Benelux circuit targets full digital conversion - Screen Digest Commentary

Benelux circuit targets full digital conversion

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Published: 11 Jun 10

Utopia Group, the publicly-traded cinema exhibition group based in Luxembourg, will now complete its migration to digital technology with the support of French d-cinema integrator Ymagis. Roll-out will commence later this year with full digitisation across the group's 90 screens aimed for end 2011. Utopia Group operates a total of 13 sites across four European territories: Luxembourg, France, Belgium and the Netherlands.

 

Utopia (including multiplex chain Utopolis) has to date equipped 32 screens, which represent more than one third of its total screen allocation. This included the full conversion of the ten-screen Utopolis site in Luxembourg, one of the first all-digital multiplexes in Europe. Group has been an early pioneer in the digital cinema arena, launching its first digital screens back in 2004 and actively pursing opportunities in alternative content. However, after a long wait linked to technology issues and more recently business model viability, its more recent decision follows several other major pan-European exhibitors including UGC, Cinestar and OdeonUCI, showing how competition between major circuits is a motivating factor. For Ymagis, the deal furthers its reach to a wider range of European territories; it has so far signed the majority of its commercial deals with French circuits.