Group classifies its financial instruments in the following categories depending on the purpose for 
which the financial instruments were acquired: 

i.  Financial assets and financial liabilities at FVPL: 
Financial instruments in this category are recognised initially and subsequently at fair value. Transaction costs are expensed 
in the Consolidated Statement of Profit or Loss. Gains and losses arising from changes in fair value are presented in the 
Consolidated Statement of Profit or Loss. Financial assets and financial liabilities at fair value through profit or loss are classified 
as current, except for the portion expected to be realised or paid beyond 12 months of the Consolidated Statement of Financial 
Position date, which is classified as non-current.

Financial assets and liabilities at FVPL are presented within changes in operating assets and liabilities in the consolidated 
statements of cash flows. 

ii.  Financial assets and liabilities at amortised cost: 
The Group’s loans and receivables comprise trade receivables and cash and cash equivalents, and are included in current assets 
due to their short-term nature. Loans and receivables are initially recognised at the amount expected to be received, less, when 
material, a discount to reduce the loans and receivables to fair value. Subsequently, loans and receivables are measured at 
amortised cost using the effective interest method, less an loss allowance. 

Financial liabilities at amortised cost include trade payables, bank indebtedness and long-term debt. Trade payables are initially 
recognised at the amount required to be paid, less, when material, a discount to reduce the payables to fair value. Subsequently, 
trade payables are measured at amortised cost using the effective interest method. Bank indebtedness and long term debt, are 
recognised initially at fair value, net of any transaction costs incurred and, subsequently, at amortised cost using the effective 
interest method. 

Financial liabilities are classified as current liabilities if payment is due within 12 months. Otherwise, they are presented as non-
current liabilities.

iii. Financial instruments at FVOCI: 
At initial recognition, the Group can make an irrevocable election to classify equity instruments at FVOCI, with all subsequent 
changes in fair value being recognised in OCI. The Group has classified certain equity instruments as FVOCI as outlined in 
Note 16. 

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In addition, the Group uses the following derivatives:

Net investment hedge
The Group uses net investment hedges to mitigate foreign currency translation exposure on certain net investments in 
subsidiary companies. Changes in the fair values of hedging instruments are taken directly to the Statement of Comprehensive 
Income together with gains or losses on the foreign currency translation of the hedged investments. Until the investment is 
disposed of, all gains and losses are recognised in equity, within the hedging reserve.

Any ineffective portion of the hedging relationship is recognised immediately in the Consolidated Statement of Profit or Loss, 
within other income/(expenses).

Cash flow hedge
The effective portion of changes in the fair value of derivatives that are designated and qualify as cash flow hedges are recognised 
in the cash flow hedge reserve within equity. The gain or loss relating to the ineffective portion is recognised immediately in the 
Consolidated Statement of Profit or Loss, within other income/(expenses). Amounts accumulated in equity are reclassified to 
finance costs within the Statement of Profit or Loss at the same time as the relating interest expense on hedged borrowings. 

When a hedging instrument expires or is sold, terminated or exercised, or the entity revokes designation of the hedge relationship 
but the hedged forecast transaction is still expected to occur, the cumulative gain or loss at that point remains in equity and is 
recognised in accordance with the above policy when the transaction occurs. If the hedged transaction is no longer expected to 
take place, the cumulative unrealised gain or loss recognised in equity is recognised in the Statement of Other Comprehensive 
Income immediately.

Impairment of financial assets
The Group measures expected credit losses using a lifetime expected loss allowance for all current trade and other receivables.

Loss allowances will be measured on either of the following bases:

i.  12-month expected credit losses (‘ECLs’) are the ECLs that result from possible default events within 12 months after the 

reporting date; and

ii. lifetime ECLs which are ECLs that result from all possible default events over the expected life of a financial instruments. 

Cineworld Group plc  
Annual Report and Accounts 2019

103

 
 
 
Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements
(forming part of the Financial Statements) continued

1. Accounting Policies continued
Impairment of financial assets continued
The expected loss rates are based on the historical payment profiles of sales during the financial year and the corresponding 
historical credit losses experienced within this period. The historical loss rates are adjusted to reflect current and forward 
looking information on macroeconomic factors affecting the ability of the customers to settle the receivables. 

The Group has identified historical losses measured against receivables to be the most relevant factors, and accordingly adjusts 
the historical loss rates based on expected changes in these factors.

Cash and cash equivalents
Cash and cash equivalents comprise cash balances, call deposits and cash amounts in transit due from credit cards which are 
settled within 7 days from the date of the reporting period. Bank overdrafts that are repayable on demand and form an integral 
part of the Group’s cash management are included as a component of cash and cash equivalents for the purpose only of the 
Statement of Cash Flows.

Leases
The Group’s leases predominantly relate to property leases for each cinema site, however the Group’s lease portfolio also includes 
other assets such as motor vehicles. Rental contracts are typically made for fixed periods of on average 15 years but may have 
extension options. Lease terms are negotiated on an individual basis and contain a wide range of different terms and conditions. 

In 2018, leases of property, plant and equipment were classified as either finance or operating leases. Payments made under 
operating leases (net of any incentives received from the lessor) were charged to the Consolidated Statement of Profit or Loss on a 
straight-line basis over the period of the lease. 

From 1 January 2019, on adoption of IFRS 16 “Leases” leases are recognised as a right-of-use asset and a corresponding 
liability at the date at which the leased asset is available for use by the Group in the Consolidated Statement of Financials 
Position. In adopting IFRS 16 “Leases”, the Group applied the modified retrospective approach and has not restated 
comparatives for 2018. Each lease payment is allocated between the liability and finance cost. The finance cost is charged 
to the Consolidated Statement of Profit or Loss over the lease period so as to produce a constant periodic rate of interest 
on the remaining balance of the liability for each period. Both principal and finance cost elements of lease payments  
are recognised within financing cash flows within the Consolidated Statement of Cash Flows. The depreciation charge 
recognised on the right-of-use assets is being charged to administration expenses in the Group’s Statement of Profit and 
Loss, in-line with where depreciation has previously been recorded. 

Liabilities arising from leases are initially measured on a present value basis. Lease liabilities include the net present value of the 
following lease payments: 

 − fixed payments (including in-substance fixed payments), less any lease incentives receivable; 

 − variable lease payments that are based on an index or a rate; 

 − the exercise price of a purchase option if the lessee is reasonably certain to exercise that option; and, 

 − payments of penalties for terminating the lease, if the lease term reflects the lessee exercising that option.

The lease payments are discounted using the lessee’s incremental borrowing rate being the rate that the lessee would have 
to pay to borrow the funds necessary to obtain an asset of similar value in a similar economic environment with similar terms 
and conditions. 

To determine the incremental borrowing rate, the Group: 

 − uses a build-up approach that starts with a risk-free interest rate adjusted for credit risk for leases held by the Group, which does 

not have recent third party financing, and 

 − makes adjustments specific to the lease conditions. 

Right-of-use assets are measured at cost comprising the following: 

 − the amount of the initial measurement of lease liability;

 − any lease payments made at or before the commencement date less any lease incentives received; and 

 − any initial direct costs. 

Right-of-use assets are generally depreciated over the shorter of the asset’s useful life and the lease term on a straight-line basis. 
If the Group is reasonably certain to exercise a purchase option, the right-of-use asset is depreciated over the underlying asset’s 
useful life. 

Payments associated with short-term leases and leases of low-value assets are recognised on a straight-line basis as an expense 
in the Consolidated Statement of Profit or Loss. Short-term leases are leases with a lease term of 12 months or less or leases on 
adoption date which has a lease term of 12 months or less. Low-value assets comprise IT-equipment and small items of office and 
cinema equipment. 

104

Cineworld Group plc 
Annual Report and Accounts 2019

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1. Accounting Policies continued
Leases continued
The Group is exposed to potential future increases in variable lease payments based on an index or rate, which are not included in 
the lease liability until they take effect. When adjustments to lease payments based on an index or rate take effect, the lease liability 
is reassessed and adjusted against the right-of-use asset. 

Landlord contributions
Where the Group receives contributions and incentives from landlords at the start of the lease, these are recorded against the 
right-of-use asset. 

Prior to the adoption of IFRS 16 on 1 January 2019 the Group recorded contributions and incentives received from landlords as 
liabilities and amortised the balance against the rent expense recorded in the Consolidated Statement of Profit or Loss over the 
initial term of the lease.

Sub-leases
The Group applies IFRS 16 to all leases of right of use assets in sub-leases. The Group classifies the sub-lease as a finance lease or 
an operating lease with reference to the right of use asset arising from the head lease. The Group treats the right of use asset as the 
underlying asset in the sub-lease, not the item of property, plant and equipment that it leases from the head lessor. 

For sub leases classified as operating leases, rental income will continue to be recognised in the Consolidated Statement of Profit or 
Loss in the period to which it relates.

For sub leases classified as finance leases, the Group will recognise an asset classified as net investment in a sub-lease. The Group 
uses the discount rate it uses for the head lease, adjusted for any initial direct costs associated with the sub-lease to account for the 
sub-lease.

During the term of the sub-lease, the Group recognises both interest income on the sub-lease and interest expense on the head lease. 

Prior to adoption of IFRS 16 on 1 January 2019 the Group recognised all income generated from sub leases within rental income.

Variable lease payments
Some property leases contain variable payment terms that are linked to sales generated from a particular cinema site. For individual 
sites, up to 4% of lease payments are on the basis of variable payment terms with percentages ranging from 4% to 18% of sales. 
Variable payment terms are used for a variety of reasons, including minimising the fixed costs base for newly established sites. 
Variable lease payments that depend on sales are recognised in cost of sales within the Consolidated Statement of Profit or Loss in 
the period in which the condition that triggers those payments occurs. 

Extension and termination options
Extension and termination options are included in a number of property and equipment leases across the Group. These are 
used to maximise operational flexibility in terms of managing the assets used in the Group’s operations. The majority of 
extension and termination options held are exercisable only by the Group and not by the respective lessor. We have identified 
the inclusion of extensions and termination options within the lease term as a significant judgement. Refer to significant 
accounting estimates and uncertainties section of the accounting policies for further details. 

Sale and leaseback
In a sale-and-leaseback transaction the Group transfers an underlying asset to another entity and leases that asset back from 
the buyer-lessor. If a sale is deemed to have taken place, the Group derecognises the underlying asset and applies the lessee 
accounting model to the leaseback arrangement. A right-of-use asset is recognised based on the retained portion of the 
previous carrying amount of the asset and only the gain or loss is recognised related to the rights which are transferred to the 
lessor. If a sale has not been deemed to have taken place, the Group continues to recognise the underlying asset and recognise 
a financial liability. 

Property, plant and equipment
Property, plant and equipment is stated at cost less accumulated depreciation and impairment losses.

Depreciation is charged to the Consolidated Statement of Profit or Loss to write assets down to their residual values on a 
straight-line basis within operating expenses over the estimated useful lives of each part of an item of property, plant and 
equipment. The estimated useful lives are as follows:

 − Land and buildings: freehold properties 
 − Land and buildings: long leasehold properties including leasehold improvements 
 − Land and buildings: short leasehold properties including leasehold improvements 
 − Plant and machinery 
 − Fixtures and fittings 

20 to 50 years
Life of lease
30 years or life of lease if shorter
3 to 20 years
3 to 20 years

No depreciation is provided on land, assets held for sale or assets in the course of construction.

Where parts of an item of property, plant and equipment have different useful lives, they are accounted for as separate items of 
property, plant and equipment. Depreciation methods, residual values and the useful lives of all assets are reassessed annually.

Cineworld Group plc  
Annual Report and Accounts 2019

105

 
 
 
Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements
(forming part of the Financial Statements) continued

1. Accounting Policies continued
Goodwill and other intangible assets
Identifiable intangibles are those which can be sold separately or which arise from legal rights regardless of whether those 
rights are separable.

Goodwill is stated at cost less any accumulated impairment losses. Goodwill is allocated to CGUs and is not amortised but is 
tested annually for impairment.

Other intangible assets that are acquired by the Group are stated at cost less accumulated amortisation and impairment losses.

Distribution rights that are acquired by the Group are stated at cost less accumulated amortisation and impairment losses.

Amortisation is charged to the Consolidated Statement of Profit or Loss on a straight-line basis over the estimated useful lives 
of intangible assets unless such lives are indefinite. Intangible assets with an indefinite useful life and goodwill are systematically 
tested for impairment at each Statement of Financial Position date. 

Other intangible assets are amortised from the date they are available for use. Distribution rights are amortised by film title from 
the date of release of the film, at 50% in the first year of release and 25% in each of the two subsequent years. The estimated 
useful lives are as follows:

 − Brands  
 − Distribution rights 
 − Other intangibles 

10 years to indefinite life
3 years
4 to 10 years

Assets held for sale
Non-current assets, or disposal groups are classified as held for sale if its carrying amount will be recovered principally through 
sale rather than through continuing use, it is available for immediate sale and sale is highly probable within one year.

On initial classification as held for sale, assets and disposal groups are measured at the lower of previous carrying amount and 
fair value less costs to sell with any adjustments taken to the Consolidated Statement of Profit or Loss. The same applies to 
gains and losses on subsequent remeasurement although gains are not recognised in excess of any cumulative impairment 
loss. Any impairment loss on a disposal group is first allocated to goodwill, and then to remaining assets and liabilities on a 
pro-rata basis, except that no loss is allocated to inventories, financial assets, deferred tax assets, employee benefit assets and 
investment property, which continue to be measured in accordance with the Group’s accounting policies. Intangible assets and 
property, plant and equipment once classified as held for sale or distribution are not amortised or depreciated.

Inventories
Inventories are stated at the lower of cost and net realisable value. The cost of inventories is based on the First-In, First-Out 
(‘FIFO’) principle. Cost comprises expenditure incurred in acquiring the inventories and bringing them to their existing location 
and condition, and net realisable value is the estimated selling price in the ordinary course of business, less the estimated 
selling costs.

Impairment
The carrying amounts of the Group’s assets are reviewed at each Statement of Financial Position date to determine whether 
there is any indication of impairment. If any such indication exists, the asset’s recoverable amount is estimated. For goodwill 
assets that have an indefinite useful economic life, the recoverable amount is estimated at each Statement of Financial 
Position date.

An impairment loss is recognised whenever the carrying amount of an asset or its cash-generating-unit (‘CGU’) exceeds its 
recoverable amount. Impairment losses are recognised in the Consolidated Statement of Profit or Loss.

Impairment losses recognised in respect of CGUs are allocated first to reduce the carrying amount of any goodwill allocated 
to CGUs and then to reduce the carrying amount of the other intangible assets in the unit on a pro-rata basis. A CGU is the 
smallest identifiable group of assets that generates cash inflows that are largely independent of the cash inflows from other 
assets or groups of assets.

Where individual sites’ cash inflows are determined not to operate independently from one another, mainly due to strategic or 
managerial decisions being made across more than one site, they may be combined into a single CGU.

Calculation of recoverable amount
The recoverable amount is the greater of the asset’s fair value less costs to sell and value in use. In assessing value in use, the 
estimated future cash flows are discounted to their present value using a pre-tax discount rate that reflects current market 
assessments of the time value of money and the risks specific to the asset. For an asset that does not generate largely 
independent cash inflows, the recoverable amount is determined for the CGU to which the asset belongs.

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1. Accounting Policies continued
Reversals of impairment
An impairment loss in respect of goodwill is not reversed. In respect of other assets, an impairment is reversed when there 
is an indication that the impairment loss may no longer exist as a result of a change in the estimates used to determine the 
recoverable amount, including a change in fair value less costs to sell. An impairment loss is reversed only to the extent that 
the asset’s carrying amount does not exceed the carrying amount that would have been determined, net of depreciation or 
amortisation, if no impairment loss had been recognised.

Employee benefits
Defined contribution pension plans
Obligations for contributions to defined contribution pension plans are recognised as an expense in the Consolidated Statement 
of Profit or Loss in the periods which services are rendered by employees.

Defined benefit pension plans
The Group’s net obligation in respect of defined benefit plans is calculated separately for each plan by estimating the amount of 
future benefit that employees have earned in the current and prior years, discounting that amount and deducting the fair value 
of any plan assets.

The calculation of defined benefit obligations is performed annually by a qualified actuary using the projected unit credit 
method. When the calculation results in a potential asset for the Group, the recognised asset is limited to the present value of 
economic benefits available in the form of any future refunds from the plan or reductions in future contributions to the plan. 
To calculate the present value of economic benefits, consideration is given to any applicable minimum funding requirements.

Remeasurement of the net defined benefit liability, which comprise actuarial gains and losses, the return on plan assets 
(excluding interest) and the effect of the asset ceiling (if any, excluding interest), are recognised immediately in the Statement 
of Other Comprehensive Income. The Group determines the net interest expense/(income) on the net defined benefit liability/
(asset) for the year by applying the discount rate used to measure the defined benefit obligation at the beginning of the annual 
year to the then-net defined benefit liability/(asset), taking into account any changes in the net defined benefit liability/(asset) 
during the year as a result of contributions and benefit payments. Net interest expense and other expenses related to defined 
benefit plans are recognised in the Consolidated Statement of Profit or Loss.

When the benefits of a plan are changed or when a plan is curtailed, the resulting change in benefit that relates to past service 
or the gain or loss on curtailment is recognised immediately in the Consolidated Statement of Profit or Loss. The Group 
recognises gains and losses on the settlement of a defined benefit plan when the settlement occurs.

Share-based payment transactions
The share option programme allows Group employees to acquire shares of the Company. The fair value of options granted is 
recognised as an employee expense with a corresponding increase in equity. The fair value is measured at grant date using 
the Black-Scholes model and spread over the period during which the employees become unconditionally entitled to the 
options. The amount recognised as an expense is adjusted to reflect the actual number of share options that vest except where 
forfeiture is due only to share prices not achieving the threshold for vesting.

Share appreciation rights are also granted by the Group to employees. The fair value of the amount payable to the employee 
is recognised as an expense with a corresponding increase in liabilities. The fair value is initially measured at grant date and 
spread over the period during which the employees become unconditionally entitled to payment. The fair value of the share 
appreciation rights is measured taking into account the terms and conditions upon which the instruments were granted.

The liability is remeasured at each Statement of Financial Position date and at settlement date and any changes in fair value 
are recognised in the Consolidated Statement of Profit or Loss.

Government Grants
Government grants are recognised initially as deferred income at fair value when there is reasonable assurance that they will be 
received and the Group will comply with the conditions associated with the grant. They are then recognised in the Consolidated 
Statement of Profit or Loss as other income on a systematic basis over the useful life of the asset to which they relate.

Provisions
A provision is recognised in the Consolidated Statement of Financial Position when the Group has a present legal or 
constructive obligation as a result of a past event, and it is probable that an outflow of economic benefits will be required to 
settle the obligation, and the amount can be reliably estimated. Provisions are measured at the present value of management’s 
best estimate of the expenditure required to settle the present obligation at the end of the reporting period. The discount rate 
used to determine the present value is a pre-tax rate that reflects current market assessments of the time value of money. 
The increase in the provision due to the passage of time is recognised as an interest expense.

Revenue
Revenue represents the total amount receivable for goods sold and services provided, excluding sales-related taxes and 
intra-group transactions. All the Group’s revenue is received from the sale of goods and services. The Group disaggregates 
revenue into three material revenue streams which are made up of the following:

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Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements
(forming part of the Financial Statements) continued

1. Accounting Policies continued
Revenue continued
Box office revenue
 − Box office revenue is recognised on the date of the showing of the film the ticket sold relates to.

 − Unlimited card revenue is received annually or monthly in advance. When revenue from the Unlimited card is received 

annually in advance it is initially recognised within deferred revenue and subsequently recognised on a straight-line basis over 
the year. Monthly Unlimited card revenue is recognised in the period to which it relates. 

Retail revenue 
 − Concessions revenue includes the sale of food and drink in the cinemas, in our VIP offerings, Starbucks sites and bars and 
restaurants. All concession revenue is recognised at the point of sale. The Group operates a licence arrangement with 
Starbucks in the UK&I operating segment. As part of the licence arrangement, the Group is required to pay to the licensor a 
licence and royalty fee which is recognised in cost of sales. 

 − The Group records proceeds from the sale of gift cards and other advanced bulk tickets in deferred revenue and recognises 
admissions or retail revenue when redeemed. Dependent on the revenue stream the gift card is redeemed against, revenue 
will either be recorded within box office revenue or retail revenue. Additionally, the Group recognises unredeemed gift cards 
and bulk tickets as other revenues based on a proportion of redemptions, which is estimated primarily based on the Group’s 
historical experience.

 − The Group operates loyalty schemes which allow members to earn rewards. The most significant of these is the Regal Crown 
Club. Members earn credits for each dollar spent at the Regal theatres and can redeem such credits for tickets, concession 
items and other rewards. To determine the amount of revenue to defer upon issuance of credits to customers, an estimate is 
made of the value expected to be redeemed by customers for those credits. The estimates are based on rewards that have 
historically been offered under the loyalty programme which are considered to be representative of rewards offered in future. 
Upon redemption, deferred rewards are recognised as revenues in line with the revenue stream they are redeemed under. 
Dependent on the revenue stream the loyalty scheme credits are redeemed against, revenue will either be recorded within 
box office or retail. 

Other revenue
Other revenue includes the following:
 − Fees are charged for advanced bookings of tickets classified as booking fee revenue. This revenue is recognised at the point 

when the tickets are purchased. 

 − Advertising revenue is recognised at the point the advertisement is shown in cinemas or the related impressions are delivered.

 − An element of advertising revenue relates to the Exhibitor Services Agreement “ESA” with National CineMedia “NCM”. 
This advanced payment was recognised within deferred revenue and is being released over the life of the agreement.

 − Distribution revenue is recognised on the date of the showing of the film it relates to for cinema distribution, for other media 

the revenue is recognised over the life of the distribution contract. 

 − Rebates – the Group receives rebates primarily from concession vendors. The rebates are either a fixed amount or a specified 

percentage based on the total purchases made from the vendor. The rebates are subject to some estimation uncertainty 
but the arrangements are not complex. Rebates are calculated and accrued monthly based on the volume of purchases. 
These rebates are either recognised as other revenues, a reduction of cost of goods sold, or a combination of the two, 
dependent on the nature of the services provided. For arrangements where the Group is providing various forms of in-
theatre, lobby or website advertising in exchange for the rebate, such rebates are accounted for as a component of other 
revenues. For arrangements under which the Group provides no material form of advertising such rebates are accounted for 
as a reduction of cost of goods sold. Total rebates recognised in the Consolidated Statement of Profit and Loss during 2019 
were $47.8m (2018: $44.5m). 

Deferred revenue
Deferred revenue primarily consists of the following: 
 − NCM Exhibitor Services Agreement (‘ESA’): Revenue generated from the NCM ESA in the US is recognised over time as rights 
to advertising services are provided. The original agreement was due to end in 2037, but was extended until 2041 as part of 
the amendments made to the ESA in 2019. As part of the business combination accounting for Regal, a fair value assessment 
of the ESA assumed contract liability was undertaken, being the Group’s obligation to perform under the acquired NCM 
advertising arrangement. This valuation was recognized within deferred revenue and the revenue is recognized on a straight-
line basis over the remaining term of the ESA. The valuation of the ESA includes a significant financing component due to the 
significant length of time between receiving the non-cash consideration and fulfilling the performance obligation. The interest 
expense is calculated using discount rates implicit within the acquisition of the Regal business. Annually, pursuant to the 
Common Unit Adjustment Agreement (‘the CUA’) the Group receives the non-cash consideration in the form of newly issued 
common units in NCM, in exchange for rights to exclusive access to the Group’s theatre screens and attendees through to 
February 2041. Any adjustments to the number of common units held goes to deferred revenue and this is recognised as 
advertising revenue on a straight-line basis over the remaining term of the ESA. Refer to revenue accounting policy for details 
on how this revenue is recognised. 

 − Revenue received from the Unlimited scheme. Refer to revenue accounting policy for details on how this revenue is recognised. 

 − Unredeemed gift cards and bulk tickets: Revenue is initially recognised in deferred revenue and subsequently recognised in 

revenue in proportion to the pattern exercised by the customer. 

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1. Accounting Policies continued
Deferred revenue continued
 − Revenue received in advance for advertising contracts.

 − Unredeemed credits on customer loyalty schemes. The deferred revenue for credits earned through the loyalty scheme is 

calculated based on the fair value of the credits earned multiplied by an expected redemption rate. The deferred revenue is 
recognised as box office or concession revenue when the credits are redeemed. 

Government grants
Government grants relating to costs are deferred and recognised in the Consolidated Statement of Profit or Loss over the 
period necessary to match them with the costs that they are intended to compensate. Government grants relating to the 
purchase of property, plant and equipment are included in non-current liabilities as deferred revenue and they are credited to 
the Consolidated Statement of Profit or Loss on a straight-line basis over the expected lives of the related assets.

Other operating income
Other income represents rent receivable from sub leases classified as operating leases (as described in the leases accounting 
policy). Rental income is recognised on a straight-line basis over the life of the lease.

Net financing costs
Net financing costs comprise interest payable and receivable, amortisation of financing costs, interest expense on lease 
liabilities, unwind of discount on long-term deferred income, unwind of discount on long-term receivables, net gain/loss on 
remeasurement of financial instruments, foreign exchange gains and losses.

Taxation
Tax on the profit or loss for the year comprises current and deferred tax. Tax is recognised in the Consolidated Statement of 
Profit or Loss and Comprehensive Income except to the extent that it relates to items recognised directly in equity, in which 
case it is recognised in equity.

Current tax is the expected tax payable on the taxable income for the year, using tax rates enacted or substantively enacted at 
the Statement of Financial Position date, and any adjustment to tax payable in respect of previous years.

Deferred tax is recognised using the Statement of Financial Position method, providing temporary differences between 
the carrying amounts of assets and liabilities for financial reporting purposes and the amounts used for taxation purposes. 
The following temporary differences are not provided for: the initial recognition of goodwill; the initial recognition of assets 
or liabilities that affect neither accounting nor taxable profit other than in a business combination; and differences relating to 
investments in subsidiaries to the extent that they will probably not reverse in the foreseeable future. The amount of deferred 
tax provided is based on the expected manner of realisation or settlement of the carrying amount of assets and liabilities, using 
tax rates enacted or substantively enacted at the Consolidated Statement of Financial Position date.

A deferred tax asset is recognised only to the extent that it is probable that future taxable profits will be available against which 
the asset can be utilised.

Operating segments
An operating segment is a component of the Group that engages in business activities from which it may earn revenues 
and incur expenses, including revenues and expenses that relate to transactions with any of the Group’s other components. 
An operating segment’s operating results are reviewed regularly by the Board of Directors to make decisions about resources 
to be allocated to the segment and assess its performance, and for which discrete financial information is available.

Reporting Segments
Reportable segments are the Group’s operating segments or aggregations of operating segments. 

Significant accounting judgements and estimates
The preparation of financial statements requires management to make judgements, estimates and assumptions that affect the 
application of accounting policies and the reported amounts of assets, liabilities, income and expenses. Actual results may differ 
from these estimates.

Judgements and estimates made by the Directors in the application of these accounting policies that have significant effect on 
the Consolidated Financial Statements and estimates with a significant risk of material adjustment in the next financial year are 
set out below.

Judgements
The key judgements are:

Lease term
IFRS 16, “Leases” defines the lease term as the non-cancellable period of a lease together with the options to extend or terminate 
a lease, if the lessee were reasonably certain to exercise that option. Where a lease includes the option for the Group to extend 
the lease term, beyond the non-cancellable period, the Group makes a judgement as to whether it is reasonably certain that the 
option will be taken. This will take into account the length of time remaining before the option is exercisable; current and future 
trading forecast as to the ongoing profitability of the site; and the level and type of planned future capital investment. 

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Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements
(forming part of the Financial Statements) continued

1. Accounting Policies continued
Judgements continued
Lease term continued
Extension options (or periods after termination options) are only included in the lease term if the lease is reasonably certain to 
be extended (or not terminated). Therefore potential future cash outflows have not been included in the lease liability where 
it is not reasonably certain the extension periods will be taken or that the leases will be extended on similar terms (or not 
terminated). The assessment is reviewed if a significant event or a significant change in circumstances occurs which affects this 
assessment and that is within the control of the lessee. Refer to Note 21 which quantifies the impact on lease liability should the 
lease term include extension or termination options. 

Classification of Joint Arrangements
When the Group acquires an interest in a joint arrangement it is required to assess the type of joint arrangement (that is, 
joint operation or joint venture) where the arrangement is structured through a separate vehicle, in accordance with IFRS 11. 
This assessment includes whether or not, together with the other parties involved, the Group has joint rights to the assets, and 
obligations for the liabilities of the arrangement. 

As part of its acquisition of Regal the Group acquired a significant share in Digital Cinema Implementation Partners (‘DCIP’), 
a joint arrangement with other US exhibitors set up to collect and administrate Virtual Print Fee (‘VPF’) income received from 
studios to compensate exhibitors for their investment in digital projection equipment. Through long term leasing arrangements 
with DCIP, the exhibitors retain control over the projection equipment it has acquired. In addition, the Group determined that 
under the terms of the leasing arrangements and the associated minimum rental charges expected to be made, it has a joint 
obligation for the debt taken out by DCIP to finance the acquisition of the projection equipment. The Group concluded that, 
with joint control over these, the material assets and liabilities of DCIP, it should classified as a joint operation. Details of the 
DCIPs financial performance and position can be found in Note 15.

Estimates
Estimates and underlying assumptions are reviewed on an ongoing basis. Revisions to accounting estimates are recognised in 
the year in which the estimate is revised and in any future years affected.

In applying the Group’s accounting policies described above the Directors have identified that the following areas are the key 
estimates that could have a significant impact on the amounts recognised in the Consolidated Financial Statements in the next 
financial year.

Impairment of goodwill
The Group determines whether goodwill is impaired on at least an annual basis. This requires an estimate of the value in use 
of the cash generating unit “CGU’s” to which the goodwill is allocated. To estimate the value in use, the Group estimates the 
expected future cash flows from the CGU and discounts them to their present value at a determined discount rate, which is 
appropriate for the country where the goodwill is allocated to.

Forecasting expected cash flows and selecting an appropriate discount rate inherently requires estimation. A sensitivity 
analysis has been performed over the estimates (see Note 13). The resulting calculation is sensitive to the assumptions in 
respect of future cash flows and the discount rate applied. The Directors consider that the assumptions made represent their 
best estimate of the future cash flows generated by the CGUs, and that the discount rate used is appropriate given the risks 
associated with the specific cash flows. Although based on the sensitivity analysis performed there is no impairment charge to 
goodwill, it is considered appropriate to disclose this as an area of significant estimation due to the size of the balance and the 
fact that it could change as a result of future events.

Impairment of property, plant and equipment and right-of-use-assets
The Group determines whether property, plant and equipment and right-of-use-assets are impaired when indicators of 
impairments exist or based on the annual impairment assessment. The annual assessment requires an estimate of the value 
in use of the CGUs to which the tangible fixed assets are allocated, which is predominantly at the individual cinema site 
level. Where individual site’s cash flows are not determined to be independent from one another, mainly due to strategic or 
managerial decisions being made across more than one site, they may be combined into a single CGU.

Estimating the value in use requires the Group to make an estimate of the expected future cash flows from each cinema 
and discount these to their net present value at a discount rate which is appropriate for the territory where the assets are 
held. The resulting calculation is sensitive to the assumptions in respect of future cash flows and the discount rate applied. 
The Directors consider that the assumptions made represent their best estimate of the future cash flows generated by the 
CGUs and that the discount rates used are appropriate given the risks associated with the specific cash flows. A sensitivity 
analysis has been performed over the estimates (see Note 12).

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1. Accounting Policies continued
Estimates continued
Forecasting expected cash flows and selecting an appropriate discount rate inherently requires estimation. A sensitivity analysis 
has been performed over the estimates (see Note 12). The resulting calculation is sensitive to the assumptions in respect of 
future cash flows and the discount rate applied. The Directors consider that the key assumptions made within the cash flow 
forecasts include admissions levels, average ticket price, concession spend per person,and discount rates. The Directors 
consider that the assumptions made represent their best estimate of the future cash flows generated by the CGUs, and that 
the discount rate used is appropriate given the risks associated with the specific cash flows. Based on the sensitivity analysis 
performed, there would be additional impairment, refer to Note 12 for full details. Therefore it is considered appropriate to 
disclose this as an area of significant estimation due to the size of the balance and the fact that it could change as a result of 
future events.

A number of new or amended standards became applicable for the current reporting period. The following standards have 
been adopted by the Group in the year

 − IFRIC 23 “Uncertainty over Income Tax Treatments” 

 − IFRS 16 “Leases” 

 − Amendment to IFRS 9: “Prepayment features with negative compensation”

The Group has changed its accounting policies as a result of adopting IFRS 16 “Leases”. The impact of the adoption of the 
standard and the new accounting policies are disclosed in Note 2. The other standards did not have a material impact on the 
Group’s accounting policies and did not result in retrospective adjustments being made. 

Forthcoming requirements
The following new accounting standards and interpretations have been published that are not mandatory for 31 December 2019 
reporting periods and have not been early adopted by the Group:

Title

Key requirements

Definition of Material 
– Amendments to 
IAS 1 and IAS 8

Definition of a 
Business –
Amendments to 
IFRS 3

The IASB has made amendments to IAS 1 “Presentation of Financial Statements” 
and IAS 8 “Accounting Policies, Changes in Accounting Estimates and Errors” 
which use a consistent definition of materiality throughout International Financial 
Reporting Standards and the Conceptual Framework for Financial Reporting, 
clarify when information is material and incorporate some of the guidance in IAS 
1 about immaterial information. In particular, the amendments clarify:

 − that the reference to obscuring information addresses situations in which the 
effect is similar to omitting or misstating that information, and that an entity 
assesses materiality in the context of the financial statements as a whole, and

 − the meaning of ‘primary users of general purpose financial statements’ to 

whom those financial statements are directed, by defining them as ‘existing 
and potential investors, lenders and other creditors’ that must rely on general 
purpose financial statements for much of the financial information they need.

The amended definition of a business requires an acquisition to include an input 
and a substantive process that together significantly contribute to the ability 
to create outputs. The definition of the term ‘outputs’ is amended to focus on 
goods and services provided to customers, generating investment income 
and other income, and it excludes returns in the form of lower costs and other 
economic benefits. 

Effective date

1 January 2020

1 January 2020

These standards and others not yet effective are not expected to have a material impact on the Group in the current or future 
reporting periods and on foreseeable future transactions. 

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Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements
(forming part of the Financial Statements) continued

2. Changes in accounting policies
This note explains the impact of the adoption of IFRS 16 “Leases” on the Group’s Financial Statements. Refer to Note 1 for 
disclosures on the new accounting policies that have been applied from 1 January 2019. The Group has adopted “IFRS 16”, 
applying the modified retrospective approach, and has not restated comparatives for 2018, as permitted under the specific 
transitional provisions in the standard. The reclassifications and the adjustments arising from the new leasing rules are therefore 
recognised in the opening Consolidated Statement of Financial Position on 1 January 2019.

Adjustments recognised on adoption of IFRS 16 
On adoption of IFRS 16 “Leases”, the Group recognised lease liabilities in relation to leases which had previously been 
classified as “operating leases” under the principles of IAS 17 “Leases”. These liabilities were measured at the present value of 
the remaining lease payments, discounted using the lessee’s asset specific incremental borrowing rate as of 1 January 2019. 
The weighted average lessee’s incremental borrowing rate applied to the property lease liabilities on 1 January 2019 was 8.0% 
and 4.5% for other leases. 

For leases previously classified as finance leases the entity recognised the carrying amount of the lease asset and lease liability 
immediately before transition as the carrying amount of the right-of-use asset and the lease liability at the date of initial 
application. The measurement principles of IFRS 16 are only applied after that date. 

Operating lease commitments disclosed as at 31 December 2018
Less discounting using the lessee’s incremental borrowing rate of at the date of initial application(1)
Less short-term leases recognised on a straight-line basis as expense 
Less adjustments as a result of a different treatment of extension and termination options(2)
Plus other lease commitments 

Plus existing finance lease liability at 31 December 2018(3)

Lease liability recognised as at 1 January 2019 

Of which are: 
Current lease liabilities 
Non-current lease liabilities 

$m

5,373.4
(1,805.4)
(13.2)
(160.7)
2.2

100.5

3,496.8

527.9
2,968.9

(1) 

 The disclosed lease commitments were undiscounted, whilst the IFRS 16 obligations have been discounted based on incremental borrowing rates 
applied to property leases. 

(2)   Under IFRS 16 the Group’s policy is to only include periods covered by options to extend or terminate the lease where the Group is reasonably certain 

that such options will be exercised. 

(3)   Under the transitional rules in IFRS 16, leases classified as finance lease under IAS 17 have not been reassessed. This reconciling item represents those 

leases classified as finance leases under IAS 17 on transition. 

The associated right-of-use assets for property leases were measured as: 

 − their carrying amount as if IFRS 16 had been applied since the lease commencement date, discounted by the incremental 

borrowing rate applied to property leases as at 1 January 2019; and

 − previous onerous lease contracts have been offset on a lease by lease basis, for certain leases, against the right-of-use assets 

at the date of initial application as an alternative to performing an impairment review. 

The associated right-of-use assets for vehicle leases were measured as an amount equal to the lease liability.

The asset and liability are sensitive to the discount rate applied on adoption. The incremental borrowing rates applied to 
property leases ranged between 2.6% and 11.7%. The asset specific incremental borrowing rate applied to each lease was 
determined by taking into account the risk-free rate, adjusted for factors such as the credit rating linked to the life of the 
underlying lease agreement. These rates are intended to be long term in nature and calculated on inception of each lease. 

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2. Changes in accounting policies continued
Adjustments recognised on adoption of IFRS 16 continued
The recognised right-of-use assets relate to property and other asset classes.

Properties
Other

Total right-of-use assets

31 December 
2019 
$m

3,439.1
2.1

3,441.2

1 January 
2019 
$m

2,937.4
3.7

2,941.1

The change in accounting policy affected the following items in the Consolidated Statement of Financial Position on 
1 January 2019: 

 − property, plant and equipment – decrease by $96.5m

 − right-of-use assets – increase by $2,941.1m

 − deferred tax assets – increase by $40.9m

 − prepayments – decrease by $20.2m 

 − other receivables (including land lease premiums) – decrease by $141.5m 

 − lease liabilities – increase by $3,396.3m

 − provisions – decrease by $325.4m

 − other liabilities – decrease by $173.8m

The impact on total assets was $2,723.8m and total liabilities $2,897.1m. The net impact on retained earnings on 1 January 2019 
was a net decrease of $173.3m, which includes $17.7m of impairments. 

The net impact on retained earnings as reported in the Group’s Interim Consolidated Financial Statements at 30 June 2019 
was $73.1m. The impact on total assets previously reported was $2,776.8m and total liabilities was $2,849.9m. This has been 
amended following the identification of the further information regarding specific property leases and the revision of the 
associated tax rate to be in-line with the expected recovery. 

The adoption of IFRS 16 for the year ended 31 December 2019 resulted in an increase in depreciation of $381.5m and finance 
costs of $298.5m. 

Practical expedients applied
In applying IFRS 16 for the first time, the Group has used the following practical expedients permitted by the standard: 

 − the use of a single discount rate to a portfolio of leases with reasonably similar characteristics; 

 − reliance on previous assessments on whether leases are onerous, on a lease by lease basis; 

 − the accounting for operating leases with a remaining lease term of less than 12 months as at 1 January 2019 as short-term 

leases. The Group has also applied the recognition exemption for short-term leases; 

 − the accounting for operating leases with a value of $5,000 of less when new as low value leases;

 − on a lease by lease basis for certain leases adjust the right-of-use asset on transition by the amount of any previously 

recognised onerous lease provision, as an alternative to performing an impairment review;

 − the exclusion of initial direct costs for the measurement of the right-of-use asset at the date of initial application; and 

 − the use of hindsight in determining the lease term where the contract contains options to extend or terminate the lease. 

The Group has also elected not to reassess whether a contract is, or contains a lease at the date of initial application. Instead, 
for contracts entered into before the transition date the Group relied on its assessment made applying IAS 17 and IFRIC 4 
“Determining whether an Arrangement contains a Lease”.

3. Alternative performance measures
The Group uses a number of Alternative Performance Measures (‘APMs’) in addition to those measures reported in accordance 
with IFRS. Such APMs are not defined terms under IFRS and are not intended to be a substitute for any IFRS measure. 
The Directors believe that the APMs are important when assessing the underlying financial and operating performance of 
the Group. The APMs improve the comparability of information between reporting periods by adjusting for factors such as 
fluctuations in foreign exchange rates, one off items and the timing of acquisitions. 

The APMs are used internally in the management of the Group’s business performance, budgeting and forecasting, and 
for determining Executive Directors’ remuneration and that of other management throughout the business. The APMs 
are also presented externally to meet investors’ requirements for further clarity and transparency of the Group’s financial 
performance. Where items of profits or costs are being excluded in an APM, these are included elsewhere in our reported 
financial information as they represent actual income or costs of the Group, except where amounts are recalculated to reflect 
constant currency. 

Cineworld Group plc  
Annual Report and Accounts 2019

113

 
 
 
Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements
(forming part of the Financial Statements) continued

3. Alternative performance measures continued
Other commentary within the Annual Report and Accounts (CFO report page 36 to 41, should be referred to in order to fully 
appreciate all the factors that affect our business. 

The methodology applied to calculating the APMs has been impacted by the transition to IFRS 16. Adjusted EBITDAR is defined 
as EBITDAR excluding rental charges. Following the Group’s transition to IFRS 16, Adjusted EBITDAR is no longer used as an 
APM, having previously been used in CGU cash flow forecasts.

The Group’s APMs including changes from prior years are detailed as follows: 

Constant Currency
The Group measures revenue on both a reported and a constant currency basis. For the constant currency basis the Group re-
translates the comparative financial information at the current year average exchange rates to eliminate the effect of exchange 
rate translation differences when comparing information year on year.

Pro-forma results
Pro-forma results reflect the Group and US performance had Regal been consolidated for the full twelve months in 2018. 
Regal’s previously reported results for the two months to 28 February 2018 have been converted to IFRS and the impact of 
acquisition fair value adjustments has been based on the adjustments made for the final 10 months of 2018, pro-rated over the 
length of each period.

2018

Pro-forma 
Adjustments
$m

Adjustments 
for Acquisition 
Accounting
$m

368.4

167.8
51.1

587.3

141.0

–

–
5.0

5.0

6.0

Statutory 
Results
$m

2,496.6

1,145.2
477.3

4,119.1

925.4

Pro-forma 
results
$m

2,865.0

1,313.0
533.4

4,711.4

1,072.4

Constant 
Currency 
Adjustments 
$m

(34.3)

(13.9)
(6.2)

(54.4)

–

Pro-forma 
Constant 
Currency 
Results
$m

2,830.7

1,299.1
527.2

4,657.0

–

Box office revenue
Concession 
revenue
Other income

Total Revenue

Adjusted EBITDA

Adjusted EBITDA
Adjusted EBITDA is defined as operating profit adjusted for profits of jointly controlled entities using the equity accounting 
method net of tax and excess cash distributions, depreciation and amortisation, impairments of property, plant and equipment 
and right-of-use assets, property related charges and releases, business interruption costs, share based payment charges and 
exceptional items.

Business interruption costs have not previously been included as an adjusting item. With the US refurbishment programme 
commencing in full during 2019 it is deemed appropriate to exclude a proportion of specific fixed costs incurred while the site is 
undergoing refurbishment. 

The following items are adjusted for within the Group’s Adjusted EBITDA APM as they are non-cash items: depreciation and 
amortisation, impairment of property, plant and equipment and right-of-use assets, property related charges and releases and 
share based payment charges. 

The share of profit of jointly controlled entities and the excess cash distributions from joint controlled entities are included 
within Adjusted EBITDA as these items are cash items outside of operating profit. 

Adjusted Profit 
Adjusted profit before tax is defined as profit before tax adjusted for amortisation of intangible asset created on acquisition, 
excess cash distributions from jointly controlled entities, impairments of property, plant and equipment and right-of-use assets, 
property related charges and releases, business interruption costs, share based payment charges, exceptional operating items, 
exceptional financing items and exceptional tax items.

Adjusted profit after tax is arrived at by applying an effective tax rate to the taxable adjustments and deducting the total from 
adjusted profit. 

During the year the Group has changed its policy regarding the Adjusted Earnings Per Share calculation. One-off tax items are 
now considered and adjusted from the calculation and the 2018 calculation has been restated accordingly.

114

Cineworld Group plc 
Annual Report and Accounts 2019

3. Alternative performance measures continued
Adjusted Profit continued
The Adjusted EBITDA and Adjusted Profit reconciliation to statutory Operating Profit are presented as follows:

Operating Profit

Depreciation and amortisation
Share of profit of jointly controlled entity using equity accounting method net of tax
Excess cash distributions from jointly controlled entities
Impairment of property, plant and equipment and right-of-use assets
Business interruption
Property related charges and releases
Share-based payment charges
Operating Exceptional items:
– Transaction and reorganisation costs

– One-time write off of other current assets

– Gain on sale and leaseback transaction

– Legal costs in respect of acquisition

Adjusted EBITDA

Depreciation and amortization

Amortisation of intangibles created on acquisition

Net Finance Costs

Movement on financial derivatives

Foreign exchange translation gains and losses

Recycle of net investment hedge

Financing exceptional items:

Accelerated amortisation of capitalised finance fees

Adjusted Profit before Tax

Tax charge

Tax impact of adjustments

Exceptional tax items

Adjusted Profit after Tax

Year ended 
31 December 
2019
$m

Restated
Year ended 
31 December 
2018
$m

724.7

729.8
29.3
20.3
46.9
6.3
5.3
4.9

10.7

13.2

(17.5)

6.4

1,580.3

(729.8)

27.8

(541.7)

(2.2)

5.9

–

15.1

355.4

(32.0)

(30.4)

– 

293.0

492.9

320.5
27.4
4.8
18.3
–
(0.5)
3.2

56.0

–

–

2.8

925.4

(320.5)

25.0

(171.3)

–

(45.1)

3.5

–

417.0

(64.7)

(7.0)

(19.4)

325.9

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Excess cash distributions from jointly controlled entities
The Group receives cash distributions over and above the level of profit recognised in equity accounting for it’s joint ventures, 
this is a recurring cash amount. Joint venture earnings recognised and distributions received are disclosed in Note 14.

Impairment of property, plant and equipment and right-of-use assets
Disclosure in respect of these impairment charges can be found in Note 12. 

Business interruption
The Group incurred expenses of $6.3m (2018: $nil) during the period in relation to sites which were closed or partially closed 
during the year for refurbishment or were under construction. 

Property related charges and releases 
The loss of $5.3m related to the closure of 16 theatres in the US and one in ROW. In 2018, there was a $1.0m loss on disposals 
and an onerous release of $1.5m . Of the loss on disposal recognised in 2018 $0.6m is from the disposal of assets within the US 
and $0.4m from the ROW.

Cineworld Group plc  
Annual Report and Accounts 2019

115

 
 
 
Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements
(forming part of the Financial Statements) continued

3. Alternative performance measures continued
Operating exceptional items
The following operating exceptional items were recognised during the year:

– A gain of $17.5m in relation to the two sale and leaseback transaction outlined within Note 21. 

 − A one off charge of $13.2m in respect of plastic cards acquired for resale as gift cards, that were no longer considered 

recoverable and should have been adjusted at the time of the purchase price allocation but was not material to restate the 
prior period. 

 − Legal costs of $6.4m (2018: $2.8m) were incurred in relation to the Regal dissenting shareholder legal case. 

 − Transaction and reorganisation costs of $10.7m were incurred in 2019 of which $4.3m relates to the proposed Cineplex 

acquisition and $6.4m reorganisation costs. Transaction costs of $52.1m were recognised in 2018 in relation to the acquisition 
of Regal.

Accelerated amortisation of capitalised finance fees
These costs represent the accelerated amortisation of capitalised finance fees following the partial settlement of the Group’s 
term loans during the year and the minor refinancing undertaken as detailed in Note 1. 

Movement on financial derivatives
The Group has recognised gains or losses on three financial derivatives during the year. A gain of $10.4m and a loss of $4.5m 
have been recognised respectively on a contingent forward contract and contingent cross currency swap entered into to hedge 
certain expected transaction flows linked to the proposed acquisition of Cineplex. A further loss $3.7m was incurred on a short 
term forward contract entered into as part of the minor financing restructure.

Foreign exchange translation gains and losses
Gains and losses arise due to movements on foreign exchange in respect of the Group’s unhedged Euro denominated term 
loan. These gains and losses are excluded from Adjusted Profit Before Tax.

Recycle of the net investment hedge
In 2018 the Group terminated a hedge relationship on a net investment hedge held between the Euro denominated term loan 
and the assets of a Euro trading subsidiary. 

Net debt
Net Debt is defined as total liabilities from financing net of cash at bank and in hand. A reconciliation of movements in Net Debt 
is provided in Note 20.

Adjusted net debt 
Adjusted Net Debt is defined as Net Debt excluding lease liabilities and including the $202.0m in respect of consideration 
payable to dissenting shareholders of Regal Entertainment Group. The $202.0m represents the price of $23.0 per share, the 
transaction price for Regal. Management’s view is that the petitioners’ claim is without merit and that the fair value for the 
transaction is no higher than the transaction price.

116

Cineworld Group plc 
Annual Report and Accounts 2019

4. Operating Segments
The Group has determined that it has two reporting operating segments: the US and the UK&I. The Group also reports a third 
segment, the ROW, which includes the cinema chain brands Cinema City in Central and Eastern Europe territories and Yes 
Planet and Rav-Chen in Israel. The ROW reporting segment include Poland, Romania, Hungary, Czech Republic, Bulgaria, 
Slovakia and Israel. The results for the US include the three cinema chain brands; Regal, United Artists and Edwards theatres. 
UK&I includes two cinema chain brands, Cineworld and Picturehouse, which operate in the same territory with the same 
external regulatory environment and ultimately provide the same services and products. On this basis it is deemed appropriate 
that these two segments can be aggregated and reported as one reporting segment for the UK&I.

Year ended 31 December 2019
Total revenues
Adjusted EBITDA as defined in Note 3
Operating profit
Net finance expense
Depreciation and amortisation 
Impairment of property, plant and equipment and right-of-use assets
Share of profit from jointly controlled entities using equity accounting  
method net of tax

Profit / (loss) before tax

Non-current asset additions – property, plant and equipment (Note 12)
Non-current asset additions – intangible assets (Note 13)
Investment in equity accounted investee (Note 14)

Total assets

Total liabilities

Year ended 31 December 2018
Total revenues
Adjusted EBITDA as defined in Note 3
Operating profit
Net finance expense
Depreciation and amortisation 
Onerous leases and other charges
Impairments and reversals of impairments
Share of profit from jointly controlled entities using equity accounting  
method net of tax

Profit / (loss) before tax

Non-current asset additions – property, plant and equipment(1) (Note 12)
Non-current asset additions – intangible assets(1) (Note 13)
Non-current asset additions – Goodwill (Note 13)
Investment in equity accounted investee (Note 14)

Total assets

Total liabilities

(1) 

Includes additions through acquisition.

US 
$m

UK&I
$m

ROW 
$m

Total 
$m

 3,209.6 
 1,197.1 
 535.5
 442.7 
 558.2 
 40.5

29.6

122.6

328.8
 – 
 298.8 

 648.4 
 192.2 
 65.0 
 85.0 
 92.5 
 5.3 

 – 

(5.0)

120.4
 1.7 
 0.9 

 511.7 
 191.0 
124.2 
 14.0 
 79.1 
 1.1 

 (0.3)

94.7

34.4
 3.6 
 0.5 

 4,369.7 
 1,580.3 
 724.7 
 541.7 
 729.8 
 46.9 

 29.3 

212.3

483.6
 5.3 
 300.2 

 9,801.0

 1,381.0

 1,268.5 

 12,450.5

7,999.4

1,134.1

379.3

 9,512.8 

2,933.1
670.4
415.4
165.3
223.8
(5.5)
–

27.6

288.5

2,009.7
506.0
4,302.8
307.1

697.7
125.9
10.8
5.4
47.9
4.0
7.1

(0.1)

(5.3)

66.5
1.3
323.0
0.8

488.3
129.1
66.7
0.6
48.8
–
11.2

4,119.1
925.4
492.9
171.3
320.5
(1.5)
18.3

(0.1)

27.4

65.8

349.0

25.7
3.2
–
0.6

2,101.9
510.5
4,625.8
308.5

7,599.4

1,114.6

989.7

9,703.7

5,969.8

186.1

127.5

6,283.4

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Cineworld Group plc  
Annual Report and Accounts 2019

117

 
 
 
Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements
(forming part of the Financial Statements) continued

5. Revenue
The Group derives revenue from the transfer of goods at a point in time and services over time in the following territories:

Revenue by country

United States
United Kingdom & Ireland
Poland
Israel
Hungary
Romania
Czech Republic
Bulgaria
Slovakia

Total revenue

Revenue per operating segment can be broken down by product and service provided as follows:

United States

Revenue by product and service provided

Box office
Retail
Other

Total revenue

Timing of revenue recognition
At a point in time
Over time

UK and Ireland

Revenue by product and service provided

Box office
Retail
Other

Total revenue

Timing of revenue recognition

At a point in time
Over time

ROW

Revenue by product and service provided

Box office
Retail
Other

Total revenue

Timing of revenue recognition
At a point in time
Over time

Refer to Note 23 for a breakdown of contract liabilities recognised during the year. 

118

Cineworld Group plc 
Annual Report and Accounts 2019

Year ended 
31 December 
2019 
$m

Year ended 
31 December 
2018 
$m

3,209.6
648.4 
153.8 
113.2 
77.3 
73.4 
58.4 
21.5 
14.1 

4,369.7 

2,933.1
697.7
157.3
94.3
80.9
71.9
53.9
16.9
13.1

4,119.1

Year ended 
31 December 
2019 
$m

Year ended 
31 December 
2018 
$m

1,859.6 
953.9 
396.1 

3,209.6

3,016.0
193.6

1,762.8
851.3
319.0

2,933.1

2,761.5
171.6

Year ended 
31 December 
2019 
$m

Year ended 
31 December 
2018 
$m

405.7 
156.7 
86.0 

648.4 

646.0
2.4

453.5
167.5
76.7

697.7

695.8
1.9

Year ended 
31 December 
2019 
$m

Year ended 
31 December 
2018 
$m

270.8 
129.7 
111.2 

511.7 

463.7
48.0

280.3
126.4
81.6

488.3

459.2
29.1

6. Other Operating Income

Rental income

Total other operating income

7. Operating Profit
Included in operating profit for the year are the following:

Depreciation
Amortisation of intangibles
Impairment of property, plant and equipment and right-of-use assets
Property related charges and releases
Operating exceptional items 
Short term and turnover rent leases (2018 included operating leases under IAS 17)

Year ended 
31 December 
2019 
$m

Year ended 
31 December 
2018 
$m

5.7

5.7

5.3

5.3

Year ended 
31 December 
2019 
$m

Year ended 
31 December 
2018 
$m

697.2
32.6
46.9
5.3
12.8
30.9

289.7
30.8
18.3
(0.5)
58.5
527.5

The total remuneration of the Group Auditor, PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP for 2019, and its affiliates for the services to the 
Group is analysed below. Prior year comparatives relate to total remuneration of the Group Auditor KPMG LLP, and its affiliates 
who resigned as the Group Auditors during 2019:

Auditor’s remuneration:

Group – audit
Amounts received by auditors and their associates in respect of:
– Audit of financial statements pursuant to legislation
– Audit related assurance services
– All other services

Year ended 
31 December 
2019 
$m

Year ended
31 December 
2018
$m

2.0

0.5
0.1
0.4

2.2

2.2
0.1
–

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Cineworld Group plc  
Annual Report and Accounts 2019

119

 
 
 
Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements
(forming part of the Financial Statements) continued

8. Earnings Per Share
Basic Earnings Per Share is calculated by dividing the profit for the year attributable to ordinary shareholders by the weighted 
average number of ordinary shares outstanding during the year, after excluding the weighted average number of non-vested 
ordinary shares.

Diluted Earnings Per Share is calculated by dividing the profit for the year attributable to ordinary shareholders by the weighted 
average number of ordinary shares plus any non-vested/non-exercised ordinary shares.

Adjusted Earnings Per Share is calculated dividing the adjusted profit after tax for the year attributable to ordinary shareholders 
by the weighted average number of ordinary shares outstanding during the year, after excluding the weighted average number 
of non-vested ordinary shares.

Earnings attributable to ordinary shareholders
Adjustments:
Amortisation of intangible assets(1)
Excess cash distributions from jointly controlled entities 
Impairment of property, plant and equipment and right-of-use assets
Business interruption
Property related charges and releases

Share-based payment charges
Operating Exceptional items:
– Transaction and reorganisation costs

– One time write off of other current assets

– Gain on sale and leaseback transaction

– Legal costs

Financing exceptional items:

– Accelerated amortisation of capitalised finance fees

Movement on financial derivatives

Foreign exchange translation gains and losses(2)

Recycle of net investment hedge

Adjusted earnings

Tax effect of above items

Tax credit arising on capitalised foreign exchange loss(3)

Adjusted profit after tax

Weighted average number of shares in issue 
Basic Earnings Per Share denominator 
Dilutive options 
Diluted Earnings Per Share denominator 
Shares in issue at year end

Basic earnings per share 
Diluted earnings per share 
Adjusted basic Earnings Per Share(3) 
Adjusted diluted Earnings Per Share(3) 

Year ended 
31 December 
2019 
$m

Restated 
Year ended 
31 December 
2018 
$m

180.3

284.3

27.8
20.3
46.9
6.3
5.3

4.9

10.7

13.2

(17.5)

6.4

15.1

(2.2)

5.9

–

323.4

(30.4)

–

293.0

25.0
4.8 
18.3
–
(0.5)

3.2

56.0

–

–

2.8

–

–

(45.1)

3.5

352.3

(7.0)

(19.4)

325.9

Year ended 
31 December 
2019 
Total

Restated 
Year ended 
31 December 
2018 
Total

1,371.6
1,371.6
3.6
1,375.2
1,372.0

Cents

13.1
13.1
21.4
21.3

1,265.5
1,265.5
2.8
1,268.3
1,371.0

Cents

22.5
22.4
25.8
25.7

(1) 

 Amortisation of intangible assets includes amortisation of the fair value placed on brands, customer lists, distribution relationships, and advertising 
relationships as a result of the Cinema City and Regal business combination (which totalled $27.8m (2018: $25.0m)). It does not include amortisation of 
purchased distribution rights.

(2)   Net foreign exchange gains and losses included within earnings comprises $5.9m foreign exchange loss recognised on translation of the Euro term 

loan at 31 December 2019 (2018: $45.1m gain). 

(3)   The 2018 Adjusted Basic Earnings Per Share and Adjusted Diluted Earnings Per Share have been restated as set out in Note 2.

120

Cineworld Group plc 
Annual Report and Accounts 2019

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9. Staff Numbers and Costs
The average number of persons employed by the Group (including Directors) during the year, analysed by category, was 
as follows:

Head office
Cinemas

Number of staff

2019

1,255
36,227

37,482

2018

1,239
36,402

37,641

Included in the average number of persons employed by the Group are part-time employees. No distinction is made between 
full-time and part-time employees in the analysis above.

The aggregate payroll costs of these persons were as follows:

Wages and salaries
Social security costs
Other pension costs – defined contribution
Share-based payments

See pages 66 to 79 for details of Directors’ remuneration.

10. Finance Income and Expense

Interest income
Foreign exchange gain
Unwind of discount on sub-lease assets 
Gain on movement in the fair value of financial derivatives
Unwind of discount on non-current receivables 

Finance income

Interest expense on bank loans and overdrafts
Amortisation of financing costs
Unwind of discount on onerous lease provision
Lease liability interest
Unwind of discount on market rent provision
Unwind of discount of deferred revenue
Amounts reclassified from equity to profit or loss in respect of settled  
net investment hedge
Loss on movement in the fair value of financial derivatives
Foreign exchange loss

Finance expense

Net finance costs

Recognised within comprehensive income

Movement on net investment hedge
Foreign exchange translation gain/(loss)

Year ended 
31 December 
2019 
$m

Year ended 
31 December 
2018 
$m

490.1
56.9
3.1
4.9

555.0

447.1
54.5
2.8
3.2

507.6

Year ended 
31 December 
2019 
$m

Year ended 
31 December 
2018 
$m

4.5
7.3
0.7
10.4
3.4

26.3

167.3
27.2
–
304.2 
–
51.3

–
8.1
9.9

568.0

541.7 

2.3
47.0
–
–
4.6

53.9

146.7
11.0
0.8
6.9
10.2
44.2

3.5
–
1.9

225.2

171.3

Year ended 
31 December 
2019 
$m

Year ended 
31 December 
2018 
$m

22.2
12.6

(0.7)
(126.1)

Cineworld Group plc  
Annual Report and Accounts 2019

121

 
 
 
Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements
(forming part of the Financial Statements) continued

11. Taxation
Recognised in the Consolidated Statement of Profit or Loss

Current tax expense
Current year
Adjustments in respect of prior years

Total current tax expense

Deferred tax expense
Current year
Adjustments in respect of prior years
Adjustments from change in tax rates

Total tax charge in the Statement of Profit or Loss

Reconciliation of effective tax rate

Profit before tax
Tax using the UK corporation tax rate of 19.0% (2018: 19.0%)
Differences in overseas tax rates
Permanently disallowed depreciation
Foreign exchange on derivatives
Permanently disallowed exceptional costs
Other permanent differences
Adjustment in respect of prior years
Effect of change in statutory rate of deferred tax

Total tax charge in the Statement of Profit or Loss

Year ended 
31 December 
2019 
$m

Year ended 
31 December 
2018 
$m

102.1
2.5

104.6

(66.7)
(6.8)
0.9

32.0

77.3
(4.6)

72.7

(11.1)
5.8
(2.7)

64.7

Year ended 
31 December 
2019 
$m

Year ended 
31 December 
2018 
$m

212.3
40.3
(10.6)
2.0
–
2.4
1.3
(4.3)
0.9

32.0

349.0
66.4
5.3
1.9
(19.4)
7.7
3.8
1.2
(2.2)

64.7

In the prior year the rate impact from foreign exchange investments represented the one-off impact of a tax deductible foreign 
exchange loss capitalised on derivatives of $88.4m. 

During the year there was a tax credit of $1.3m, recognised directly in the Statement of Comprehensive Income (2018: $0.3m). 
This related to share remuneration schemes. 

Factors that may affect future tax charges
The Group expects that the tax rate in the future will be affected by the geographical split of profits and the different tax rates 
that will apply to those profits.

No deferred tax liability has been recognised on $227.8m of taxable temporary differences related to investments, as the Group 
can control the timing of the reversal and it is probable that no reversal will happen in the foreseeable future. 

At 31 December 2019 the Group had unrecognised deferred tax assets relating to the following temporary differences:

 − UK capital losses of $9.5m with no expiry date.

 − US tax losses of $44.6m with expiry dates between 2020 and 2032.

On 25 April 2019 the European Commission released its decision which concluded that for years to 31 December 2018 the UK 
Controlled Foreign Company legislation represent recoverable State Aid in some circumstances. There remains uncertainty 
surrounding the quantum of any additional tax exposure which is subject to ongoing discussion with HM Revenue & Customs. 
Following a review of the potential application of the decision to Controlled Foreign Company claims to 31 December 2018 the 
Group has recognised a provision of $2.3m against potential exposures. The maximum potential exposure is $10.8m.

122

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Annual Report and Accounts 2019

12. Property, Plant and Equipment

Land and 
buildings 
$m

Plant and 
machinery 
$m

Fixtures and 
fittings 
$m

Assets in the 
course of 
construction 
$m

Cost
Balance at 1 January 2018
Additions due to acquisition
Additions
Disposals
Transfer of assets held for sale
Transfers
Effects of movement in foreign exchange

373.8
726.8
55.3
(16.4)
(2.4)
4.0
(22.8)

260.0
905.7
84.0
(33.5)
–
17.1
(19.2)

391.6
229.2
47.0
(6.9)
–
10.8
(27.2)

Balance at 31 December 2018

1,118.3

1,214.1

644.5

Adjustment for change in accounting policy 
(Note 2)
Additions
Disposals
Transfers
Effects of movement in foreign exchange

Balance at 31 December 2019

Accumulated depreciation and impairment
Balance at 1 January 2018
Charge for the year
Disposals
Effects of movement in foreign exchange
Impairments

Balance at 31 December 2018

Adjustments for change in accounting policy 
(Note 2)
Charge for the year
Disposals

Effects of movement in foreign exchange
Impairments

Balance at 31 December 2019

Net book value
At 31 December 2018

At 31 December 2019

(115.9) 
49.3
(474.0)
52.0
14.0

643.7

75.3
42.6
(15.8)
(6.6)
12.1

107.6

 (22.1) 
20.1
(13.7)

2.9
24.3

119.1

(11.0) 
168.7
(58.4)
50.2
2.2

 – 
62.4
(11.0)
13.8
8.8

1,365.8

718.5

129.5
179.3
(32.8)
(10.4)
2.5

268.1

 (9.4) 
201.1
(33.3)

0.9
3.4

135.2
67.8
(6.4)
(10.4)
3.7

189.9

 –
77.8
(13.7)

4.6
0.4

430.8

259.0

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Total 
$m

1,041.3
1,883.8
218.2
(59.6)
(2.4)
–
(69.4)

3,011.9

(126.9) 
483.6
(545.4)
–
25.2

2,848.4

340.0
289.7
(55.0)
(27.4)
18.3

565.6

 (31.5) 
299.0
(60.7)

8.4
28.1

808.9

15.9
22.1
31.9
(2.8)
–
(31.9)
(0.2)

35.0

 – 
203.2
(2.0)
(116.0)
0.2

120.4

–
–
–
–
–

–

 – 
–
–

–
–

–

1,010.7

524.6

946.0

935.0

454.6

459.5

35.0

120.4

2,446.3

2,039.5

Interest of $1.2m (2018: $2.1m) has been capitalised during the year which relates to the construction of new sites.

Assets previously held under finance leases with a net book value of $95.4m at 31 December 2018 have been reclassified as 
right-of-use asset on adoption of IFRS 16. Refer to Note 2 for details about the changes in accounting policy. 

Impairment
For the year ended 31 December 2019 for the purpose of impairment the Group includes both property, plant and equipment 
and right-of-use-assets.

The Group determines whether these assets are impaired when indicators of impairment exist or based on the annual impairment 
assessment. The annual assessment requires an estimate of the value in use of the CGUs to which the property, plant and 
equipment and right-of-use-assets are allocated, which is predominantly at the individual cinema site level. Where individual sites’ 
cash inflows are determined not to operate independently from one another, mainly due to strategic or managerial decisions being 
made across more than one site, they may be combined into a single CGU. Where the recoverable amount is less than the carrying 
amount, an impairment charge to reduce the assets down to recoverable amount is recognised. 

Total impairments recognised, across property, plant and equipment and right-of-use-assets during 2019 were $40.5m within 
the US reporting segment (2018: $nil), $5.3m within the UK reporting segment (2018: $7.1m) and $1.1m within the ROW reporting 
segment (2018: $11.2m). 

Impairments recognised during 2019 were in relation to 49 sites in the US, five sites in the UK (2018: six) and one site in the ROW 
(2018: two), whose recoverable amount (calculated by reference to its value in use) was less than carrying amount. These sites 
were impaired due to a combination of localised performance issues. The recoverable amount of these CGUs subsequent to 
impairment was $198.6m (2018: $33.6m).

Cineworld Group plc  
Annual Report and Accounts 2019

123

 
 
 
Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements
(forming part of the Financial Statements) continued

12. Property, Plant and Equipment continued
Impairment continued
Estimating the value in use requires the Group to make an estimate of the expected future cash flows from each CGU and 
discount these to their net present value at a pre-tax discount rate which is appropriate for the territory where the assets are 
held. A table summarising the rates used, which are derived from externally benchmarked data, is set out below:

United States
United Kingdom
Poland
Israel(1)
Hungary
Romania
Czech Republic
Bulgaria
Slovakia

Year ended 
31 December 
2019 
%

Year ended 
31 December 
2018 
%

9.0
8.1
9.8
9.4
9.3
10.1
8.9
9.3
9.3

12.3
10.2
12.4
11.7
10.8
11.7
10.9
10.2
11.6

(1) 

 For sites which generate significant rental cash flows in addition to cinema cash flows a separate discount rate of 8.0% (2018: 8.0%) was applied to 
rental cash flows to reflect the specific risks related to them.

The adoption of IFRS 16 has changed the Group’s financing and capital structure to include a significant proportion of lease 
financing. The discount rates applied in impairment testing in 2019 have reduced as a result of the applying the cost of lease 
debt within the market comparable weighted average cost of capital (‘WACC’). This has had the effect of reducing the impact 
of the cost of equity on the overall WACC. 

In order to determine whether indicators of impairment exist within each CGU, the value in use is calculated using expected 
future cash flows (CGU Adjusted EBITDA), which are based on actual results for the year ended 2019. These are extrapolated 
based on key performance assumptions over the remaining lease term of the CGU.

Where indicators of impairment are identified a CGU is considered at-risk of impairment. For at-risk CGUs, a more detailed cash 
flow forecast is used, based on management’s anticipated performance of the CGU over its remaining lease term. Cash flows 
beyond the first period are extrapolated using assumptions specific to the individual CGU over the projected life of the lease, 
including any expected lease renewals or extensions.

An impairment trigger is only identified for newly established sites in their first two years of operation if it is performing 
significantly below its investment case assumptions and despite any remedial actions management no longer consider such 
plans to be achievable.

Impairment reversals
A review of future cash flows for previously impaired cinema sites did not identify improvements in trading performance and 
therefore no impairments previously recognised were reversed in the current or prior years.

Sensitivity to changes in assumptions
Impairment reviews are sensitive to changes in key assumptions. Sensitivity analysis has been performed on the at-risk CGUs 
calculated recoverable amounts giving consideration to incremental changes in the key assumptions of admissions levels, 
average ticket price, concession spend per person and discount rates. At one specific freehold site the levels of rental income 
earned is also a key assumption. The total net book value of the at-risk CGUs was $255.6m (2018: $36.6m).

The sensitivities applied reflect realistic scenarios which management believe would have the most significant impact on the 
cash flows described above.

Discount rates are largely derived from market data, and these rates are intended to be long term in nature so therefore should 
be reasonably stable in the short term. However, the models are sensitive to changes in these rates. An increase by a factor of 
1% has been applied in the sensitised scenarios.

For detailed cash flow forecasts for at-risk sites, management have applied specific growth rates in admissions, average ticket 
price, concession spend per person over the life of the lease.

The growth rate of admissions, average ticket price and concession spend per person specific to each sites forecast has been 
reduced by 1% per annum over the forecast period. Given the inflationary growth rates applied to admissions trends and ticket 
price inflation, sensitivities applied are believed to reflect a potential downside scenario.

124

Cineworld Group plc 
Annual Report and Accounts 2019

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12. Property, Plant and Equipment continued
Sensitivity to changes in assumptions continued
The impact on the total impairment charge of applying different assumptions to the growth rates used in the first five years and 
the discount rates would be as follows: 

Growth in admissions reduced by 1%
Growth in average ticket price reduced by 1%
Growth in concession spend per person reduced by 1%
1 percentage point increase to the discount rates

Additional 
impairment 
$m

27.3
7.9
6.8
6.5

Assets held for sale
The values in the table below represent the net book value of the property, plant and equipment held for sale. As the fair value 
less costs to sell is expected to be in excess of the net book value no impairment is considered necessary.

Property, plant and equipment

31 December 
2019 
$m

31 December 
2018 
$m

0.9

2.5

Assets held for sale of $2.5m at 31 December 2018 related to old head office facilities in the US. The majority of these office 
facilities were sold in 2019, with the balance of $0.9m at 31 December 2019 representing two remaining buildings. 

13. Intangible Assets

Cost
Balance at 1 January 2018
Additions due to acquisition 
Additions
Disposals
Effects of movement in foreign exchange

Balance at 31 December 2018

Additions
Disposals
Effects of movement in foreign exchange

Goodwill 
$m

922.3
4,625.8
–
–
(55.0)

5,493.1

– 
– 
10.1 

Brand 
$m

58.5
365.0
–
–
(3.5)

420.0

– 
– 
1.2

Balance at 31 December 2019

5,503.2 

421.2 

Accumulated amortisation and impairment
Balance at 1 January 2018
Amortisation
Disposals
Effects of movement in foreign exchange

Balance at 31 December 2018

Amortisation
Disposals
Effects of movement in foreign exchange

Balance at 31 December 2019

Net book value

At 31 December 2018

At 31 December 2019

11.3
–
–
(0.6)

10.7

– 
– 
0.4 

11.1 

18.5
3.9
–
(1.1)

21.3

3.7 
– 
0.8

25.8 

5,482.4

5,492.1 

398.7

395.4 

Distribution 
Rights 
$m

Other 
Intangibles 
$m

Total 
$m

1,051.8
5,134.4
4.5
(0.2)
(63.6)

6,126.9

5.3 
–
12.2

21.6
143.6
2.0 
(0.2)
(1.5)

165.5

1.4 
–
–

166.9

6,144.4

11.6
20.3
(0.2)
(0.9)

30.8

23.2 
–
0.1

54.1 

134.7

112.8

77.0
30.8
(0.2)
(5.4)

102.2

32.6 
–
1.9

136.7

6,024.7

6,007.7 

49.4
–
2.5 
–
(3.6)

48.3

3.9 
– 
0.9 

53.1 

35.6
6.6
–
(2.8)

39.4

5.7 
– 
0.6 

45.7 

8.9

7.4 

Included within the brand intangible asset is $365.0m in relation to Regal, $24.7m in relation to Cinema City B.V and $5.7m in 
relation to Picturehouse. The Regal brand has been determined as having a indefinite useful life. The remaining amortisation 
period of the Cinema City B.V and Picturehouse brands is 5 years and 7 years respectively.

Included within other intangible assets is customer relationships and distribution rights. The remaining amortisation period of 
these intangible are between 3 and 9 years.

Cineworld Group plc  
Annual Report and Accounts 2019

125

 
 
 
Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements
(forming part of the Financial Statements) continued

13. Intangible Assets continued
Impairment testing
Each individual cinema, or collection of cinemas which are strategically or operationally co-dependent, is considered to be one 
CGU. However, for the purpose of testing goodwill for impairment, it is acceptable under IAS 36 to group CGUs, in order to 
reflect the level at which goodwill is monitored by management. 

The Group has the following CGUs for the purpose of testing goodwill for impairment:

Goodwill for the US operating segment was acquired as a part of the acquisition of Regal in 2018 and is assessed as one CGU.

The ex-Cine-UK, ex-UGC (including Dublin) businesses are now fully integrated, meaning that goodwill is now monitored 
on a Cineworld level. The Picturehouse business is monitored as a separate UK CGU. Cinema City CGUs are considered as 
separate groups in each territory and have been tested for goodwill impairment on this basis, the territories being Poland, Israel, 
Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria, Czech and Slovakia.

The value of goodwill allocated to each CGU is as follows:

United States
United Kingdom
Poland
Israel
Hungary
Romania
Czech Republic
Bulgaria
Slovakia

Total

Year ended 
31 December 
2019 
$m

Year ended 
31 December 
2018 
$m

4,302.8
725.4
130.7
88.0
59.0
124.1
37.2
20.1
4.8

5,492.1

4,302.8
712.2
131.9
81.0
61.9
129.7
37.4
20.5
5.0

5,482.4

In testing goodwill for impairment, the value of each CGU’s other intangible assets, investments and other long term assets, 
right-of-use assets and property, plant and equipment is included within the carrying value of the CGU.

The recoverable amounts of US, UK and Cinema City CGU Groups have been determined based on a value-in-use calculation. 
That calculation uses cash flow projections based on financial forecasts approved by management covering a five year period. 
The five year forecast annual Adjusted EBITDA, as defined in Note 3, was used as the basis of the future cash flow calculation. 
Cash flows beyond the first five year period have been extrapolated using the below assumptions, with cash flows adjusted for 
rent at a CGU level applied beyond the period covered by each current lease. This growth rate does not exceed the long-term 
average growth rate for the market in which the CGU Groups operate.

The US CGU has discounted forecast cash flows using a pre-tax discount rate of 9.0% (2018: 12.43%). The UK CGU has 
discounted forecast cash flows using a pre-tax discount rate of 8.1% (2018: 10.02%). The ROW CGU Groups have discounted 
forecast cash flows using a pre-tax discount rates relevant to the operating territory of each CGU Group (see Note 12). This is 
considered to reflect the risks associated with the relevant cash flows for each CGU Group. 

The key assumptions used in the cash flow projections for the purpose of the impairment review are as follows:
US

UK & Ireland

ROW

Year ended 
31 December 
2019 
%

Year ended 
31 December 
2018 
%

Year ended 
31 December 
2019 
%

Year ended 
31 December 
2018 
%

Year ended 
31 December 
2019 
%

Year ended 
31 December 
2018 
%

Discount rate(1)
Adjusted EBITDA growth rate

9.0
1.0

12.4
2.0

8.1
1.0

10.0
2.0

N/A(1)
1.0

N/A(1)
2.00

(1) 

Individual discount rates for each operating territory have been used; a summary is disclosed in Note 12.

126

Cineworld Group plc 
Annual Report and Accounts 2019

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13. Intangible Assets continued
Impairment testing continued
Management have sensitised the key assumptions in the goodwill impairment tests and under both the base case and sensitised 
cases no impairment exists. The key assumptions used and sensitised were the drivers of forecast cash flows (as set out in Note 
1) and the relevant discount rate, which were selected as they are the key variable elements of the value in use.

Although no CGU is considered sensitive for goodwill impairment purposes, the Group acknowledges the potential risk around 
forecast cash flows in the event of a significant interruption to business as a result of COVID-19. No specific sensitivity in respect 
of this scenario has been applied to goodwill impairment testing to date.

Indefinite life intangible assets
The Regal brand is instrumental in driving revenues and therefore we valued this at $365.0m. We have determined that this 
brand has an indefinite useful life. The factors that played a significant role in determining that this asset has an indefinite useful 
life are the historical term over which it has been used and managements intention to continue to invest in its value.

Amortisation charge
The amortisation of intangible assets is recognised in the following line items in the Consolidated Statement of Profit or Loss:

Administrative expenses

14. Equity-accounted investees
The Group has the following investment in jointly controlled entities:

Year ended 
31 December 
2019 
$m

Year ended 
31 December 
2018 
$m

32.6

30.8

National Cinemedia, LLC 
AC JV, LLC
Digital Cinema Distribution Coalition
Digital Cinema Media Limited
BLACK Schrauber Limited

Country of 
incorporation

United States
United States
United States
England and Wales
Israel

Class of 
shares held

Ordinary
Ordinary
Ordinary
Ordinary
Ordinary

Ownership Carrying value

26.1%
32.0%
14.6%
50.0%
50.0%

289.9
5.7
3.0
0.9
0.5

National Cinemedia, LLC
In March 2005, Regal and AMC announced the combination of the operations of RCM Regal and AMC’s subsidiary, National 
Cinema Network, into a joint venture company known as National CineMedia (‘NCM’). In July 2005, Cinemark joined the NCM 
joint venture. NCM operates the largest digital in-theatre advertising network in North America. 

Regal entered into an Exhibitor Services Agreement (‘ESA’) with NCM, pursuant to which NCM primarily provides advertising 
to our cinemas. National Cinemedia, Inc. (‘NCMI’) is an entity that serves as the sole manager of NCM, and has no business 
operations or material assets other than its cash and ownership interest in NCM. NCMI completed an IPO of its common stock 
and as a result Regal amended its operating agreement and the ESA. At the time of the NCM IPO and as a result of amending 
the ESA, Regal received approximately $281.0m in cash consideration from NCM. The proceeds were recorded as deferred 
revenue and were being amortized over the term of the ESA, until February 2037. During 2019, the Group amended the ESA 
under which the Group will provide incremental advertising time to NCM and has extended the term of the ESA through 
February 2041. 

Also in connection with the IPO, the joint venture partners entered into a Common Unit Adjustment Agreement with NCM. 
Pursuant to the Common Unit Adjustment Agreement, from time to time, shares of NCM held by the joint venture partners will 
be adjusted up or down through a formula primarily based on increases or decreases in the number of theatre screens operated 
and theatre attendance generated by each joint venture partner. The common unit adjustment is computed annually, except 
that an earlier common unit adjustment will occur for a joint venture partner if its acquisition or disposition of theatres, in a 
single transaction or cumulatively since the most recent common unit adjustment, will cause a change of 2% or more in the total 
annual attendance of all of the joint venture partners.

On 14 March 2019 as a result of the annual adjustment provisions of the Common Unit Adjustment Agreement, the Group 
received 628,491 newly issued common units in NCM, each of which is convertible into one share of NCMI. The Group records 
additional common units received at estimated fair value using the available closing stock prices of NCMI as of the date on 
which the units were issued. During 2019, the Group recorded an increase to its investment in NCM (along with a corresponding 
increase to deferred revenue) of approximately $4.6m related to the common unit adjustment. The deferred revenue will be 
recognised as advertising revenue on a straight-line basis over the remaining term of the ESA.

The Group receive a monthly theatre access fee for participation in the NCM network and also earn screen advertising revenue 
on a per patron basis. The theatre access fee revenues are based on a combination of both fixed and variable factors which 
include the total number of theatre screens, attendance and actual revenues generated by NCM. The ESA does not require

Cineworld Group plc  
Annual Report and Accounts 2019

127

 
 
 
Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements
(forming part of the Financial Statements) continued

14. Equity-accounted investees continued
National Cinemedia, LLC continued
the Group to maintain a minimum number of screens and does not provide a fixed amount of access fee revenue to be earned 
by the Group in any period. In addition, we receive mandatory quarterly distributions of any excess cash from NCM. 

The NCMI IPO and related transactions have the effect of reducing the amounts NCMI would otherwise pay in the future to 
various tax authorities. On the IPO date, NCMI, the Company, AMC and Cinemark entered into a tax receivable agreement. 
Under the terms of this agreement, NCMI will make cash payments to us, AMC and Cinemark in amounts equal to 90% of 
NCMI’s actual tax benefit realised from the tax amortisation of certain intangible assets.

Balance as of 31 December 2018
Receipt of additional common units(1)
Dividends received(2)
Receipt under tax receivable agreement(2)
Discount unwind on tax receivable agreement(2)
Revenues earned under ESA(3)
Amortization of deferred revenue(4)
Discount unwind on deferred revenue(4)
Share of profit(5)

As of and for the year ended  

31 December 2019

For the year ended  
31 December 2019

Investment 
in NCM
$m

Tax 
receivable 
agreement
$m

 298.5 
 4.6 
 (39.1)
 – 
 – 
 – 
 – 
 – 
 25.9 

 53.5 
 – 
 – 
 (6.7)
 3.4 
 – 
 – 
 – 
 – 

Deferred 
revenue
$m

 (675.9)
 (4.6)
 – 
 – 
 – 
 – 
 78.1 
 (51.4)
 – 

Share of 
profit 
$m

Other 
revenue 
$m

Cash
distributions 
$m

 – 
 – 
 – 
 – 
 – 
 – 
 – 
 – 
 25.9

 – 
 – 
 – 
 – 
 – 
 19.7
 78.1
 – 
 – 

 – 
 – 
 39.1 
 6.7 
 – 
 – 
 – 
 – 
 – 

Balance as of 31 December 2019

 289.9 

 50.2 

 (653.8)

 25.9

 97.8

 45.8 

(1) 

 During the year the Group received from NCM approximately 0.6 million newly issued common units in NCM in accordance with the annual adjustment 
provisions of the Common Unit Adjustment Agreement.

(2)  During the year the Group received cash distributions of $45.8m from NCM, including payments of $6.7m received under the tax receivable agreement.

(3)   Amounts include the per patron and per digital screen theatre access fees, net of amounts due to NCM for on-screen advertising time provided to the 

Group’s concession supplier

(4)   Amounts represent the amortisation of the ESA to advertising revenue. The revenue is recognised on a straight-line basis over the remaining term of 

the ESA.

(5)  Amounts represent the Group’s share in the net profit/(losses) of NCM.

Under the terms of the shareholder agreement between the Group and other NCM shareholders, key business decisions in 
respect of NCM require the unanimous approval of the shareholders. As a consequence, the Directors of the Group do not have 
total management control of NCM, therefore the Group’s investment is accounted for as a joint venture.

Summary aggregated financial information of NCM:

31 December 
2019 
$m

31 December 
2018 
$m

 185.4 
 706.6 
 (125.4)
 (947.9)

 (181.3)

 444.8 
 (346.1) 

 98.7 

172.7
726.8
(115.2)
(924.9)

(140.6)

444.1
(345.7)

98.4

Current assets
Non-current assets
Current liabilities
Non-current liabilities

Net liabilities

Income
Expenses

Net profit

128

Cineworld Group plc 
Annual Report and Accounts 2019

14. Equity-accounted investees continued
National Cinemedia, LLC continued 
Reconciliation to carrying amounts

Opening net liabilities 1 January
Profit for the period
Dividends paid
Common unit adjustment
Other comprehensive income

Closing net liabilities

Groups share of closing liabilities 
Value of share of liabilities prior to adjustments
Fair value adjustment on acquisition
Purchase of additional shares at fair value
Receipt of additional common units since acquisition
Group share of earnings since acquisition

Carrying amount

31 December 
2019 
$m

31 December 
2018 
$m

(140.6)
98.7
(148.9)
7.6
1.9

(181.3)

26.1%
–
200.0
78.4
20.4
(9.0)

289.9

(116.0)
98.4
(141.4)
15.9
2.5

(140.6)

26.1%
–
200.0
78.4
15.9
4.2

298.5

The opening fair value adjustment at 31 December 2018 related to fair value uplift to the NCM investment as part of the Regal 
purchase price acquisition accounting. 

On July 5, 2018 the Group acquired 10,738,740 common units of NCM from AMC for $78.4m in cash. As a result of the 
acquisition of these shares, the Group’s ownership of NCM increased from approximately 19.4% to 26.1%.

The current year fair value adjustments at 31 December 2018 and 31 December 2019 represents additional units issued to the 
Group as part of the Common Unit Adjustment Agreement. These are recognised at prevailing share price on date of issuance. 

AC JV LLC
The Group maintains an investment in AC JV LLC ‘AC JV’, a Delaware limited liability company owned 32.0%, by each of the 
Group, AMC and Cinemark and 4.0% by NCM. AC JV acquired the Fathom Events business from NCM on 26 December 2013. 
AC JV owns and manages the Fathom Events business, which markets and distributes live and pre-recorded entertainment 
programming to various theatre operators (including Regal, AMC and Cinemark) to provide additional programme to augment 
their feature film schedule and includes events such as live and pre-recorded concerts, opera and symphony, marketing events, 
theatrical premiers, Broadway plays, live sporting events and other special events.

In consideration for the sale, NCM received a total of $25.0 million in promissory notes from the Group, Cinemark and AMC 
(one-third or approximately $8.3 million from each). The notes bear interest at 5.0% per annum. Interest and principal 
payments are due annually in six equal instalments commencing on the first anniversary of the closing. NCM recorded a 
gain of approximately $25.4 million in connection with the sale. The Group’s proportionate share of such gain (approximately 
$1.9 million) was excluded from equity earnings in NCM and recorded as a reduction in the Group’s investment in AC JV. The 
$3.0m loan note payable outstanding at 31 December 2018 was repaid in full during 2019. Since the Group does not have a 
controlling financial interest in AC JV, its investment in AC JV is accounted for as a joint venture.

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Annual Report and Accounts 2019

129

 
 
 
Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements
(forming part of the Financial Statements) continued

14. Equity-accounted investees continued
AC JV LLC continued 
Summary aggregated financial information of AC JV LLC:

Current assets
Non-current assets
Current liabilities

Net assets

Income
Expenses

Net profit

Reconciliation to carrying amounts

Opening net liabilities 1 January 
Profit for period
Dividends paid

Closing net assets

Groups share in %
Group share
Fair value adjustment

Carrying amount

31 December 
2019 
$m

31 December 
2018 
$m

14.0
16.1
(8.1)

22.0

80.1
(71.8)

8.3

16.4
17.8
(9.7)

24.5

85.6
(78.7)

6.9

31 December 
2019 
$m

31 December 
2018 
$m

24.5
8.3
(10.8)

22.0

32.0%
7.0
(1.3)

5.7

33.6
6.9
(16.0)

24.5

32.0%
7.7
(1.3)

6.4

Digital Cinema Distribution Coalition 
The Group is a party to a joint venture with certain exhibitors and distributors called Digital Cinema Distribution Coalition 
‘DCDC’. DCDC has established a satellite distribution network that distributes digital content to theatres via satellite.

Under the terms of the shareholder agreement between the Group and other DCDC shareholders, key business decisions in 
respect of DCDC require the unanimous approval of the shareholders. As a consequence, the Directors of the Group do not 
have total management control of DCDC, therefore the Group’s investment is accounted for as a joint venture.

Summary aggregated financial information of DCDC:

Current assets
Non-current assets
Current liabilities

Net assets

Income
Expenses

Net profit

Reconciliation to carrying amounts

Opening net liabilities 1 January 
Profit for period
Dividends paid

Closing net assets

Groups share in %
Group share

Carrying amount

130

Cineworld Group plc 
Annual Report and Accounts 2019

31 December 
2019 
$m

31 December 
2018 
$m

14.9
10.0
(2.8)

22.1

28.6
(19.7)

8.9

6.0
12.2
(3.3)

14.9

29.2
(20.8)

8.4

31 December 
2019 
$m

31 December 
2018 
$m

14.9
9.0
(1.8)

22.1

14.6%
3.0

3.0

24.5
8.4
(18.0)

14.9

14.6%
2.0

2.0

14. Equity-accounted investees continued
Digital Cinema Media Limited
On 8 February 2008 the Group jointly formed Digital Cinema Media Limited (‘DCM’) with Odeon Cinemas Holdings Limited 
(‘Odeon’). On 10 July 2008 DCM acquired certain trade and assets (substantially employees, computer systems, leasehold 
office and existing contracts) from Carlton Screen Advertising Limited, the Group’s former advertising supplier.

Under the terms of the shareholder agreement between the Group and Odeon, key business decisions in respect of DCM 
require the unanimous approval of the shareholders. As a consequence, the Directors of the Group do not have total 
management control of DCM, therefore the Group’s investment is accounted for as a joint venture.

As at 31 December 2019 and 31 December 2018 the assets, liabilities and net profit of DCM were not material to the Group.

Black Shrauber Limited
On 24 June 2015 the Group jointly formed a partnership for running a restaurant in the new complex in Jerusalem.

Under the terms of the partnership agreement, key business decisions in respect of Black Schrauber Limited require the 
unanimous approval of the partners. As a consequence, the Directors of the Group do not have total management control of 
Black Schrauber Limited, therefore the Group’s investment is accounted for as a joint venture.

As at 31 December 2019 and 31 December 2018 the assets, liabilities and net profit of Black Schrauber Limited were not material 
to the Group.

15. Jointly Controlled Operation
Digital Cinema Implementation Partners ‘DCIP’ is a joint arrangement with other US exhibitors set up to collect and administrate 
Virtual Print Fee ‘VPF’ income received from studios to compensate exhibitors for their investment in digital projection 
equipment. Through long term leasing arrangements with DCIP, the exhibitors retain control over the projection equipment 
it has acquired. In addition, it was determined that under the terms of the leasing arrangements and the associated minimum 
rental charges expected to be made, it has a joint obligation for the debt taken out by DCIP to finance the acquisition of the 
projection equipment. It was concluded that, with joint control over these, the material assets and liabilities of DCIP, it should 
classified as a Joint Operation.

The Group holds a 46.7% interest in a joint arrangement DCIP and recognises its direct right to the assets, liabilities, revenues 
and expenses of DCIP under the appropriate headings. The impact on the Group’s Financial Statements is as follows:

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Consolidated Statement of Profit or Loss
Gross Profit
Operating profit
Profit before tax
Net profit

Consolidated Statement of Financial Position
Property, plant and equipment
Total assets
Total liabilities

31 December 
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$m

31 December 
2018 
$m

80.1
47.1
1.9
1.6

171.1
311.8
26.8

69.5
47.2
5.8
5.6

194.0
353.8
83.0

Cineworld Group plc  
Annual Report and Accounts 2019

131

 
 
 
Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements
(forming part of the Financial Statements) continued

16. Financial assets at FVOCI
Financial assets at FVOCI comprise equity securities which are not held for trading. The Group has irrevocably elected at 
initial recognition to recognise the investments in this category. These are strategic investments and the Group considers this 
classification to be more relevant, than financial assets at fair value through profit or loss. 

Equity investments at FVOCI comprise the following individual investments: 

Non-current assets
Listed securities

iPic Entertainment, Inc.

Unlisted securities
Spyglass Media Group, LLC
Atom Tickets, LLC

Total

31 December 
2019 
$m

31 December 
2018 
$m

–

10.0
–

10.0

2.5

–
5.0

7.5

During the year, the Group deemed the fair value of the iPic Entertainment, Inc. and Atom Tickets, LLC investments to be $nil. 
The $7.5m revaluation of these investments was recognised within other comprehensive income. 

During the year, the Group made an investment in Spyglass Media Group, LLC for $10.0m.

Amounts recognised in the Statement of Comprehensive Income during the financial year in relation to equity investments were 
as follows:

Losses recognised in comprehensive income as a result of the revaluation of equity 
investments

Refer to Note 27 as to how the fair value of these equity instruments has been determined.

31 December 
2019 
$m

31 December 
2018 
$m

(7.5)

(6.9)

132

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Annual Report and Accounts 2019

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17. Deferred Tax Assets and Liabilities
Deferred tax assets and liabilities are attributable to the following:

Property, plant and equipment
Deferred rent 
Deferred revenue 
Intangible assets
Investments 
Employee benefits
Market rent
Tax losses

Other
Tax assets/(liabilities)
Set off tax

Net tax assets/(liabilities)

Assets

Liabilities

Net

31 December 
2019 
$m

31 December 
2018 
$m

31 December 
2019 
$m

31 December 
2018 
$m

31 December 
2019 
$m

31 December 
2018 
$m

147.3
7.7
188.3
–
– 
1.5
–
36.0

–
380.8
(242.0)

138.8

2.8
–
277.9
–
–
2.0
85.5
11.6

–
379.8
(348.2)

31.6

–
–
–
(114.0)
(112.2)
–
–
–

(15.8)
(242.7)
242.7

–

(101.6)
(29.5)
–
(125.4)
(82.0)
–
–
–

(19.4)
(357.9)
348.2

(9.7)

147.3
7.7
188.3
(114.0)
(112.2)
1.5
–
36.0

(15.8)
138.8
–

138.8

(98.8)
(29.5)
277.9
(125.4)
(82.0)
2.0
85.5
11.6

(19.4)
21.9
–

21.9

See Note 11 for details of unrecognised tax assets.

Deferred taxation provided for in the Consolidated Financial Statements at the year end represents provision at the local tax 
rates on the above items.

A review of the deferred tax is performed at each balance date and adjustments made in the event of a change in any 
key assumptions.

Deferred tax assets and liabilities are attributable to the following:

Property, plant and equipment
Deferred rent 
Deferred revenue
Intangible assets
Investment
Employee benefits
Market rent
Tax losses
Other

Tax (liabilities)/assets

18. Inventories

Goods for resale 
Equipment and spare parts

Total inventories

1 January 
2019 
$m

Impact of 
IFRS 16
$m

Recognised 
in income 
$m

Recognised 
in equity 
$m

Foreign 
exchange 
$m

31 December 
2019 
$m

(98.8)
(29.5)
277.9
(125.4)
(82.0)
2.0
85.5
11.6
(19.4)

21.9

123.5
–
–
8.4
–
–
(85.5)
–
(3.8)

42.6

122.8
37.2
(89.6)
3.1
(30.2)
0.2
–
23.7
5.4

72.6

–
–
–
–
–
(0.7)
–
–
2.0

1.3

(0.2)
–
–
(0.1)
–
–
–
0.7
–

0.4

147.3
7.7
188.3
(114.0)
(112.2)
1.5
–
36.0
(15.8)

138.8

31 December 
2019 
$m

31 December 
2018 
$m

30.5
2.7

33.2

25.7 
9.4

35.1

Inventory recognised in cost of sales in the year amounted to $203.6m (2018: $200.3m).

Cineworld Group plc  
Annual Report and Accounts 2019

133

 
 
 
Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements
(forming part of the Financial Statements) continued

19. Trade and Other Receivables

Current

Trade receivables
Loss allowance
Other receivables

Prepayments
Accrued income
Net investment in sub-lease

Trade and other receivables

31 December 
2019 
$m

Represented
31 December 
2018 
$m

184.5
(1.1)
44.1

31.5
3.9
0.5

183.7
(1.0)
54.3

81.5
6.0
–

263.4

324.5

Trade receivables are amounts due from customers for goods sold or services performed in the ordinary course of business. 
They are generally due for settlement within 30 days and therefore are all classified as current. Trade receivables are recognised 
initially at the amount of consideration that is unconditional. The Group holds the trade receivables with the objective to collect 
the contractual cash flows and therefore measures them subsequently at amortised cost using the effective interest method.

Other receivables represents any other amount due to the Group at balance sheet date which has not been classified as a trade 
receivable. A reclassification of $22.9m from Trade to Other Receivables has been made within the 2018 comparatives to ensure 
consistency of presentation. 

Due to the short-term nature of the current receivables, their carrying amount is not considered to be materially different to 
their fair value. 

Net investment in sub-lease represents the future cash-flows expected to be received from the sub-leasing of specific sites, 
discounted at the rate used for the head lease, adjusted for any initial direct costs associated with the sub-lease. 

Non-current

Other long-term receivables
Land lease premiums
Loan to jointly controlled entity 
Net investment in sub-lease

Other receivables

31 December 
2019 
$m

31 December 
2018 
$m

54.5
–
0.7
9.4

64.6

64.1
141.9
0.7
–

206.7

Land lease premiums at 31 December 2018 represented the fair value asset of leases acquired as part of the Cinema City 
Holdings B.V and Regal business combinations. These were previously amortised over the remaining life of the lease. 
On adoption of IFRS 16 ‘Leases’ the land lease premium balance at 1 January 2019 was included within the right-of-use-asset. 
Refer to Note 2 for further information on changes in accounting policy.

Other long-term receivables relate to the NCM tax receivable as detailed in Note 14. 

Further information relating to loans to jointly controlled entities is set out in Note 30.

134

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Annual Report and Accounts 2019

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20. Loans and Borrowings
This note provides information about the contractual terms of the Group’s interest-bearing loans and borrowings.

Non-current liabilities
Secured bank loans, less issue costs of debt to be amortised

Total non-current liabilities

Current liabilities
Secured bank loans, less issue costs of debt to be amortised
Loan note
Overdraft

Total current liabilities

The terms and conditions of outstanding loans were as follows:

31 December 
2019 
$m

31 December 
2018 
$m

3,485.4

3,485.4

131.4
–
2.5

133.9

3,885.3

3,885.3

60.9
3.0
–

63.9

Currency

Nominal interest rate

Initial US Dollar Term Loan

Initial Euro Term Loan

USD

EUR

Incremental US Dollar Term Loan

USD

Revolving credit facility
Secured bank loan – DCIP
Loan note 

USD
USD
USD

Total interest-bearing liabilities

Eurocurrency Base Rate(1) 
plus applicable margin(2)
Eurocurrency Base Rate(1) 
plus applicable margin(2)
Eurocurrency Base Rate(1) 
plus applicable margin(2)
Eurocurrency Base Rate(1) 
plus applicable margin(2)
4.17%
5.0%

31 December 2019

31 December 2018

Year of 
maturity

Face value 
$m

Carrying 
amount 
$m

Face value 
$m

Carrying 
amount 
$m

2025

2,716.8

2,672.1

3,300.1 

3,233.8

2025

215.4

212.2

690.5

678.7

2026

648.4

642.3

–

–

2023
2019
2019

95.0
–
–

90.2
–
–

–
33.6
3.0

–
33.6
3.0

3,675.6

3,616.8

4,027.2

3,949.1

(1) 

 The rate of interest in the case of any Eurocurrency Rate Loan denominated in Dollars is the rate per annum equal to the London interbank offered 
rate administered by ICE Benchmark Administration Limited, subject to a zero floor. The rate of interest in the case of any Eurocurrency Rate Loan 
denominated in Euro is the rate per annum equal to the euro interbank offered rate administered by the European Money Markets Institute, subject to a 
zero floor.

(2)   The margin applicable to each tranche of Term Loans and to drawings under the Revolving Credit Facility is calculated according to the first lien net 

leverage ratio of Crown UK Holdco Limited and its subsidiaries. The applicable margin on Eurocurrency Rate Loans is as follows: 

 Initial US Dollar Term Loan – 2.50% per annum where the first lien net leverage ratio is greater than or equal to 3.50:1.00 and otherwise 2.25%. 
per annum; 

 Initial Euro Term Loan – 2.625% per annum where the first lien net leverage ratio is greater than or equal to 3.50:1.00 and otherwise 2.375%. per annum;

 Incremental US Dollar Term Loan – 2.75%. per annum where the first lien net leverage ratio is greater than or equal to 3.50:1.00, 2.25% per annum where 
the first lien net leverage ratio is less than or equal to 3.00:1.00 and otherwise 2.50% per annum; and 

 Revolving Credit Facility drawings – 3.00% per annum where the first lien net leverage ratio is greater than or equal to 3.50:1.00, 2.50%. per annum 
where the first lien net leverage ratio is less than 3.00:1.00 and otherwise 2.75 per cent. per annum.

At 31 December 2018 the Group had a USD term loan of $3.3bn and a Euro term loan of €607.0m and a $300.0m revolving 
credit facility (‘RCF’), of which $3.9bn was outstanding on the terms loans and the RCF had not been drawn upon. In April 
2019, the RCF was extended by $162.5m to $462.5m. In September 2019 a minor financing restructure was undertaken. 
An incremental USD term loan was taken out for $650.0m, to partly repay the Euro term loan and settle the outstanding 
balance on the RCF.

The structure used to partly settle the Euro term loan included three Euro to USD cross currency interest rate swaps which 
the Group entered into. Under the arrangements of these swaps the Group received €408.7m. These proceeds were used to 
settle €408.0m of the Group’s outstanding Euro term loan and the Group now pays a Euro coupon on the notional outstanding 
balance of the Euro legs of the swaps and receives a coupon on the notional outstanding balance of the USD legs of the 
swaps. The USD coupon is then used to pay the coupon on the USD$650.0m new term loan. On maturity of the swaps and 
the incremental USD term loan, the Group will receive $450.0m on the US dollar legs of the swaps and pay €408.7m on the 
Euro leg.

During the year the Group also repaid the loan note payable to NCM, linked to the AC JV LLC joint venture and the outstanding 
balance on the DCIP secured bank loan. 

Cineworld Group plc  
Annual Report and Accounts 2019

135

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements
(forming part of the Financial Statements) continued

20. Loans and Borrowings continued
Compliance with loan covenants
If the drawn down amount on the revolving credit facility is greater than 35% of the total facility then the Group is subject 
to specific covenants. The revolving credit facility was 20.5% utilised as at 31 December 2019 and therefore there were no 
covenants applicable. 

The Group is required to prepare interim and annual financial statements to calculate the first lien net leverage ratio and total 
net leverage ratio for the principal borrower (‘Crown UK HoldCo Limited’). The margin, determined by the first lien net leverage 
ratio at a given date determines the interest charged on the initial USD and Euro term loans and revolving credit facility. 

Analysis of net debt

At 31 December 2017
Additions through acquisition
Cash flows
Non-cash movement
Effect of movement in foreign exchange 
rates

Bank loans 
$m

Loan note 
$m

(444.6)
(2,433.7)
(1,034.0)
(69.7)

–
(3.0)
–
–

(21.6)
(86.7)
13.4
(5.7)

35.8

–

0.1

Lease 
liabilities 
$m

Derivatives
 $m

Bank 
overdraft 
$m

Total 
financing 
activity 
liabilities
$m

(466.8)
(2,523.2)
(1,020.0)
(75.4)

Cash at 
bank and 
in hand 
$m

91.0
333.2
(102.1)
–

Net debt 
$m

(375.8)
(2,190.0)
(1,122.1)
(75.4)

35.9

(5.8)

30.1

(4,049.5)

316.3

(3,733.2)

(3,396.3)

–

(3,396.3)

–
0.2
–
–

–

0.2

–

(0.6)
–
0.6
–

–

–

–

At 31 December 2018 (restated)(1)

(3,946.2)

(3.0)

(100.5)

Change in accounting policy (Note 2)

–

–

(3,396.3)

1 January 2019
Cash flows
Non-cash movement
Effect of movement in foreign exchange 
rates

At 31 December 2019

(3,946.2)
330.7
(27.2)

25.9

(3,616.8)

(3.0)
3.0
–

(3,496.8)
613.3 
(1,285.3)

0.2
–
(4.0)

–
(2.5)
–

(7,445.8)
944.5
(1,316.5)

316.3
(167.1)
–

(7,129.5)
777.4
(1,316.5)

–

–

(28.7)

–

–

(2.8)

(8.6)

(11.4)

(4,197.5)

(3.8)

(2.5) (7,820.6)

140.6 (7,680.0)

(1) 

 The 2018 net debt note has been restated as a result of the changes identified in the Statement of Cash Flows, refer to Note 1 for further details. 
Previously the Regal borrowings acquired on acquisition and subsequently repaid were shown net. 

The non-cash movements of $27.2m within bank loans represents the amortisation of debt issuance costs. The non-cash 
movement of $1,285.3m relates to the following: the unwind of lease liabilities of $304.2m, the impact of entering into new 
leases and modifications of existing leases of $982.4m, disposal of leases during the year $1.3m.

136

Cineworld Group plc 
Annual Report and Accounts 2019

21. Leases
The Consolidated Statement of Financial Position shows the following amounts relating to leases: 

Land and 
buildings 
$m

Plant and 
machinery 
$m

Other 
$m

Total 
$m

Right-of-use assets(1)
1 January 2019
Reclassification of previously held finance leases

Adjustment due to adoption of IFRS 16
Additions
Disposals
Effects of movement in foreign exchange
Impairment 
Depreciation 

31 December 2019

Lease liabilities
1 January 2019
Adjustment due to adoption of IFRS 16
Additions
Interest expense related to lease liabilities
Disposals
Effects of movement in foreign exchange
Repayment of lease liabilities (including interest)

31 December 2019

Current
Non-current

93.9

2,843.5
897.1
(0.8)
20.7
(18.8)
(396.5)

3,439.1

100.0
3,394.1
982.3
304.0
(1.3)
28.7
(611.9)

4,195.9

321.2
3,874.7

1.5

 – 
 – 
 – 
–

(0.5)

1.0

0.5
 – 
–
0.1
 – 
– 
(0.2)

0.4

0.2
0.2

 – 

2.2
0.1
 – 
 – 

(1.2)

1.1

 – 
2.2
0.1
0.1
 – 
– 
(1.2)

1.2

0.2
1.0

95.4

2,845.7
897.2
(0.8)
20.7
(18.8)
(398.2)

3,441.2

100.5
3,396.3
982.4
304.2
(1.3)
28.7
(613.3)

4,197.5

321.6
3,875.9

(1) 

 In the previous year, the Group only recognised lease assets and lease liabilities in relation to leases that were classified as finance leases under IAS 17 
“Leases”. The assets were presented in property, plant and equipment and the liabilities as part of the Group’s borrowings. For adjustments recognised 
on adoption of IFRS 16 on 1 January 2019, refer to Note 2. 

The Consolidated Statement of Profit or Loss shows the following amounts relating to leases: 

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Depreciation charge of right-of-use assets
– Land and buildings
– Other
Sublease income
Impairment of right-of-use assets
Expenses relating to short-term leases (included in cost of goods sold and administrative expenses)
Expenses relating to variable lease payments not included in lease liabilities (included in cost of sales)

Charge to operating profit

Interest expense (included in finance costs)

Charge to profit before taxation for leases

The total cash outflow for leases in 2019 was $613.3m.

Commitments for short-term leases at 31 December 2019 was $1.2m. 

31 December 
2019 
$m

398.2
396.5 
1.7 
(5.7)
18.8
13.2
19.9

444.4

304.2

748.6

For sites which are subject to variable lease payments, a 10% increase in sales across all sites in the Group with such variable 
lease contracts would increase total lease payments by approximately $1.9m. 

As outlined in Note 2 extension options (or periods after termination options) are only included in the lease term if the lease is 
reasonably certain to be extended (or not terminated). Should the next available option for all leases be taken the impact on the 
lease liability and right of use asset would be an increase of $524.2m, increasing future cash flows by $1,014.4m.

No leases contain a residual value guarantee clause. 

Some cinema sites are sub-leased to tenants under operating leases with rentals payable monthly. Lease payments for 
some contracts include CPI increases, but there are no other variable lease payments that depend on an index or rate. 
Where considered necessary to reduce credit risk, the Group may obtain bank guarantees for the term of the lease. 

Cineworld Group plc  
Annual Report and Accounts 2019

137

 
 
 
Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements
(forming part of the Financial Statements) continued

21. Leases continued
Sub-lease income of $5.7m was recognised during the current financial year. Minimum lease payments receivable on sub-leases 
are as follows: 

Within 1 year
Between 1 and 2 years
Between 2 and 3 years
Between 3 and 4 years
Between 4 and 5 years
Later than 5 years

31 December 
2019 
$m

5.0
4.7
3.9
2.7
2.4
10.5

Sale and leaseback 
On 15 May 2019 the Group announced the signing and completion of a sale and leaseback transaction relating to 18 US-based 
multiscreen cinemas totalling 255 screens. On 13 June 2019, the Group announced the signing and completion of the second 
sale and leaseback transaction relating to a further 17 US-based multi-screen cinemas totalling 251 screens. The transactions are 
consistent with the Group’s existing business model of operating a predominantly leasehold estate and long-term strategy of 
crystallising value for its shareholders. The properties had a book value of $462.0m at the sale date and the total sales proceeds 
from the two transactions were $556.3m. This resulted in a gain of $17.5m recognised within the Consolidated Statement of 
Profit or Loss as per the table below:

Sales proceeds
Assets disposed of
Cost to sell

Gain prior to right-of-use assets adjustment 
Adjustment for right-of-use asset retained under IFRS 16
Gain on disposal

22. Trade and Other Payables

Current
Trade payables
Other payables
Accruals

Trade and other payables

Non–current
Accruals
Other payables

Other payables

31 December 
2019 
$m

 556.3 
 (462.0) 
 (13.9)

 80.4 
 (62.9)
 17.5 

31 December 
2019 
$m

Represented
31 December 
2018 
$m

127.4
275.2
309.5

712.1

75.1
316.0
311.3

702.4

31 December 
2019 
$m

31 December 
2018 
$m

2.6
9.8

12.4

2.9
153.6

156.5

Included within other payables is $202.0m which represents consideration payable to a group of Regal’s previous shareholders 
who challenged whether they received a fair market price for their shares. The $202.0m was part of the total consideration due 
for the acquisition of Regal and the value represented the number of shares held by these shareholders multiplied by the $23.0 
per share due to be paid to them under the terms of the acquisition. The existence of the legal dispute meant that the cash 
consideration in respect of these shareholdings is retained by the Group until such time as the dispute is settled.

There has been no reasonable evidence presented to date to the courts by the dissenting shareholders or by the courts that the 
consideration should have been in excess of the $23.0 per share paid thus providing the basis for conclusion that the claim is 
without merit and therefore we have only recognised an amount contractually payable to them. 

Amounts in respect of lease incentives and straight-lined lease contracts ($173.8m) were included within the other liabilities 
balance at 31 December 2018. These balances were reclassified on adoption of IFRS 16 ‘Leases’ (Refer Note 2). The Group’s 
policy is to only include items within trade payables where an invoice has been received from a supplier. On this basis the prior 
year split between trade payables and accruals has been restated. We have reclassified $156.7m at 31 December 2018 from 
trade payables to accruals.

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23. Deferred revenue

Government grants
Customer advances
Customer loyalty schemes
Advertising contracts 

Deferred revenue

Current
Non–current

Total

31 December 
2019 
$m

Represented
31 December 
2018 
$m

9.3
213.8
15.3
659.7

898.1

263.1
635.0

898.1

13.1
233.8
25.7
670.5

943.1

283.8
659.3

943.1

Refer to Note 1 for further details of the items classified within deferred revenue and the timing of recognition of these items. 

The following table shows how much revenue has been recognised in relation to carried-forward contract liabilities:

Revenue recognised which was included within the opening contract liability balance:
Contract liabilities – customer loyalty programme
Contract liabilities – advertising income
Contract liabilities – other deferred income

Year ended 
31 December 
2019 
$m

Year ended 
31 December 
2018 
$m

25.7
78.1
153.0

27.8
125.0
113.2

Movements on contract liabilities in connection with the exhibitor service agreement with NCM are disclosed within Note 14. 
A reclassification of $149.8m from non-current to current deferred income has been made within the 2018 comparatives in 
respect of pre-paid gift cards which can be redeemed at any point in the future. 

24. Employee Benefits
Defined benefit pension plans
The Group operates one externally funded defined benefit pension scheme in Ireland, the Adelphi-Carlton Limited Contributory 
Pension Plan.

The Adelphi-Carlton Limited Contributory Pension Plan is closed to new entrants and therefore the current service cost is $nil. 
The trustees of the Adelphi-Carlton Contributory Pension Plan have not agreed that any surplus on the plan can be refunded 
to the Group. Accordingly the surplus has not been recognised. The scheme has a surplus of $0.8m as at 31 December 2019 
(2018: $1.0m).

Actuaries for Adelphi-Carlton Limited carried out the last actuarial valuation of the Scheme as at 1 April 2019. Based on this 
assessment, the actuarial value of the assets is $2.9m which is more than sufficient to cover 100% of the benefits that had 
accrued to members. In view of this, a suspension of Group contributions was in force from 1 April 2001 to 31 December 2019. 
Total contributions for the years ended 31 December 2019 were $nil (2018: $nil). No contributions are expected for the year 
ending 31 December 2020.

Accrued employee retirement rights
Local applicable labour laws and agreements in the ROW require certain Group companies to pay severance pay to dismissed 
or retiring employees (including those leaving their employment under certain other circumstances). The calculation of the 
severance pay liability has been made in accordance with labour agreements in force and based on salary components that, in 
management’s opinion, create entitlement to severance pay.

Group companies’ severance pay liabilities to their employees are funded partially by regular deposits with recognised pension 
and severance pay funds in the employees’ names and by purchase of insurance policies. They are accounted for as if they 
were a defined benefit plan. The amounts funded as above are netted against the related liabilities and are not reflected in the 
Consolidated Statement of Financial Position since they are not under the control and management of the companies.

The amounts of the liability for severance pay presented in the Consolidated Statement of Financial Position reflect that part 
of the liability not covered by the funds and the insurance policies mentioned above, as well as the liability that is funded by 
deposits with recognised central severance pay funds held under the name of the Company’s subsidiaries.

Cineworld Group plc  
Annual Report and Accounts 2019

139

 
 
 
Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements
(forming part of the Financial Statements) continued

24. Employee Benefits continued
Accrued employee retirement rights continued
The cost of severance provision is determined according to the projected unit credit method. It has been calculated using a 
discounted cash flow approach. The calculations are based on the following assumptions:

 − Discount at 31 December 2019 2.08% (2018: 2.09%)

 − Expected returns on plan assets at 31 December 2019 2.0% (2018: 1.45%)

The net provision for accrued employee rights upon retirement comprises: 

Present value of unfunded obligation
Less: Fair value of plan assets

Total obligation

Movements in the provision for accrued employee rights upon retirement:

At start of period 
Payments made upon retirement 
Net movement in provision – charged to net profit
Foreign exchange movements

Total obligation

Defined contribution pension plans
The Group operates a number of defined contribution pension plans.

31 December 
2019 
$m

31 December 
2018 
$m

6.9
(3.4)

3.5

Amount 
deposited 
$m

(2.9)
(1.2)
1.0
(0.3)

(3.4)

6.1
(2.9)

3.2

Net 
amount 
$m

3.2
(1.8)
1.8
0.3

3.5

Gross 
amount 
$m

6.1
(0.6)
0.8
0.6

6.9

The total expense relating to these plans in the current year was $1.8m (2018: $2.8m). There was $nil accruing to these pension 
schemes as at 31 December 2019 (2018: $nil).

Share-based payments
As at 31 December 2019 there were three types of share option and share schemes: the Cineworld Group 2007 Performance 
Share Plan, the Cineworld Group plc Company Share Option Plan and the Cineworld Group 2017 Long Term Incentive Plan. 
Details of each of the schemes are set out in the Directors’ Remuneration Report on pages 66 to 79.

The Cineworld Group Performance Share Plan (‘PSP’)
Assumptions relating to grants of share options outstanding are as follows:

Date of grant

18 April 2016
22 November 2016
12 April 2017

Exercise period

6 months from 18 April 2019
6 months from 22 November 2019
6 months from 12 April 2020

2019 
Number of 
options 
’000

–
19
834

2018 
Number of 
options 
’000

792
19
840

140

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Annual Report and Accounts 2019

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24. Employee Benefits continued
The Cineworld Group Performance Share Plan (‘PSP’) continued
Under the PSP, awards of conditional shares or nil cost options can be made that vest or become exercisable after three years 
subject to continued employment and generally the achievement of specified performance conditions as follows:

18 April 2016 and 22 November 2016
Under these grants, awards of 866,567 options were made in total. Awards of 598,715 options were made with the performance 
conditions set out below:

 − 30% of the options under the Award will vest if the average annual growth in EPS (calculated by comparing the EPS for the 
financial year ended 31 December 2016 and the EPS for the financial year ending 31 December 2018) is not less than 6.0%;

 − 100% of the options under the Award will vest if the average annual growth in EPS (calculated by comparing the EPS for the 
financial year ended 31 December 2016 and the EPS for the financial year ended 31 December 2018) is at least 12.0%; and

 − Where the average annual growth in EPS (calculated by comparing the EPS for the financial year ended 31 December 2016 

and the EPS for the financial year ended 31 December 2018) is between the two limits above, the Award shall vest on a 
straight-line basis between 30% and 100%.

EPS means adjusted Earnings Per Share calculated by dividing the profits for the period attributable to ordinary shareholders 
(adjusted by adding back the amortisation of intangible assets and other one one-off income or expenses and applying a tax 
effect on all adjustments) by the number of ordinary shares outstanding at the end of the period.

Awards over 267,852 options were made which will vest after three years subject to continued employment only, with no 
specified performance conditions attached.

12 April 2017
Under these grants, awards of 854,332 options were made in total. Awards of 670,343 options were made with the 
performance conditions set out below:

 − 25% of the options under the Award will vest if the average annual growth in EPS (calculated by comparing the EPS for the 
financial year ended 31 December 2017 and the EPS for the financial year ended 31 December 2019) is not less than 5.0%.

 − 100% of the options under the Award will vest if the average annual growth in EPS (calculated by comparing the EPS for the 

financial year ended 31 December 2017 and the EPS for the financial year ended 31 December 2019) is at least 11.0%.

 − Where the average annual growth in EPS (calculated by comparing the EPS for the financial year ended 31 December 2017 
and the EPS for the financial year ended 31 December 2019) is between the two limits above, the Award shall vest on a 
straight-line basis between 25% and 100%.

EPS means adjusted Earnings Per Share calculated by dividing the profits for the period attributable to ordinary shareholders 
(adjusted by adding back the amortisation of intangible assets and other one one-off income or expenses and applying a tax 
effect on all adjustments) by the number of ordinary shares outstanding at the end of the period.

Awards over 183,989 options were made which will vest after three years subject to continued employment only, with no 
specified performance conditions attached.

Assumptions relating to grants of share options outstanding are as follows:

Date of grant

18 April 2016
22 November 2016
12 April 2017

Share price 
at grant 
$

Exercise 
price 
$

Expected 
volatility 
%

Expected 
life 
years

Dividend 
yield 
%

Risk-free 
rate 
%

Fair value 
$

7.79
6.83
8.39

–
–
–

38
38
37

3
3
3

2.9
2.9
3.6

0.37
0.37
0.30

7.13
6.26
7.52

A reconciliation of option movements over the year to 31 December 2019 is shown below:

Outstanding at the beginning of the year
Adjustment due to rights issue
Exercised in shares during the year
Granted during the year
Lapsed during the year

Outstanding at the end of the year

Number of 
options 2019 
Equity-settled 
’000

Number of 
options 2018 
Equity-settled 
’000

1,651
–
(785)
–
(12)

854

1,103
1,472
(877)
–
(47)

1,651

A charge of $1.4m was recorded in the Consolidated Statement of Profit or Loss for the four PSP schemes (2018: $2.0m).

Cineworld Group plc  
Annual Report and Accounts 2019

141

 
 
 
Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements
(forming part of the Financial Statements) continued

24. Employee Benefits continued 
The Company Long Term Incentive Plan (‘LTIP’)
The following share options have been granted under the LTIP and were outstanding at 31 December 2019: 

Date of grant

23 April 2018
21 May 2019
18 September 2019

Exercise period

6 months from 23 April 2021
6 months from 21 May 2022
6 months from 21 May 2022

2019 
Number of 
options 
’000

1,604
1,770
6

2018 
Number of 
options 
’000

1,618
–
–

23 April 2018
Under these grants, awards of 1,617,997 options were made in total. Awards of 1,399,843 options were made with the 
performance conditions set out below:

 − 25% of the options under the Award will vest if the average annual growth in EPS (calculated by comparing the EPS for the 
financial year ended 31 December 2018 and the EPS for the financial year ended 31 December 2020) is not less than 8%;

 − 100% of the options under the Award will vest if the average annual growth in EPS (calculated by comparing the EPS for the 

financial year ended 31 December 2018 and the EPS for the financial year ended 31 December 2020) is at least 15%; and

 − Where the average annual growth in EPS (calculated by comparing the EPS for the financial year ended 31 December 2018 
and the EPS for the financial year ended 31 December 2020) is between the two limits above, the Award shall vest on a 
straight-line basis between 25% and 100%.

Awards of 218,154 options were made which will vest after three years subject to continued employment only, with no specified 
performance conditions attached. 

21 May 2019 and 18 September 2019
Under these grants, awards of 1,805,489 options were made in total. Awards of 1,242,908 options were made with the 
performance conditions set out below:

 − 25% of the options under the Award will vest if the average annual growth in EPS (calculated by comparing the EPS for the 
financial year ended 31 December 2019 and the EPS for the financial year ended 31 December 2021) is not less than 8%;

 − 100% of the options under the Award will vest if the average annual growth in EPS (calculated by comparing the EPS for the 

financial year ended 31 December 2019 and the EPS for the financial year ended 31 December 2021) is at least 15%; and

 − Where the average annual growth in EPS (calculated by comparing the EPS for the financial year ended 31 December 2019 

and the EPS for the financial year ended 31 December 2021) is between the two limits above, the Award shall vest on a 
straight-line basis between 25% and 100%.

EPS means adjusted Earnings Per Share calculated by dividing the profits for the period attributable to ordinary shareholders 
(adjusted by adding back the amortisation of intangible assets and other one one-off income or expenses and applying a tax 
effect on all adjustments) by the number of ordinary shares outstanding at the end of the period.

Further awards over 562,581 options were made which will vest after three years subject to continued employment only, with 
no specified performance conditions attached.

Assumptions relating to grants of share options outstanding are as follows:

Date of grant

23 April 2018
21 May 2019
18 September 2019

Share price 
at grant 
$

Exercise 
price 
$

Expected 
volatility 
%

Expected 
life 
years

Dividend 
yield 
%

Risk-free 
rate 
%

Fair value 
$

3.6
4.0
3.9

–
–
–

38.1
38.0
38.0

3
3
2.8

2.5
7.9
8.4

0.91
0.83
0.78

3.3
3.0
2.9

142

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Annual Report and Accounts 2019

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24. Employee Benefits continued
The Company Long Term Incentive Plan (‘LTIP’) continued 
A reconciliation of option movements over the year to 31 December 2019 is shown below:

Outstanding at the beginning of the year
Exercised during the year
Granted during the year
Lapsed during the year

Outstanding at the end of the year

Number of 
options 2019 
Equity-settled 
’000

Number of 
options 2018 
Equity-settled 
’000

1,618
–
1,805
(43)

3,380

–
–
1,618
–

1,618

A charge of $3.5m was recorded in the Consolidated Statement of Profit or Loss for the LTIP scheme (2018: $1.2m).

The Company Share Option Plan (‘CSOP’)
The following share options have been granted under the CSOP and were outstanding at 31 December 2019:

Date of grant

Exercise period

6 June 2014

6 June 2017 – 5 June 2024

23 April 2015

23 April 2018 – 22 April 2025

18 April 2016

18 April 2019 – 17 April 2026

2019 
Number of 
options 
’000

2018 
Number of 
options 
’000

Performance conditions

7

54

34

7

54

34

Awards of 2,891 options were made with 
the same conditions as the 2014 PSP grant. 
Awards of 14,455 were made with no 
performance conditions attached.
All awards were made with no 
performance conditions attached.
All awards were made with no 
performance conditions attached

Assumptions relating to grants of share options outstanding are as follows:

Date of grant

6 June 2014
23 April 2015
18 April 2016

Share price 
at grant 
$

Exercise 
price 
$

Expected 
volatility 
%

5.82
7.23
7.79

5.82
7.23
7.78

41
39
38

Expected life 
years

3 – 10 years
3 – 10 years
3 – 10 years

Dividend 
yield 
%

Risk-free 
rate 
%

Fair value 
$

4.3
4.3
2.9

0.56
0.59
0.37

1.23
1.41
1.65

A reconciliation of option movements over the year to 31 December 2019 is shown below:

Outstanding at the beginning of the year
Adjustments due to rights issue
Exercised during the year
Granted during the year
Lapsed during the year

Outstanding at the end of the year

Number of 
options 2019 
Equity-settled

Number of 
options 2018 
Equity-settled

95
–
–
–
–

95

47
63
(9)
–
(5)

95

A charge of $nil was recorded in the Consolidated Statement of Profit or Loss for the three CSOP schemes (2018: $nil).

The fair value is measured at the grant date and spread over the period during which the employees become unconditionally 
entitled to the options.

Cineworld Group plc  
Annual Report and Accounts 2019

143

 
 
 
Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements
(forming part of the Financial Statements) continued

24. Employee Benefits continued 
Sharesave Scheme
The following share options have been granted under the Sharesave scheme and were outstanding at 31 December 2019:

Exercise period 

8 May 2014
12 May 2015

3 years from 23 April 2015
3 years from 30 June 2015

A reconciliation of option movement over the year to 31 December 2019 is shown below:

Outstanding at the beginning of the year
Adjustments due to rights issue
Exercised during the year
Granted during the year
Lapsed during the year

Outstanding at the end of the year

2019 
Number of 
options 
’000

–
–

2018 
Number of 
options 
’000

–
–

Number of 
options 2019 
Equity-settled 
’000

Number of 
options 2018 
Equity-settled 
’000

2
–
(2)
–
–

–

273
343
(604)
–
(10)

2

A charge of $nil was recorded in the Consolidated Statement of Profit or Loss for the two Sharesave schemes (2018: $nil).

A total expense recognised for the year arising from share-based payments is $4.9m (2018: $3.2m).

The share-based payment expense recognised in creditors relates to dividends accrued by the option holders over the 
vesting period.

The number and weighted average exercise prices of share options in equity-settled schemes are as follows:

Outstanding at the beginning of the year
Adjustments due to rights issue 
Exercised during the year
Granted during the year
Lapsed during the year

Outstanding at the end of the year

Exercisable at the end of the year

Weighted average 
exercise price 
2019 
$ 
Equity-settled

Number of 
options 
2019 
Equity-settled 
‘000

Weighted average 
exercise price 
2018 
$ 
Equity-settled

Number of 
options 
2018 
Equity-settled 
‘000

0.2
–
(0.1)
–
–

0.1

0.1

3,367
–
(788)
1,805
(56)

4,328

115

1.2
2.5
(2.1)
–
(1.4)

0.2 

0.1

1,423
1,878
(1,490)
1,618
(62)

3,367

61

Single Total Figure Table
The table below gives a single figure for the total remuneration and breakdown for each Executive and Non-Executive Director 
in respect of the 2019 financial year. Comparative figures for the 2018 financial year have also been provided.

Year ended 31 December 2019
Total compensation for Directors

Year ended 31 December 2018
Total compensation for Directors

Salary and fees 
including bonus 
$000

Pension 
contributions 
$000

Total 
$000

7,451.1

363.4

7,814.5

Salary and fees 
including bonus 
$000

Pension 
contributions 
$000

Total 
$000

8,548.9

404.5

8,953.4

Full details of Directors’ Remuneration including the highest paid Director can be found in the Directors’ Remuneration Report 
on pages 66 to 70.

144

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Annual Report and Accounts 2019

25. Provisions

Balance at 31 December 2018

Adjustment on adoption of new accounting standard. 
Refer Note 2

Provisions made
Provisions utilised
Provisions released to profit or loss during the year

Balance at 31 December 2019

Current
Non-current

Total

Property 
provisions 
$m

326.3

Provisions for 
contracts with 
suppliers $m

28.0

(325.4)

–
(0.9)
–

–

–
–

–

–

–
(8.5)
(17.1)

2.4

2.4
–

2.4

Other 
provisions 
$m

13.5

–

–
(2.6)
(6.4)

4.5

4.0
0.5

4.5

Total 
provisions 
$m

367.8

(325.4)

–
(12.0)
(23.5)

6.9

6.4
0.5

6.9

Property provisions in 2018 related to onerous leases, dilapidations, unfavourable market rent provisions and other property 
liabilities. Market rent provisions relate to the fair value of liabilities on leases acquired, which are assessed on acquisition and 
released over the remaining life of the lease. A corresponding asset in respect of favourable market rent was recognised within 
other non-current assets in 2018. 

As a result of adopting IFRS 16 on 1 January 2019, the remaining onerous lease and market rent provisions were re-classed from 
provisions to the opening right-of-use asset (refer Note 2). The opening dilapidations provision related to one site which was 
closed during the year, resulting in the utilisation of this provision.

Provisions for contracts with suppliers relate to claims from suppliers against contractual obligations. These provisions were 
assessed by applying the expected payments based on settlement of historic claims, and legal claims which have been 
assessed based on legal advice received. Following ongoing negotiations with contractual business suppliers there has been a 
$17.1m release in the year and a settlement of $8.5m.

Other provisions relate to legal, sales tax and unclaimed property amounts. Releases in the year were made following a review 
of the expected settlement in respect of each individual matter.

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26. Capital and Reserves
Share Capital

Allotted, called up and fully paid
1,371,950,293 (2018: 1,371,163,021) ordinary shares of £0.01 each.

31 December 
2019 
$m

31 December 
2018 
$m

20.1

20.1

On 20 February 2018 the Company’s shareholders subscribed to a rights issue of 1,095,705,180 ordinary shares which were 
issued at 157.0 pence per share on the basis of four shares for every one ordinary shares held. The issue was fully subscribed. 
Transaction costs directly associated with the Rights Issue of $35.6m were capitalised against the issued capital balance 
recognised in equity.

A capital transfer occurred on 26 June 2018, resulting in a transfer of $2,361.3m from share premium to retained earnings in 
order to increase the Group’s distributable reserves for future dividend payments.

Foreign currency translation reserve
The translation reserve comprises all foreign exchange differences arising from the translation of the financial statements of 
foreign operations, as well as from the translation of liabilities that hedge the Company’s net investment in a foreign subsidiary.

Merger reserve
In accordance with Section 612 of the Companies Act 2006, the premium on ordinary shares issued in relation to acquisitions is 
recorded as a merger reserve.

A capital reduction occurred on 26 June 2018, resulting in a transfer of $407.4m from share premium to retained earnings.

Cineworld Group plc  
Annual Report and Accounts 2019

145

 
 
 
Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements
(forming part of the Financial Statements) continued

26. Capital and Reserves continued
Fair value reserve
The fair value reserve comprises the net change in the fair value of equity securities designated as held at fair value.

Hedging reserve
The hedging reserve at 1 January 2019 comprised the foreign exchange movements on the Euro loan which had been 
designated in a hedge relationship with the net investment in the foreign operations denominated in Euro. On 30 September 
2019 this loan was substantially repaid with the hedging relationship ending. A gain of $31.9m was recognised in the reserve up 
to this point. As the Group still holds the investment in the hedged item, the cumulative gain within the reserve in relation to this 
net investment hedge will remain until the point this investment is sold. 

On 30 September 2019 the Group entered into three Euro:US dollar cross currency interest rate swap and designated the swaps 
as a hedge of the net investment in the Group’s Euro investments. A movement of $9.7m was recognised in the reserve during 
the year in relation to changes in fair value on the swaps.

Dividends
The following dividends were recognised during the year:

Special
Q1 Interim
Q2 Interim
Q3 Interim
Interim
Final (for the preceding year)

Total dividends

2019 
$m

278.1
51.4
51.4
–
–
139.3

520.2

2018 
$m

–
–
–
–
66.5
56.3

122.8

The Board now pays four interim dividends for each financial year. Payments in relation to the first three quarters of the year 
are equal to 25% of the full year dividend of the prior year, with the final payment reflective of the Group’s full year earnings 
performance and resulting in a full year dividend payment aligned with the Group’s pay-out ratio. 

On 20 December 2019 the Board announced a Q3 interim dividend of 3.75c per share payable on 10 January 2020. As the 
Board is entitled to rescind any resolution to pay an interim dividend up to the date of payment no accrual for this dividend has 
been recognised at 31 December 2019. 

The Board has proposed the 2019 fourth dividend to be 4.25c per share, reflecting the satisfactory performance for the year, 
the anticipated strong cash flow generation and the strength of the Balance Sheet. The record date for the 2019 fourth dividend 
payment is 14 April 2020 and the payment date will be 1 May 2020. The total proposed dividend for 2019 is 15.5c (2018: 15.0c). 

The final dividend for 2018 of 10.15c per share was paid on 5 July 2019 to ordinary shareholders. The total cash paid was 
$139.3m. On 13 June 2019, the Group announced a special dividend of 20.27c per ordinary share which was paid on 5 July 2019, 
along with the first quarterly payment for 2019 of 3.75c per share. The total cash payable for these dividends was $329.5m. 

The second and third quarterly payment for 2019 of 3.75c per share were paid on 4 October 2019 and 10 January 2020 
respectively. The total cash paid for these two payments was $102.8m. 

146

Cineworld Group plc 
Annual Report and Accounts 2019

27. Financial Instruments
Overview
The Group has exposure to the following risks from its use of financial instruments:

 − Credit risk
 − Liquidity risk
 − Market risk

This note presents information about the Group’s exposure to each of the above risks, the Group’s objectives, policies and 
processes for measuring and managing risk, and the Group’s management of capital.

The Board of Directors has overall responsibility for the establishment and oversight of the Group’s Risk Management 
Framework. The Group has in place a risk management programme and regular reports are made to the Audit Committee, 
which is tasked with general oversight.

The Group’s risk management policies are established to identify and analyse the risks faced by the Group, to set appropriate 
risk limits and controls, and to monitor risks and adherence to limits. Risk management policies and systems are reviewed 
regularly to reflect changes in market conditions and the Group’s activities. The Group, through its training and management 
standards and procedures, aims to develop a disciplined and constructive control environment in which all employees 
understand their roles and obligations.

The Group’s Audit Committee oversees how management monitors compliance with the Group’s risk management policies and 
procedures and reviews the adequacy of the Risk Management Framework in relation to the risks by the Group. The Group’s 
Audit Committee is assisted in its oversight role by internal audit. Internal audit undertakes both regular and ad hoc reviews of 
certain risk management controls and procedures, the results of which are reported to the Audit Committee.

Credit risk
Credit risk is the risk of financial loss to the Group if a customer or counterparty to a financial instrument fails to meet its 
contractual obligation. Management believe the credit risk on cash and cash equivalents is low because the counterparties are 
banks with high credit ratings.

Accounts receivable include trade and other receivables. Trade receivables are amounts billed to customers for the sale 
of services, and represent the maximum exposure to credit risk of those financial assets, exclusive of the allowance for 
doubtful accounts. Normal credit terms for amounts due from customers call for payment within 30 days. Other receivables 
include amounts due from suppliers and landlords and other miscellaneous amounts. The Group’s credit risk is primarily 
related to its trade receivables, as other receivables generally are recoverable through ongoing business relationships with 
the counterparties.

The Group grants credit to customers in the normal course of business. The Group typically does not require collateral or other 
security from customers; however, credit evaluations are performed prior to the initial granting of credit when warranted and 
periodically thereafter. The Group records a reserve for estimated uncollectable amounts, which management believes reduces 
credit risk. See Note 1, for policy on Impairment of financial assets.

The ageing profile of the Group’s trade receivables is as follows: 

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Within 30 days
Between 30 and 60 days
Between 60 and 90 days
Over 90 days

Total trade receivables

31 December 
2019 
$m

31 December 
2018 
$m

161.3 
11.9 
3.9 
7.4 

184.5 

158.0
13.0 
2.9 
9.8 

183.7 

Standard credit terms granted to customers is between 30 to 60 days. The percentage of trade receivables past due date is 
20.6% (2018: 23.3%). The percentage of trade receivables outstanding more than 90 days is 5.6% (2018: 3.6%)

The following schedule reflects the changes in the allowance for trade receivables during the year:

Opening loss allowance
Additional allowance from acquisition
Additional allowance
Amounts written off

Closing loss allowance

31 December 
2019 
$m

31 December 
2018 
$m

1.1 
– 
0.4 
(0.4)

1.1

0.5 
0.6 
(0.4)
0.4 

1.1

Cineworld Group plc  
Annual Report and Accounts 2019

147

 
 
 
Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements
(forming part of the Financial Statements) continued

27. Financial Instruments continued
Credit Risk continued
There are no material expected credit losses against contract assets, cash or other receivables. 

Due to the Group’s diversified client base, management believes the Group does not have a significant concentration of 
credit risk.

Liquidity risk
Liquidity risk is the risk that the Group will not be able to meet its financial obligations as they fall due. The Group’s approach 
to managing liquidity is to ensure, as far as possible, that it will always have sufficient liquidity to meet its liabilities when due, 
under both normal and stressed conditions, without incurring unacceptable losses or risking damage to the Group’s reputation.

The following are the contractual maturities of financial liabilities, including interest payments and excluding the impact of 
netting agreements. The amounts disclosed in the table are contractual undiscounted cash flows, including interest payments 
calculated using interest rates in force at each reporting date, so will not always reconcile with the amounts disclosed on the 
Consolidated Statement of Financial Position.

31 December 2019

Non-derivative financial liabilities
Secured bank loans
Bank overdraft
Lease liabilities
Trade payables

Total non-derivative financial 
liabilities

Derivative financial liabilities
Hedged cross currency swaps
(Inflow)
Outflow

Total derivative financial liabilities

31 December 2018

Non-derivative financial liabilities
Secured bank loans
Loan note
Lease liabilities
Trade payables
Derivative financial asset
Interest rate swaps

Carrying 
amount 
$m

Contractual 
cash flows 
$m

6 months 
or less 
$m

6–12 months 
$m

1–2 years 
$m

2–5 years 
$m

More than 
5 years 
$m

3,616.8 
2.5 
4,197.5 
127.4 

(3,675.6)
(2.5) 
(6,355.2)
(127.4) 

(23.2)
(2.5) 
(344.5)
(127.4) 

(118.3)
– 
(325.7)
– 

(46.6)
– 
(639.2)
– 

(146.2)
– 
(1,193.5)
– 

(3,341.3)
– 
(3,852.3)
– 

7,944.2

10,160.7

497.6

444.0

685.8

1,339.7

7,193.6

9.7
–

9.7

582.2 
(509.3)

72.9

9.6 
(3.7)

5.9

9.6 
(3.7)

5.9

19.2 
(7.4)

11.8

76.7 
(29.7)

47.0

467.1 
(464.8)

2.3

Carrying 
amount 
$m

Contractual 
cash flows 
$m

6 months 
or less 
$m

6–12 months 
$m

1–2 years 
$m

2–5 years 
$m

More than 
5 years 
$m

3,946.1
3.0
100.5
75.1

(4,024.2)
(3.0)
(143.6)
(75.1)

(36.9)
(1.5)
(11.7) (11.7)
(75.1)

(36.9)
(1.5)
(11.7)
–

(40.2)
–
(16.0)
–

(3,910.2)
–
(40.9)
–

–
–
(63.3)
–

(0.2)

0.4

0.4

–

–

–

–

Total

4,124.5

(4,245.5)

(124.8)

(50.1)

(56.2)

(3,951.1)

(63.3)

Refer to Note 20 for details on the Group’s borrowing facilities, including covenants attached to these. 

Net Investment Hedging
As at 31 December 2018 there were no net investment hedges. At 31 December 2019 the Group had three cross currency swaps. 
These were designated as a net investment hedge, with changes in fair value of these derivatives recognised in equity to match 
translation adjustments on foreign currency equity instruments of which they are hedged against. 

Items held in net investment hedge:

Cross currency swaps

Year of 
maturity

2026

31 December 2019

Change in value of 
hedging instrument
$m

Change in value of 
hedged item
$m

Change in value of 
hedging instrument
$m

31 December 2018

Change in value of 
hedged item
$m

(9.7)

9.7

– 

–

148

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Annual Report and Accounts 2019

 
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27. Financial Instruments continued
Net Investment Hedging continued
At 31 December 2019 the nominal amount of the hedging instruments held in net investment hedge was $450.0m (2018: $nil) 
and the nominal amounts of the hedged risk were €408.3m (2018 €nil), the hedge ratio is 1:1. The items held in a net investment 
hedge mitigate the net asset translation exposure arising from movements in non-functional currencies. Potential sources of 
hedge ineffectiveness are credit risk and cross currency basis. 

The hedging reserve contains a balance of $9.7m in relation to continuing net investment hedges and a balance of $11.9m in 
relation to net investment hedge relationships for which hedge accounting is no longer applied. 

Cash flow hedges
There were no cash flow hedges at 31 December 2019. The following table indicates the periods in which the discounted cash 
flows associated with derivatives at 31 December 2018 that were cash flow hedges and were expected to occur.

31 December 2018

Interest rate swaps

0.2

(0.4)

(0.4)

–

–

–

–

Carrying 
amount 
$m

Expected 
cash flows 
$m

6 months 
or less 
$m

6–12 months 
$m

1–2 years 
$m

2–5 years 
$m

More than 
5 years 
$m

Market risk
Market risk is the risk that changes in market prices, such as foreign exchange rates, interest rates and equity prices will affect 
the Group’s income or the value of its holdings of financial instruments. The objective of market risk management is to manage 
and control market risk exposures within acceptable parameters, while optimising the return on risk.

Foreign currency risk
Operating across ten territories increase the Group’s exposure to currency risk. Wherever possible, overseas operations will 
fund their day-to-day working capital requirements in local currency with cash generated from operations, naturally hedging 
the currency risk exposure to the Group. Management will continually monitor the level of currency risk exposure, and consider 
hedging where appropriate. Currently the Group considers the currency risk on consolidation of the assets and liabilities of its 
foreign entities to be of low materiality, no hedging has been undertaken.

The Group entered into a US Dollar : Canadian Dollar contingent forward contract to hedge against the Group’s foreign 
currency exposure arising from the purchase price acquisition of Cineplex. This forward is contingent on the completion of the 
Cineplex acquisition. Refer to Note 31 for post balance sheet events. 

Interest rate risk
Interest rate risk arises from the Group’s borrowing facilities in which a variable rate of interest is charged. The Group has 
historically managed this risk by securing fixed interest rates on a portion of its term loans.

Whilst fixed-rate interest-bearing debt is not exposed to cash flow interest rate risk, there is no opportunity for the Group to 
enjoy a reduction in borrowing costs in markets where rates are falling.

In addition, the fair value risk inherent in fixed-rate borrowing means that the Group is exposed to unplanned costs should debt 
be restructured or repaid early as part of the liquidity management process.

Exposure to interest rate risk is monitored through several measures including sensitivity and scenario testing and a cost benefit 
analysis of entering into interest rate swaps to mitigate this risk.

The Group believes it is more cost effective for the US term loan to remain unhedged. The Group however uses interest rate 
swaps agreed with other parties to hedge a portion of the interest charged on the Euro term loan. Interest rate swaps are 
measured at fair value, which have been calculated by discounting the expected future cash flows at prevailing interest rates.

At 31 December 2019 the Group had three (2018: two) cross currency interest rate swaps and one (2018: none) contingent 
cross current interest rate swap. An incremental USD term loan was taken out for $650.0m and this was used in part to enter 
three Euro to USD cross currency interest rate swaps. Under the arrangements of these Swaps the Group received €408.7m. 
These proceeds were used to settle €408.0m of the Group’s outstanding Euro term loan and the Group now pays a Euro 
coupon on the notional outstanding balance of the Euro legs of the swaps and receives a coupon on the notional outstanding 
balance of the USD legs of the swaps. The USD coupon is then used to pay the coupon on the $650.0m new term loan. 
On maturity of the swaps and the incremental USD term loan, the Group will receive $450.0m on the US dollar legs of the 
swaps and pay €408.7m on the Euro leg.

A contingent cross currency interest rate swap was entered into to hedge the repayment of the Cineplex existing debt as 
part of the proposed acquisition announced on 16 December 2019. This cross currency interest rate swap is contingent on the 
acquisition taking place. Refer to Note 31 for post balance sheet events. 

Cineworld Group plc  
Annual Report and Accounts 2019

149

 
 
 
Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements
(forming part of the Financial Statements) continued

27. Financial Instruments continued
Cash flow sensitivity analysis for variable rate instruments
At the reporting date the interest rate profile of the Group’s interest-bearing financial instruments was:

Fixed rate instruments
Financial liability / (assets) (interest rate swap)
Financial liabilities (secured bank loans – hedged portion)
Loan note
Lease liabilities

Total

Variable rate instruments
Financial liabilities (secured bank loans – unhedged portion)

Carrying amount

31 December 
2019 
$m

31 December 
2018 
$m

 14.2 
642.3 
– 
4,197.5 

4,854.0 

(0.2)
32.8
3.0
100.5

136.1

2,974.5

3,913.3

$642.3m (2018: $32.8m) of the variable rate financial liability is hedged via the cross currency interest rate swaps with the 
balance attracting a variable interest rate.

Fair value sensitivity analysis for fixed rate instruments
The Group accounts for fixed-rate derivative financial instruments (interest rate swaps) at fair value. The gain or loss on 
remeasurement to fair value is recognised immediately in the Consolidated Statement of Profit or Loss except where derivatives 
qualify for hedge accounting when recognition of any resultant gain or loss depends on the nature of the item being hedged.

A change of 100 basis points in interest rates would have increased equity by $6.5m (2018: $0.6m) or decreased equity by 
$6.5m (2018: $0.6m) for each swap.

A change of 100 basis points in interest rates at the reporting date would have increased/(decreased) equity and profit or 
loss by the amounts shown below. This analysis assumes that all other variables, in particular foreign currency rates, remain 
constant. The analysis is performed on the same basis for 2018.

Effect in dollars thousands

31 December 2019
Variable rate instruments
Interest rate swap

Cash flow sensitivity (net)

31 December 2018
Variable rate instruments
Interest rate swap

Cash flow sensitivity (net)

Profit or loss

100 bp 
increase

100 bp 
decrease

Equity

100 bp 
increase

100 bp 
decrease

(37.8)
6.5

(31.3)

(40,9)
0.6

(40.3)

37.8
(6.5)

31.3

40.9
(0.6)

40.3

(37.8)
6.5

(31.3)

(40.9)
0.6

(40.3)

37.8
(6.5)

31.3

40.9
(0.6)

40.3

Fair values
Set out below is a comparison by category of carrying amounts and fair values of the Group’s financial instruments that are 
carried in the Financial Statements.

Carrying amount 
31 December 
2019 
$m

Fair value 
31 December 
2019 
$m

Carrying amount 
31 December 
2018 
$m

Fair value 
31 December 
2018 
$m

3,616.8 
2.5
– 
(10.0)
(10.4)
4.5
9.7 

3,613.1 

3,675.6 
2.5
– 
(10.0)
(10.4)
4.5
9.7

3,671.9 

3,946.2
–
3.0
(7.5)
–
–
(0.2)

3,941.5

4,024.2
–
3.0
(7.5)
–
–
(0.2)

4,019.5

Secured bank loans
Bank overdraft
Loan notes
Equity investments
Forward contract
Unhedged interest rate swap
Hedged Interest rate swap

Total

150

Cineworld Group plc 
Annual Report and Accounts 2019

 
27. Financial Instruments continued
Fair values continued
Cash and cash equivalents, trade and other receivables, accounts payable and accrued liabilities are reflected in the 
Consolidated Financial Statements at carrying values that approximate fair values because of the short-term maturities of these 
financial instruments. Short-term debtors, creditors and cash and cash equivalents have been excluded from the above table on 
the basis that their carrying amount is a reasonable approximation to fair value.

Finance lease liabilities are recorded at amortised cost, as derived from expected cash outflows and the estimated incremental 
borrowing rate attached to the lease. Finance lease liabilities are separately disclosed within the Consolidated Statement of 
Financial Position. 

Fair value hierarchy
The purpose of the interest rate swap agreements is to act as a cash flow hedge of the floating interest rate payable on the 
Group’s $650.0m borrowings. The Group considered its hedging relationships and determined that the interest rate swap 
agreements on its $650.0m of borrowings qualify for hedge accounting in accordance with IFRS 9, “Financial Instruments”. 
Under the provisions of IFRS 9, the interest rate swap agreements are recorded on the Consolidated Statement of Financial 
Position at their fair values, with subsequent changes in fair value recorded in the Consolidated Statement of Comprehensive 
Income. See Note 20 Long-term debt for the Group’s current swap agreements.

Equity investments relate to investments designated as fair value through OCI. Fair value has been calculated by reference to 
quoted market values. Any movement in fair value has been recognised within fair value reserve. The Group holds unquoted 
equity investments and concluded that these cost of investments represent their fair value at 31 December 2019.

The difference between net carrying amount and estimated fair value reflects unrealised gains or losses inherent in the 
instruments based on valuations at 31 December 2019 and 31 December 2018. The volatile nature of the markets means that 
values at any subsequent date could be significantly different from the values reported above.

The fair value of derivatives and borrowings has been calculated by discounting the expected future cash flows at prevailing 
interest rates. The carrying amount of unsecured bank loans is stated net of debt issuance costs and the fair value is stated 
gross of debt issuance costs and is calculated using the market interest rates.

The table below analyses financial instruments carried at fair value by valuation method. The different levels have been defined 
as follows:

 − In general, fair values determined by Level 1 inputs use quoted prices in active markets for identical financial assets or 

financial liabilities that the Group has the ability to access. 

 − Fair values determined by Level 2 inputs use inputs other than the quoted prices included in Level 1 that are observable for 
the financial asset or financial liability, either directly or indirectly. Level 2 inputs include quoted prices for similar financial 
assets and financial liabilities in active markets, and inputs other than quoted prices that are observable for the financial 
assets or financial liabilities. The Group uses market interest rates and yield curves that are observable at commonly quoted 
intervals in the valuation of its interest rate swap agreements. The derivative positions are valued using models developed 
internally by the respective counterparty that uses as its basis readily observable market parameters (such as forward yield 
curves) and are classified within Level 2 of the valuation hierarchy. The Group considers its own credit risk as well as the 
credit risk of its counterparties when evaluating the fair value of its derivatives. Any adjustments resulting from credit risk are 
recorded as a change in fair value of the derivatives and reflected in the Statement of Comprehensive Income.

 − Level 3 inputs are unobservable inputs for the financial asset or financial liability, and include situations where there is little, 
if any, market activity for the financial asset or financial liability. The Group’s assessment of the significance of a particular 
input to the fair value measurement in its entirety requires judgement, and considers factors specific to the financial asset or 
financial liability. 

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Derivative financial instruments
Equity investments

31 December 2018
Derivative financial instruments
Equity investments

Level 1 
$m

Level 2 
$m

– 
– 

–
(2.5)

3.8 
– 

(0.2)
–

Level 3 
$m

– 
(10.0)

–
(5.0)

Total 
$m

3.8 
(10.0)

(0.2)
(7.5)

There have been no transfers between levels in 2019. No other financial instruments are held at fair value.

Cineworld Group plc  
Annual Report and Accounts 2019

151

 
 
 
Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements
(forming part of the Financial Statements) continued

27. Financial Instruments continued
Fair Value Hierarchy continued
Valuation techniques used to determine fair values
Specific valuation techniques used to value financial instruments include: 

 − The fair value of derivatives and borrowings has been calculated by discounting the expected future cash flows at prevailing 

interest rates. 

 − The carrying amount of bank loans is stated net of debt issuance costs and the fair value is stated gross of debt issuance 

costs and is calculated using the market interest rates. 

 − The fair value of investments has been calculated by reference to quoted market values. The Group holds two unquoted 
equity investment and have concluded that the cost of these investments represents its fair value at 31 December 2019.

All of the resulting fair value estimates are included in level 2 except for unlisted equity investments (level 3). 

The difference between net carrying amount and estimated fair value reflects unrealised gains or losses inherent in the 
instruments based on valuations at 31 December 2019 and 31 December 2018. The volatile nature of the markets means that 
values at any subsequent date could be significantly different from the values reported above.

Capital Management
The capital structure of the Group consists of the following items:

Cash and cash equivalents
Bank loans and overdrafts
Lease liabilities
Equity attributable to equity holders of the parent

Total

2019 
$m

140.6
3,619.3
4,197.5
3,3,775.2

11,732.6

2018 
$m

316.3
3,946.1
100.7
3,645.9

8,009.0

The Board of Directors constantly monitors the ongoing capital requirements of the business and has reviewed the current 
gearing ratio, being the ratio of bank debt to equity and considers it appropriate for the Group’s current circumstances. 
Ratios used in the monitoring of debt capital include the ratio of Adjusted EBITDA to net debt.

The Group’s objective when managing capital is to maintain a strong capital base so as to maintain investor, creditor and 
market confidence and to sustain future development of the business, to provide returns for shareholders and to optimise 
the capital structure to reduce the cost of capital. The Board of Directors monitors both the demographic spread of 
shareholders, as well as the return on capital, which the Group defines as total shareholders’ equity and the level of dividends to 
ordinary shareholders.

28. Non-cancellable Operating Leases
In 2018 the Group classified leases for cinema sites and offices as operating leases, expiring within six months to forty years 
From 1 January 2019, following adoption of IFRS 16 the Group has recognised right-of-use assets for these leases, except for 
short-term leases (refer to Note 2).

At 31 December 2018 the non-cancellable operating lease rental commitments for land and buildings were as follows:

Less than one year
Between one and five years
More than five years

Total non-cancellable operating lease commitment

31 December 
2018 
$m

593.3
2,045.5
2,734.6

5,373.4

152

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Annual Report and Accounts 2019

 
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29. Capital Commitments
Capital commitments at the end of the financial year for which no provision has been made:

Contracted

31 December 
2019 
$m

31 December 
2018 
$m

294.5

322.3

Capital commitments at the end of the current and preceding financial year relate to new sites and refurbishment projects 
which have commenced or have been committed to through a executed lease agreement or lease amendment. 

30. Related Parties
The compensation of the Directors is as follows:

Year ended 31 December 2019
Total compensation for Directors

Year ended 31 December 2018
Total compensation for Directors

Salary and fees 
including bonus 
$’000

Pension 
contributions 
$’000

Total 
$’000

7,451.1

363.4

7,814.5

Salary and fees 
including bonus 
$’000

Pension 
contributions 
$’000

Total 
$’000

8,548.9

404.5

8,953.4

Details of the highest paid Director can be found in the Directors’ Remuneration Report on pages 66 to 79.

Other related party transactions
Digital Cinema Media Limited (“DCM”) is a joint venture between the Group and Odeon Cinemas Holdings Limited set up on 
10 July 2008. Revenue receivable from DCM in the year ended 31 December 2019 totalled $24.9m (2018: $25.2m) and as at 
31 December 2019 $3.8m (2018: $3.3m) was due from DCM in respect of receivables. In addition, the Group has a working 
capital loan outstanding from DCM of $0.6m (2018: $0.6m).

NCM is a joint venture between AMC Entertainment Holdings Inc, Cinemark Holdings Inc and the Group. As at 31 December 
2019 $1.4m (2018: $1.3m) was due to NCM in respect of trade payables and $6.3m (2018: $2.7m) was due from NCM in respect 
of trade receivables. Refer Note 14 for details of transactions with NCM.

The Group had a note payable to NCM in the amount of $3.0m as of 31 December 2018 as outlined in Note 19. The note bore 
interest at 5.0% per year and was fully repaid during the year ended 31 December 2019. Revenue receivable from NCM in the 
year ended 31 December 2019 totalled $97.8m (2018: $80.1m)

Fathom AC JV is a joint venture between AMC Entertainment Holdings Inc, Cinemark Holdings Inc and NCM. There were no 
transactions during the year. As at 31 December 2019 $0.9m (2018: $3.0m) was due to Fathom AC in respect of trade payables.

Revenue receivable from Black Shrauber Limited in the year ended 31 December 2019 totalled $0.1m (2018: $0.1m). There were 
no amounts due to or from Black Shrauber Limited at 31 December 2019. 

Global City Holdings N.V. (‘GCH’), is a company in which Moshe Greidinger and Israel Greidinger, Directors of the Group, have a 
controlling interest. During the year, the Group made lease payments of $10.4m (2018: $9.6m) to companies under the control 
of GCH. At 31 December 2019 $57.5m (2018: $nil) in lease liabilities were included within the Group’s Statement of Financial 
Position. The Group had amounts payable of $1.7m (2018: nil) by companies under the control of GCH. 

Details of subsidiaries held by the Group can be found in Note 34.

31. Post Balance Sheet Events 
On 16 December 2019, the Group announced the proposed transaction of Cineplex by means of an acquisition of the entire 
issued, and to be issued share capital of Cineplex. The acquisition was based on an implied enterprise value of $2.1bn. 

Due to its size, the acquisition was classed as a Class 1 transaction under the Listing Rules, and therefore required shareholder 
approval. The Group and Cineplex shareholders approved the acquisition on 11 February 2020. Prior to the acquisition 
completing the Investment Canada Act Approval must be obtained. 

The consideration for the acquisition of $2.3bn will be fully settled in cash which will be raised through a $2.0bn extension to 
the Group’s existing term loans and a $0.3bn unsecured bridge loan. 

Given the acquisition has not yet completed at the approval date of the 2019 Financial Statements, no accounting for the 
acquisition in accordance with IFRS 3 “Business Combinations” has been included in these Financial Statements.

Cineworld Group plc  
Annual Report and Accounts 2019

153

 
 
 
Company Statement of Financial Position
At 31 December 2019

Non-current assets
Investments

Total non-current assets

Current assets
Financial assets at amortised cost
Cash at bank
Total current assets

Total assets

Current liabilities
Other payables
Bank overdraft

Total liabilities

Net current assets

Total assets less current liabilities

Net assets

Capital and reserves
Called up share capital
Share premium account
Translation reserve
Profit and loss account

Shareholders’ funds – equity

31 December 
2019 
$m

31 December 
2018 
$m

Note

34

3,446.0

3,446.0

896.6 
15.7 
912.3

3,339.1

3,339.1

738.8
0.1
738.9

4,358.3

4,078.0

(583.1)
– 

(583.1)

329.2 

(391.5)
(40.6)

(432.1)

306.8

3,775.2 

3,645.9

3,775.2

3,645.9

20.1
516.0
(345.3)
3,584.4

20.1
513.8
(462.1)
3,574.1

3,775.2

3,645.9

35

36

26

The Company generated a profit of $528.8m (2018: $551.7m) during the current financial year. 

These Financial Statements were approved by the Board of Directors on 12 March 2020 and were signed on its behalf by:

Nisan Cohen
Director

154

Cineworld Group plc 
Annual Report and Accounts 2019

Company Statement of Changes in Equity
For the Year Ended 31 December 2019

Issued 
capital 
$m

Share 
premium 
$m

Balance at 31 December 2017
Profit for the year
Other comprehensive income
Items that will subsequently be reclassified 
to profit or loss
Recycling of hedging reserve
Movement on translation reserve
Tax recognised on income and expenses 
recognised directly in equity

Contributions by and distributions 
to owners
Dividends
Movements due to share-based compensation
Capital transfer
Issue of shares

5.0
–

–
–

–

–
–
–
–
15.1

548.1
–

–
–

–

–
–

–

–
–
–
(2,361.3)
2,327.0

–
–
–
(407.4)
–

Balance at 31 December 2018

20.1

513.8

Profit for the year
Other comprehensive income
Items that will subsequently be reclassified 
to profit or loss
Recycling of hedging reserve
Movement on translation reserve
Tax recognised on income and expenses 
recognised directly in equity

Contributions by and distributions 
to owners
Dividends
Movements due to share-based compensation
Issue of shares

–

–
–

–

–
–
–

–

–
–

–

–
–
2.2

Balance at 31 December 2019

20.1

516.0

–

–

–
–

–

–
–
–

–

Merger 
reserve 
$m

407.4
–

Hedging 
reserve 
$m

Translation 
reserve 
$m

Retained 
earnings 
$m

(2.0)
–

(212.9)
–

380.3
551.7

Total 
$m

1,125.9
551.7

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2.0
–

–
(249.1)

(2.0)
–

–
(249.1)

–

–
–
–
–
–

–

–

–
–

–

–
–
–

–

–

–
–
–
–
–

–

–

–
(122.8)
(1.9)
2,768.7
–

–
(122.8)
(1.9)
–
2,342.1

(462.0)

3,574.0

3,645.9

–

528.8

528.8

–
116.7

–

–
–
–

–
–

–

–
116.7

–

(520.2)
1.8
–

(520.2)
1.8
2.2

(345.3)

3,584.4

3,775.2

Cineworld Group plc  
Annual Report and Accounts 2019

155

 
 
 
Notes to the Company Financial Statements

32. Accounting Policies
The following accounting policies have been applied consistently in dealing with items which are considered material in relation 
to the Company’s financial statements.

Basis of Preparation
Cineworld PLC is a company incorporated and domiciled in the UK. 

These Financial Statements present information about the Company as an individual undertaking and not about its Group. 

These Financial Statements were prepared in accordance with Financial Reporting Standard 101 Reduced Disclosure 
Framework (“FRS 101”). 

In preparing these financial statements, the Company applies the recognition, measurement and disclosure requirements of 
International Financial Reporting Standards as adopted by the EU (‘Adopted IFRSs’), but makes amendments where necessary 
in order to comply with Companies Act 2006 and has set out below where advantage of the FRS 101 disclosure exemptions 
have been taken. 

In these Financial Statements, the Company has applied the exemptions available under FRS 101 in respect of the 
following disclosures:

 − a Cash Flow Statement and related notes;

 − disclosures in respect of transactions with wholly owned subsidiaries;

 − disclosures in respect of capital management;

 − the effects of new but not yet effective IFRSs;

 − disclosures in respect of the compensation of Key Management Personnel; and

 − a separate Statement of Profit or Loss in line with the section 408 exemption.

Presentational currency
The functional currency of the company is Sterling. To aid the users of the Company accounts with consistency of the 
consolidated Group accounts, the Company’s presentational currency is in US dollars.

Investments
In the Company’s financial statements, investments in subsidiary undertakings are stated at cost less provision for any 
impairment in value.

Impairment
The Company evaluates its investments for financial impairment where events or circumstances indicate that the carrying 
amount of such assets may not be fully recoverable. When such evaluations indicate that the carrying value of an asset exceeds 
its recoverable value, an impairment in value is recorded.

Deferred taxation
Deferred tax is recognised using the Statement of Financial Position method, providing temporary differences between the 
carrying amounts of assets and liabilities for financial reporting purposes and the amounts used for taxation purposes.

Deferred tax is recognised, without discounting, in respect of all temporary differences except as otherwise required by IAS 12.

Share-based payment transactions
The share options programme allows Group employees to acquire shares of the Company. The fair value of options are 
measured at grant date and spread over the period during which the employees become unconditionally entitled to the options. 
The fair value of the options granted is measured using an evaluation model, taking into account the terms and conditions upon 
which the options were granted. The amount recognised as an expense is adjusted to reflect the actual number of share options 
that vest except where forfeiture is due only to share prices not achieving the threshold for vesting.

Where the Company grants options over its own shares to the employees of its subsidiaries it recognises an increase in the 
cost of investment in its subsidiaries equivalent to the equity-settled share-based payment charge recognised in its subsidiary’s 
Financial Statements with the corresponding credit being recognised directly in equity. Amounts recharged to or reimbursed 
by the subsidiary are recognised as a reduction in the cost of investment in the subsidiary.

Financial instruments
Financial assets and financial liabilities are recognised when the Company becomes a party to the contractual provisions of the 
financial instrument. Financial assets are de-recognised when the rights to receive cash flows from the financial assets have 
expired or have been transferred and the Company has transferred substantially all risks and rewards of ownership. 

Financial liabilities are de-recognised when the contractual obligations are discharged, cancelled or expire. 

156

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Annual Report and Accounts 2019

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32. Accounting Policies continued
Financial instruments continued
Financial assets and financial liabilities are offset and the net amount is reported in the Statement of Financial Position, when 
there is a legally enforceable right to offset the recognised amounts and there is an intention to settle on a net basis, or realise 
the financial asset and settle the financial liability simultaneously.

IFRS 9 contains three classification categories for financial assets and liabilities: measured at amortised cost, fair value through 
profit or loss (“FVPL”) and fair value through other comprehensive income (“FVOCI”). 

At initial recognition, the Company classifies its financial instruments in the following categories depending on the purpose for 
which the financial instruments were acquired: 

Financial assets at amortised cost: 

The Company’s loans and receivables comprise cash and cash equivalents and loans receivable from other legal entities within 
the Cineworld Group. Loans and receivables are initially recognised at the amount expected to be received, less, when material, 
a discount to reduce the loans and receivables to fair value. Subsequently, loans and receivables are measured at amortised 
cost using the effective interest method, less a loss allowance. 

The Company fixed asset investment is held at amortised cost. 

Impairment of financial assets 
At each reporting date, the Company assesses whether there is objective evidence that a financial asset is impaired. If such 
evidence exists, the Company recognises an impairment loss. 

Loss allowances will be measured on either of the following bases:

i.  12-month ECLs which are ECLs that result from possible default events within 12 months after the reporting date; and

ii. lifetime ECLs which are ECLs that result from all possible default events over the expected life of a financial instruments. 

The Company measures expected credit losses using a lifetime expected loss allowance for all intercompany receivables. 
Impairment losses on financial assets carried at amortised cost or FVOCI are reversed in subsequent years if the amount of the 
loss decreases and the decrease can be related objectively to an event occurring after the impairment was recognised.

The carrying amount of the Company’s fixed asset investment is reviewed at each Statement of Financial Position date 
to determine whether there is any indication of impairment. If any such indication exists, the asset’s recoverable amount 
is estimated. 

An impairment loss is recognised whenever the carrying amount of these fixed asset investments exceeds their recoverable 
amount. Impairment losses are recognised in the Company’s Statement of Profit or Loss.

The recoverable amount is the greater of the asset’s fair value less costs to sell and value in use. In assessing value in use, the 
estimated future cash flows are discounted to their present value using a pre-tax discount rate that reflects current market 
assessments of the time value of money and the risks specific to the asset. 

Estimates
Estimates and underlying assumptions are reviewed on an ongoing basis. Revisions to accounting estimates are recognised in 
the year in which the estimate is revised and in any future years affected.

In applying the Company’s accounting policies described above the Directors have identified that the following area as key 
estimates that have a significant impact on the amounts recognised in the Financial Statements.

Impairment of fixed asset investments
The Group determines whether fixed asset investments are impaired when indicators of impairments exist and a detailed 
impairment review exercise was performed at 31 December 2019. No impairment was recognised. .

Estimating the value in use requires the Group to make an estimate of the expected future cash flows from each investment and 
to discount these to their net present value at a discount rate which is appropriate for the territory where the assets are held. 
The resulting calculation is sensitive to the assumptions in respect of future cash flows and the discount rate applied. 

The Directors consider that the assumptions made represent their best estimate of the future cash flows generated by the 
investments and that the discount rates used are appropriate given the risks associated with the specific cash flows. 

33. Staff Numbers and Costs
The Company pays no employees, salaries of the Directors of the Company, including Non-Executive Directors, as well as the 
Company Secretary are recharged to the Company from its subsidiary Cineworld Cinemas Ltd. Total salaries paid to Non-
Executive Directors were $0.9m (2018: $0.8m).

Cineworld Group plc  
Annual Report and Accounts 2019

157

 
 
 
Notes to the Company Financial Statements continued

34. Fixed Asset Investments

Company

Balance at 31 December 2017
Additions

Disposal
Share for share exchange
Effects of movement in foreign exchange

Balance at 31 December 2018
Additions

Disposal
Share options awarded to employees of subsidiaries
Effects of movement in foreign exchange

Balance at 31 December 2019

Net book value
At 31 December 2018

At 31 December 2019

Shares in 
Group 
undertakings 
$m

1,215.9
2,361.8

(1,246.3)
1,246.3
(238.6)

3,339.1
–

–
2.4
104.5

3,446.0

3,339.1

3,446.0

On 28 February 2018 the Company subscribed to 100% of the share capital of Crown UK HoldCo Limited for consideration of 
$2.4bn. On the same date it disposed of its investments held at 31 December 2017 to Crown UK HoldCo Limited in a share for 
share exchange, increasing its investment in Crown UK HoldCo by $1.2bn to $3.3bn.

Cineworld Group plc fixed asset investments 

Registered office

Principal activity

Class

% of shares 
held

8th Floor, Vantage London,  
Great West Road, Brentford, TW8 9AG

Holding Company

Ordinary

100

Subsidiary undertakings

Directly held

Crown UK Holdco Limited

Indirectly held

Cinema City Holding B.V.

Augustus 1 Limited

Cinema Finco 1 Limited

Cinema Finco 2 Limited

Cinema Finco 3 Limited

Cinema Finco 4 Limited

Cinema Finco 5 Limited

Cinema Finco 6 Limited

Cinema City Holdco  
(Hungary) K.F.T

Crown Intermediate  
Holdco. Inc

PO Box 1370 NL-3000 BJ Rotterdam  
The Netherlands

8th Floor, Vantage London,  
Great West Road, Brentford, TW8 9AG

8th Floor, Block E, Iveagh Court,  
Harcourt Road, Dublin 2, Ireland

8th Floor, Block E, Iveagh Court,  
Harcourt Road, Dublin 2, Ireland

8th Floor, Block E, Iveagh Court,  
Harcourt Road, Dublin 2, Ireland

8th Floor, Block E, Iveagh Court,  
Harcourt Road, Dublin 2, Ireland

8th Floor, Block E, Iveagh Court,  
Harcourt Road, Dublin 2, Ireland

8th Floor, Block E, Iveagh Court,  
Harcourt Road, Dublin 2, Ireland

Holding Company

Ordinary

Holding Company

Ordinary

Financing Company Ordinary

Financing Company Ordinary

Financing Company Ordinary

Financing Company Ordinary

Financing Company Ordinary

Financing Company Ordinary

1132 Budapest, Váci út 22-44

Financing Company Ordinary

101 E. Blount Avenue, Knoxville, 
TN 37920, United States

Holding Company

Ordinary

Cineworld Hunco. Kft

1132 Budapest, Váci út 22-44

Holding Company

Ordinary

Crown Finance US. Inc

Augustus 2 Limited

101 E. Blount Avenue, Knoxville, 
TN 37920, United States

8th Floor, Vantage London,  
Great West Road, Brentford, TW8 9AG

Holding Company

Ordinary

Holding Company

Ordinary

158

Cineworld Group plc 
Annual Report and Accounts 2019

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100

100

100

100

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100

100

100

100

100

100

100

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34. Fixed Asset Investments continued
Cineworld Group plc fixed asset investments continued

Registered office

Principal activity

Class

% of shares 
held

Cineworld Holdings Limited

Cine-UK Limited

8th Floor, Vantage London,  
Great West Road, Brentford, TW8 9AG

8th Floor, Vantage London,  
Great West Road, Brentford, TW8 9AG

Holding Company

Ordinary

Cinema operations

Ordinary

Cineworld Cinemas  
Holdings Limited

8th Floor, Vantage London,  
Great West Road, Brentford, TW8 9AG

Holding Company

Ordinary

Picturehouse Cinemas Limited 8th Floor, Vantage London,  

Cinema operations

Ordinary

Great West Road, Brentford, TW8 9AG

Cineworld Cinemas Limited

8th Floor, Vantage London,  
Great West Road, Brentford, TW8 9AG

Holding Company and 
Cinema operations

Ordinary

Classic Cinemas Limited

8th Floor, Vantage London,  
Great West Road, Brentford, TW8 9AG

Retail services 
company

Gallery Holdings Limited

Cineworld Estates Limited

Adelphi Carlton Limited

8th Floor, Vantage London,  
Great West Road, Brentford, TW8 9AG

8th Floor, Vantage London,  
Great West Road, Brentford, TW8 9AG

8th Floor, Block E, Iveagh Court,  
Harcourt Road, Dublin 2, Ireland

Ordinary

Ordinary

Ordinary

Dormant holding 
Company

Cinema property 
leasing

Cinema operations

Ordinary

Basildon Cinema 2 Limited

2nd Floor, The Le Gallais Building, 54 Bath 
Street, St Helier, Channel Islands, JE2 1FW

Cinema property 
leasing

Ordinary

Basildon Cinema  
Number Two 2 Limited

2nd Floor, The Le Gallais Building, 54 Bath 
Street, St Helier, Channel Islands, JE2 1FW

Cinema operations

Bromley Cinema 2 Limited

2nd Floor, The Le Gallais Building, 54 Bath 
Street, St Helier, Channel Islands, JE2 1FW

Cinema operations

Empire Cinema 2 Limited

2nd Floor, The Le Gallais Building, 54 Bath 
Street, St Helier, Channel Islands, JE2 1FW

Cinema operations

Ordinary and 
preference

Ordinary and 
preference

Ordinary and 
preference

Hemel Hempstead  
Two Cinema 2 Limited

2nd Floor, The Le Gallais Building, 54 Bath 
Street, St Helier, Channel Islands, JE2 1FW

Cinema operations

Ordinary

Poole Cinema 2 Limited

2nd Floor, The Le Gallais Building, 54 Bath 
Street, St Helier, Channel Islands, JE2 1FW

Cinema operations

Ordinary and 
preference

Newcastle Cinema 2 Limited

2nd Floor, The Le Gallais Building, 54 Bath 
Street, St Helier, Channel Islands, JE2 1FW

Cinema operations

Ordinary

Cineworld South East 
Cinemas Limited

8th Floor, Vantage London,  
Great West Road, Brentford, TW8 9AG

Dormant holding 
Company

Ordinary

Cineworld Elite Picture 
Theatre (Nottingham) Limited

8th Floor, Vantage London,  
Great West Road, Brentford, TW8 9AG

Gallery Cinemas Limited

8th Floor, Vantage London,  
Great West Road, Brentford, TW8 9AG

Cineworld Cinema  
Properties Limited

8th Floor, Vantage London,  
Great West Road, Brentford, TW8 9AG

Newman Online Limited

8th Floor, Vantage London,  
Great West Road, Brentford, TW8 9AG

Dormant

Ordinary

Dormant

Ordinary

Dormant property 
Company

Dormant software 
development and 
provider

Ordinary

Ordinary

Picturehouse Bookings 
Limited

8th Floor, Vantage London,  
Great West Road, Brentford, TW8 9AG

Ticket booking 
operations

Ordinary

Picturehouse Entertainment 
Limited

8th Floor, Vantage London,  
Great West Road, Brentford, TW8 9AG

Film distribution

Ordinary

City Screen (SOA) Limited

CS (Exeter) Limited

8th Floor, Vantage London,  
Great West Road, Brentford, TW8 9AG

8th Floor, Vantage London,  
Great West Road, Brentford, TW8 9AG

Cinema operations

Ordinary

Cinema operations

Ordinary

City Screen (Stratford) 
Limited

8th Floor, Vantage London,  
Great West Road, Brentford, TW8 9AG

Cinema operations

Ordinary

100

100

100

100

100

100

100

100

100

100

100

100

100

100

100

100

100

100

100

100

100

100

100

100

100

100

Cineworld Group plc  
Annual Report and Accounts 2019

159

 
 
 
Notes to the Company Financial Statements continued

34. Fixed Asset Investments continued
Cineworld Group plc fixed asset investments continued

Registered office

Principal activity

Class

% of shares 
held

City Screen (York) Limited

8th Floor, Vantage London,  
Great West Road, Brentford, TW8 9AG

City Screen (Liverpool) 
Limited

8th Floor, Vantage London,  
Great West Road, Brentford, TW8 9AG

CS (Brixton) Limited

CS (Norwich) Limited

8th Floor, Vantage London,  
Great West Road, Brentford, TW8 9AG

8th Floor, Vantage London,  
Great West Road, Brentford, TW8 9AG

Cinema operations

Ordinary

Cinema operations

Ordinary

Cinema operations

Ordinary

Cinema operations

Ordinary

City Screen (Brighton) Limited 8th Floor, Vantage London,  

Cinema operations

Ordinary

Great West Road, Brentford, TW8 9AG

Cinema City Finance (2017) 
B.V

PO Box 1370 NL-3000 BJ Rotterdam  
The Netherlands

Financing Company Ordinary

Seracus Limited

75 Prodromou Avenue, 1st Floor, Office 101 
Strovolos, Nicosia 2063 Cyprus 

Holding Company 

Ordinary 

I.T. Planet Advertising Ltd

91 Medinat Hayehudim, Herzelia, Israel

Dormant

Ordinary

Norma Film Limited 

91 Medinat Hayehudim, Herzelia, Israel 

Cinema operations 

Ordinary 

Cinema Theatres Limited

91 Medinat Hayehudim, Herzelia, Israel 

Cinema operations 

Ordinary 

Cinema-Phone Limited 

18 Haneviim, Haifa, Israel 

Cinema operations 

Ordinary 

Forum Film Limited

91 Medinat Hayehudim, Herzelia, Israel 

Cinema operations 

Ordinary 

IT Magyar Cinema 
Moziüzemeltető és 
Filmforgalmazó K.F.T. 

Palace Cinemas Hungary 
K.F.T. 

1132 Budapest, Váci út 22-24 

Cinema operations 

Ordinary 

1132 Budapest, Váci út 22-24 

Cinema operations 

Ordinary 

Forum Hungary K.F.T. 

1132 Budapest, Váci út 22-24 

Cinema operations 

Ordinary 

New Age Cinema K.F.T. 

1132 Budapest, Váci út 22-24 

Advertising 

Ordinary 

Cinema City Romania SRL

Forum Film Romania SRL 

13 Ana Davila street, Sector 5,  
Bucharest 050491, Romania 

13 Ana Davila street, Sector 5,  
Bucharest 050491, Romania 

Cinema operations 

Ordinary 

Film distribution 

Ordinary 

New Age Media Romania SRL 13 Ana Davila street, sector 5,  

Cinema operations 

Ordinary 

Cinema City Bulgaria EOOD 

Forum Film Bulgaria EOOD 

Cinema City Czech s.r.o. 

Forum Film Czech s.r.o. 

Bucharest 050491, Romania

45 Bregalnitza Str, 5 floor  
Vazrajdane Region Sofia 1303, Bulgaria 

45 Bregalnitza Str, 4 floor  
Vazrajdane Region Sofia 1303, Bulgaria 

Arkalycká 951/3, 149 00 Praha 4,  
Czech Republic

Arkalycká 951/3, 149 00 Praha 4,  
Czech Republic 

Cinema operations 

Ordinary 

Film distribution 

Ordinary 

Cinema operations 

Ordinary 

Film distribution 

Ordinary 

Cinema City Cinemas sp.Zoo UL. Fosa 37 02-768 Warszawa Poland 

Group services

Ordinary 

All Job Poland sp.Zoo

Woloska 12 02-675 Warszawa, Poland 

Cinema operations 

Ordinary 

I.T. Poland Development 2003 
sp. Zoo 

New Age Media sp. Zoo 

Cinema City Poland sp. Zoo  
CC spolka komandytowa.

UL.Fosa 37 02-768 Warszawa Poland 

Cinema operations 

Ordinary 

UL. Powsińska 31 02-903  
Warszawa Poland 

Advertising 

Ordinary 

UL. Fosa 37 02-768 Warszawa Poland 

Cinema operations 

Ordinary 

100 

Northfleet sp. Zoo

UL. Fosa 37 02-768 Warszawa Poland

General partner 

Ordinary 

Cinema City Poland CC sp. 
Zoo

UL. Fosa 37 02-768 Warszawa Poland

Cinema operations 

Ordinary 

100

100

160

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Annual Report and Accounts 2019

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100

100

100

100

100

100

100

100

100

100

100

100

100

100

100

100

100

100

100 

100 

100 

100 

100

100

100

100

34. Fixed Asset Investments continued
Cineworld Group plc fixed asset investments continued

Forum Film Poland CC Sp. 
Zoo

Registered office

Principal activity

Class

Woloska 12 02-675 Warszawa, Poland

Film distribution 

Ordinary 

Job & Services sp. Zoo

UL. Fosa 37 02-768 Warszawa Poland

Cinema operations 

Ordinary 

New Cinemas Sp. Zoo

UL. Fosa 37 02-768 Warszawa Poland

Cinema operations

Ordinary 

Cinema City Slovakia s.r.o. 

Einsteinova 20, 851 01 Bratislava, Slovakia 

Cinema operations 

Ordinary 

Forum Film Slovakia s.r.o. 

Einsteinova 20, 851 01 Bratislava, Slovakia 

Film distribution 

Ordinary 

A 3 Theatres of San Antonio, 
Ltd 

101 E. Blount Avenue, Knoxville, 
TN 37920, United States

A 3 Theatres of Texas, Inc. 

Cinebarre, LLC 

101 E. Blount Avenue, Knoxville, 
TN 37920, United States

101 E. Blount Avenue, Knoxville, 
TN 37920, United States

Consolidated Theatres 
Management, L.L.C. 

101 E. Blount Avenue, Knoxville, 
TN 37920, United States

Crown Theatre Corporation 

Eastgate Theatre, Inc. 

Edwards Theatres, Inc. 

Frederick Plaza Cinemas, Inc. 

Great Escape LLC 

Great Escape of Nitro, LLC 

Great Escape of O’Fallon, LLC 

Great Escape Theatres, LLC 

101 E. Blount Avenue, Knoxville, 
TN 37920, United States

101 E. Blount Avenue, Knoxville, 
TN 37920, United States

101 E. Blount Avenue, Knoxville, 
TN 37920, United States

101 E. Blount Avenue, Knoxville, 
TN 37920, United States

101 E. Blount Avenue, Knoxville, 
TN 37920, United States

101 E. Blount Avenue, Knoxville, 
TN 37920, United States

101 E. Blount Avenue, Knoxville, 
TN 37920, United States

101 E. Blount Avenue, Knoxville, 
TN 37920, United States

Great Escape Theatres of 
Bowling Green, LLC 

101 E. Blount Avenue, Knoxville, 
TN 37920, United States

Great Escape Theatres of 
Harrisburg, LLC 

101 E. Blount Avenue, Knoxville, 
TN 37920, United States

Great Escape LaGrange LLC 

101 E. Blount Avenue, Knoxville, 
TN 37920, United States

Great Escape Theatres of 
Lebanon, LLC 

101 E. Blount Avenue, Knoxville, 
TN 37920, United States

Great Escape Theatres of  
New Albany, LLC 

101 E. Blount Avenue, Knoxville, 
TN 37920, United States

Hollywood Theatres, Inc. 

Hollywood Theatres III, Inc. 

Hoyts Cinemas Corporation 

Interstate Theatres 
Corporation 

101 E. Blount Avenue, Knoxville, 
TN 37920, United States

101 E. Blount Avenue, Knoxville, 
TN 37920, United States

101 E. Blount Avenue, Knoxville, 
TN 37920, United States

101 E. Blount Avenue, Knoxville, 
TN 37920, United States

Lois Business Development 
Corporation 

101 E. Blount Avenue, Knoxville, 
TN 37920, United States

McIntosh Properties LLC 

101 E. Blount Avenue, Knoxville, 
TN 37920, United States

Cinema operations

Ordinary 

Cinema operations

Ordinary 

Cinema operations

Ordinary 

Dormant

Ordinary 

Cinema operations

Ordinary 

Cinema operations

Ordinary 

Cinema operations

Ordinary 

Cinema operations

Ordinary 

Cinema operations

Ordinary 

Cinema operations

Ordinary 

Cinema operations

Ordinary 

Cinema operations

Ordinary 

Cinema operations

Ordinary 

Cinema operations

Ordinary 

Dormant

Ordinary 

Cinema operations

Ordinary 

Cinema operations

Ordinary 

Cinema operations

Ordinary 

Cinema operations

Ordinary 

Cinema operations

Ordinary 

Cinema operations

Ordinary 

Cinema operations

Ordinary 

Cinema operations

Ordinary 

i

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% of shares 
held

100

100

100

100

100

100

100

100

100

100

100

100

100

100

100

100

100

100

100

100

100

100

100

100

100

100

100

100

Cineworld Group plc  
Annual Report and Accounts 2019

161

 
 
 
Notes to the Company Financial Statements continued

34. Fixed Asset Investments continued
Cineworld Group plc fixed asset investments continued

Registered office

Principal activity

Class

% of shares 
held

Next Generation Network, Inc.  101 E. Blount Avenue, Knoxville, 

Dormant

Ordinary 

Pacific Rim Business 
Development Corporation

101 E. Blount Avenue, Knoxville, 
TN 37920, United States

TN 37920, United States

Palace Suite, Inc. 

R and S Theatres, Inc. 

Ragains Enterprises LLC 

RAM/UA-KOP, LLC 

R.C.Cobb, Inc. 

R.C.Cobb II, LLC 

RCI/FSSC, LLC 

RCI/RMS, LLC 

101 E. Blount Avenue, Knoxville, 
TN 37920, United States

101 E. Blount Avenue, Knoxville, 
TN 37920, United States

101 E. Blount Avenue, Knoxville, 
TN 37920, United States

101 E. Blount Avenue, Knoxville, 
TN 37920, United States

101 E. Blount Avenue, Knoxville, 
TN 37920, United States

101 E. Blount Avenue, Knoxville, 
TN 37920, United States

101 E. Blount Avenue, Knoxville, 
TN 37920, United States

101 E. Blount Avenue, Knoxville, 
TN 37920, United States

Regal/Cinebarre Holdings, 
LLC 

101 E. Blount Avenue, Knoxville, 
TN 37920, United States

Regal Cinemas Corporation 

Regal Cinemas Holdings, Inc 

Regal Cinemas, Inc. 

Regal Cinemas II, LLC 

Regal CineMedia Corporation 

101 E. Blount Avenue, Knoxville, 
TN 37920, United States

101 E. Blount Avenue, Knoxville, 
TN 37920, United States

101 E. Blount Avenue, Knoxville, 
TN 37920, United States

101 E. Blount Avenue, Knoxville, 
TN 37920, United States

101 E. Blount Avenue, Knoxville, 
TN 37920, United States

Regal CineMedia Holdings, 
LLC 

101 E. Blount Avenue, Knoxville, 
TN 37920, United States

Regal/DCIP Holdings, LLC 

Regal Distribution, LLC 

101 E. Blount Avenue, Knoxville, 
TN 37920, United States

101 E. Blount Avenue, Knoxville, 
TN 37920, United States

Regal Distribution Holdings, 
LLC 

101 E. Blount Avenue, Knoxville, 
TN 37920, United States

Regal Entertainment Group

101 E. Blount Avenue, Knoxville, 
TN 37920, United States

Regal Entertainment 
Holdings, Inc.

101 E. Blount Avenue, Knoxville, 
TN 37920, United States

Regal Entertainment Holdings 
II, LLC

101 E. Blount Avenue, Knoxville, 
TN 37920, United States

Regal Gallery Place, LLC 

Regal Investment Company 

Regal Licensing, LLC

101 E. Blount Avenue, Knoxville, 
TN 37920, United States

101 E. Blount Avenue, Knoxville, 
TN 37920, United States

101 E. Blount Avenue, Knoxville, 
TN 37920, United States

162

Cineworld Group plc 
Annual Report and Accounts 2019

Cinema operations

Ordinary 

Dormant

Ordinary 

Cinema operations

Ordinary 

Cinema operations

Ordinary 

Dormant

Ordinary 

Cinema operations

Ordinary 

Cinema operations

Ordinary 

Cinema operations

Ordinary 

Cinema operations

Ordinary 

Holding Company

Ordinary 

Holding Company

Ordinary 

Cinema operations

Ordinary 

Cinema operations

Ordinary 

Cinema operations

Ordinary 

Gift promotions

Ordinary 

Holding Company

Ordinary 

Holding Company

Ordinary 

Film Distribution

Ordinary 

Holding Company

Ordinary 

Holding Company

Ordinary 

Holding Company

Ordinary 

Holding Company

Ordinary 

Cinema operations

Ordinary 

Holding Company

Ordinary 

Cinema operations

Ordinary 

100

100

100

51

100

50

100

100

100

100

100

100

100

100

100

100

100

100

100

100

100

100

100

100

100

100

i

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34. Fixed Asset Investments continued
Cineworld Group plc fixed asset investments continued

Registered office

Principal activity

Class

% of shares 
held

Regal Paramus Park, LLC

Regal Stratford, Inc. 

Richmond I Cinema, L.L.C. 

San Francisco Theatres, Inc. 

101 E. Blount Avenue, Knoxville, 
TN 37920, United States

101 E. Blount Avenue, Knoxville, 
TN 37920, United States

101 E. Blount Avenue, Knoxville, 
TN 37920, United States

101 E. Blount Avenue, Knoxville,  
TN 37920, United States

United Artists Theatre 
Company

101 E. Blount Avenue, Knoxville,  
TN 37920, United States

United Artists Theatre Circuit, 
Inc. 

101 E. Blount Avenue, Knoxville,  
TN 37920, United States

United Artists Theatre Circuit 
II, Inc. 

101 E. Blount Avenue, Knoxville,  
TN 37920, United States

United Artists Realty 
Company

101 E. Blount Avenue, Knoxville,  
TN 37920, United States

United Artists Properties I 
Corp.

101 E. Blount Avenue, Knoxville,  
TN 37920, United States

Vogue Realty Company

United Stonestown 
Corporation

UA Shore LLC

UA Swansea. LLC

Valeene Cinemas LLC

Wallace Theatre Holdings, Inc.

Wallace Theatres – Guam.

101 E. Blount Avenue, Knoxville,  
TN 37920, United States

101 E. Blount Avenue, Knoxville,  
TN 37920, United States

101 E. Blount Avenue, Knoxville,  
TN 37920, United States

101 E. Blount Avenue, Knoxville,  
TN 37920, United States

101 E. Blount Avenue, Knoxville,  
TN 37920, United States

101 E. Blount Avenue, Knoxville,  
TN 37920, United States

101 E. Blount Avenue, Knoxville,  
TN 37920, United States

Wallace Theatres – Saipan, 
Inc.

101 E. Blount Avenue, Knoxville,  
TN 37920, United States

13th Avenue Partners, LLC

Cinemas Associates, LLC

101 E. Blount Avenue, Knoxville,  
TN 37920, United States

101 E. Blount Avenue, Knoxville,  
TN 37920, United States

Oklahoma Warren Theatres 
II, LLC

101 E. Blount Avenue, Knoxville,  
TN 37920, United States

Oklahoma Warren Theatres, 
LLC

101 E. Blount Avenue, Knoxville,  
TN 37920, United States

Regal/Atom Holdings, LLC

The Movie Machine, LLC

101 E. Blount Avenue, Knoxville,  
TN 37920, United States

101 E. Blount Avenue, Knoxville,  
TN 37920, United States

Warren Oklahoma Theatres, 
Inc.

101 E. Blount Avenue, Knoxville,  
TN 37920, United States

Restaurant Row Business 
Development Corp 

101 E. Blount Avenue, Knoxville,  
TN 37920, United States

Regal – 18 LLC

101 E. Blount Avenue, Knoxville,  
TN 37920, United States

Cinema operations

Ordinary 

Cinema operations

Ordinary 

Cinema operations

Ordinary 

Cinema operations

Ordinary 

Holding Company

Ordinary 

Cinema operations

Ordinary 

Cinema operations

Ordinary 

Cinema property 
leasing

Cinema property 
leasing

Cinema property 
leasing

Ordinary 

Ordinary 

Ordinary 

Cinema operations

Ordinary 

Cinema operations

Ordinary 

Cinema operations

Ordinary 

Cinema operations

Ordinary 

Holding Company

Ordinary 

Cinema operations

Ordinary 

Cinema operations

Ordinary

Cinema operations

Ordinary

Cinema operations

Ordinary 

Cinema operations

Ordinary 

Cinema operations

Ordinary 

Holding Company

Ordinary 

Cinema operations

Ordinary 

Cinema operations

Ordinary 

Dormant

Ordinary

Cinema operations

Ordinary

99

100

100

100

100

100

100

100

100

100

100

100

100

100

100

100

100

100

100

100

100

100

100

100

100

100

Cineworld Group plc  
Annual Report and Accounts 2019

163

 
 
 
Notes to the Company Financial Statements continued

34. Fixed Asset Investments continued
Cineworld Group plc fixed asset investments continued

Regal Realty 17 LLC

1232743 B.C.LTD.

Jointly controlled entities 

Registered office

Principal activity

Class

101 E. Blount Avenue, Knoxville,  
TN 37920, United States

Cinema operations

Ordinary

Suite 2400, 745 Thurlow Street, Vancouver 
BC V6E 0C5, Canada

Holding Company

Ordinary

Digital Cinema Distribution 
Coalition, LLC 

840 Century Park East Suite 550 Los 
Angeles, CA 90067, United States

Film distribution 

Ordinary

Digital Cinema 
Implementation Partners, LLC

100 Enterprise Drive, Suite 505
Rockaway, New Jersey 07866

Leasing Company

Ordinary

Digital Cinema Media Limited  350 Euston Road, London, NW1 3AX

Screen Advertising

Ordinary

Siam UATC Company Limited 

101 E. Blount Avenue, Knoxville, TN 37920, 
United States

Cinema operations

Ordinary

United Artist Singapore 
Theaters Pte. Ltd

101 E. Blount Avenue, Knoxville, TN 37920, 
United States

Cinema operations

Ordinary

AC JV, LLC 

National CineMedia, LLC

5990 Greenwood Plaza Blvd, Greenwood 
Village, CO, United States

6300 South Syracuse Way, Suite 300, 
Centennial, CO 80111, United States

Events organisation Ordinary

Screen Advertising

Ordinary

Black Schrauber Limited 

Cinema complex, Neomi 4, Jerusalem, Israel

Restaurant company Ordinary

% of shares 
held

100

100

14.6

33.3

50

10

10

32

26.1

50

Cinema City Poland Sp. z.o.o, I.T. Poland Development 2003 Sp. z.o.o, Forum Film Poland Sp. z.o.o, New Age Media Sp. z.o.o 
and All Job Poland Sp. z.o.o have a statutory year end that is different to that of the Group being 30 November. 

During 2019 and 2018, no impairments were recognised in respect of investments in directly held subsidiaries.

35. Financial Assets at Amortised Cost

Amounts due from subsidiary undertakings

The loan receivables are interest free and repayable on demand. 

31 December 
2019 
$m

31 December 
2018 
$m

896.6

738.8

The Company has considered if these loan receivables are impaired and concluded that the loss allowance is immaterial. 

36. Creditors: Amounts Falling Due Within One Year

Amounts due to subsidiary undertakings
Accruals

Total creditors falling due within one year

31 December 
2019 
$m

31 December 
2018 
$m

582.3
0.8

583.1

388.5
3.0

391.5

Fair values
Fair value disclosures for debtors and creditors have not been prepared on the basis that their carrying amount is a reasonable 
approximation to fair value.

37. Share-Based Payments
A share-based payment charge of $4.9m was recognised within the Company during the year in relation to the Group share 
options and share plans. Further details of these share options and plans are outlined in Note 24 of the Group Consolidated 
Financial Statements. 

164

Cineworld Group plc 
Annual Report and Accounts 2019

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Shareholder Information
As at 31 December 2019

Directors 
A H Bloom 
A Kornasiewicz 
M Greidinger 
I Greidinger 
N Cohen 
R Teperberg 
R Senat 
C Galano 
D Moore 
S Rosenblum 
A Samuelsson 
H Weir 

(Non-Executive Director and Chairman)
(Non-Executive Director and Deputy Chair)
(Chief Executive Officer)
(Deputy Chief Executive Officer)
(Chief Financial Officer)
(Chief Commercial Officer)
(Non-Executive Director and Senior Independent Director)
(Non-Executive Director)
(Non-Executive Director)
(Non-Executive Director)
(Non-Executive Director)
(Non-Executive Director)

Head Office
8th Floor
Vantage London
Great West Road
Brentford TW8 9AG

Telephone Number
020 8987 5000

Website
www.cineworldplc.com

Place of Incorporation
England and Wales

Company Number
Registered Number: 5212407

Registered Office
8th Floor
Vantage London
Great West Road
Brentford TW8 9AG

Q4 Dividend – 2019
Announcement 
Ex Dividend 
Record Date 
Payment Date 

12 March 2020
9 April 2020
14 April 2020
1 May 2020

Auditor
PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP 
1 Embankment Place
Charing Cross 
London 
WC2N 6RH

Joint Brokers
Barclays Bank Plc  
1 Churchill Place 
London   
E14 5HP   

Investec Bank plc   
2 Gresham Street   
London   
EC2V 7QP 

Goldman Sachs International
Plumtree Court, 25 Shoe Lane
London 
EC4A 4AU

Legal Advisers to the Company
Slaughter and May
1 Bunhill Row
London EC1Y 8YY

Cineworld Group plc  
Annual Report and Accounts 2019

165

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
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Cineworld Group plc
8th Floor 
Vantage London 
Great West Road 
Brentford TW8 9AG 
020 8987 5000

www.cineworldplc.com