Hoyts
Hoyts is an Australian cinema exhibition and cinema advertising group operating multiplexes in Australia and New Zealand.
Last updated August 25, 2026
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Overview
Hoyts is an Australian cinema and entertainment brand whose principal business is the operation of multiplex cinemas in Australia and New Zealand. Its wider group has also included cinema advertising, cinema technology services, film distribution, home video, radio and other entertainment assets at different points in its history. The brand traces its origins to Melbourne dentist and musician Arthur Russell, who began presenting moving pictures in a hired hall in 1908. He subsequently opened Hoyts Picture Palace in 1909 and formed Hoyts Pictures Pty Ltd. The early business combined film exhibition with live entertainment, including vaudeville performances and musical accompaniment for silent films. From its Melbourne base, Hoyts expanded into suburban theatres and other Australian states, including New South Wales. In 1926, Hoyts merged with Electric Theatres and Associated Theatres to create Hoyts Theatres Limited. The company then entered a long period of corporate ownership and restructuring. 20th Century Fox acquired a majority interest in 1930, linking Hoyts to one of the major Hollywood studios of the era. Ownership changed substantially in the 1980s and 1990s. After 20th Century Fox sold the business in 1982, the Fink family became its principal owner. Hoyts expanded into cinema, radio and international markets, and parts of the group were listed on the Australian Securities Exchange during the late 1980s and 1990s. Its international expansion included the United States, New Zealand and Chile. The group also developed a substantial advertising operation through Val Morgan, a cinema advertising business founded by Valentine Morgan. Kerry Packer's Consolidated Press Holdings acquired Hoyts in 1999. The group subsequently disposed of many international cinema assets and reorganised its entertainment operations. In the 2000s, ownership passed through Publishing & Broadcasting, West Australian Newspapers and Pacific Equity Partners. Hoyts acquired full control of Val Morgan Cinema Advertising in 2005, reinforcing its position as both a cinema operator and a media-sales business. Its film distribution activities, which had existed in several forms since the late 1970s, were ultimately sold to StudioCanal in 2012. The cinema business was acquired by Sun Xishuang's ID Leisure Ventures in December 2014 and by Wanda Cinema Line, a subsidiary of Dalian Wanda Group, in June 2015. Under Wanda ownership, Hoyts continued to concentrate on cinema exhibition in Australia and New Zealand. Its venues have increasingly combined conventional screening with premium experiences, including reclining seating, large-format Xtremescreen auditoriums, dine-in Hoyts Lux facilities and selected D-BOX motion seats. Hoyts Cinema Technology Group also provides digital-cinema installation and operating support to other exhibitors and to special events. The group expanded its Australian footprint through the acquisition of cinemas from Grand Cinemas after that company entered administration in 2022 and 2023. Reference material describes Hoyts as operating 60 cinemas and approximately 500 screens across Australia and New Zealand in 2024, while an earlier 2022 figure recorded 46 multiplexes and 412 screens. Hoyts remains one of Australia's largest cinema exhibitors, competing primarily through network scale, premium formats, loyalty and food-and-beverage offerings, while Val Morgan and Val Morgan Outdoor extend the group into cinema, place-based and digital outdoor advertising.
History
Hoyts began in Melbourne in 1908 when Arthur Russell, a dentist and cornet player, started showing moving pictures at St George's Hall in Bourke Street. Russell accompanied silent films with a small family ensemble, and on 18 September 1909 opened Hoyts Picture Palace. The original hall was later rebuilt and renamed Hoyts De Luxe. The operation gradually expanded beyond central Melbourne into suburban locations and other Australian states, while screenings commonly included live vaudeville acts. In 1926, Hoyts merged with Electric Theatres Pty Ltd and Associated Theatres Pty Ltd to form Hoyts Theatres Limited. The company entered a major corporate relationship in 1930 when 20th Century Fox acquired a majority of its shares. That ownership continued for decades before the cinema group was sold to Stardawn Investments in 1982. The Fink family acquired the remaining partners' interests in 1985 and became the sole owner. Hoyts was restructured during the late 1980s. Hoyts Media and Hoyts Entertainment were listed on the Australian Securities Exchange in 1987, while the cinema operating company was not floated until 1996. During this era the group expanded across Australia, New Zealand and the United States. Its 1988 acquisition of Interstate Theaters supported its United States expansion. Hoyts also diversified into radio through stations and networks including Triple M Sydney, Eon FM, 4BK, 5AD and 96FM. The radio assets were sold to Austereo in 1995. Following Leon Fink's death in 1993, the business was sold to Hellman & Friedman and Lendlease and subsequently became publicly traded. Hoyts opened its first Chilean cinema in 1997. By 1999, its 90th anniversary year, the group was described as the world's seventh-largest cinema exhibitor. Consolidated Press Holdings, the private company associated with Kerry Packer, acquired Hoyts in 1999 for A$620 million. The new ownership began selling international cinema operations, retaining selected New Zealand assets. The group continued to develop adjacent entertainment businesses. Hoyts Distribution operated as a film-distribution arm from 1979 to 1994, handling releases from several independent and Hollywood-associated companies in Australia and New Zealand. Its distribution activities were combined at various times with Columbia TriStar and 20th Century Fox operations, and a later version of the business was revived under Kerry Packer. Hoyts also operated home-video ventures with Sony-related companies and PolyGram. The revived distribution operation was sold to StudioCanal in 2012. In 2003, Hoyts sold its United States cinema chains to Regal Entertainment Group. In 2004, Hoyts joined Village Roadshow and Amalgamated Holdings Limited in supporting Val Morgan Cinema Advertising, eventually taking full ownership in 2005. Publishing & Broadcasting and West Australian Newspapers acquired Hoyts in December 2005, and Pacific Equity Partners bought it in 2007 in a transaction valued at A$440 million. Hoyts sold its Chilean operations to Chilefilms in 2010 and acquired Australian Multiplex Cinemas in Queensland and Berkeley Cinema Group in New Zealand. A proposed HOYTS Stream video service was delayed and cancelled in 2014. Damian Keogh became chief executive during the 2010s. Sun Xishuang acquired Hoyts through ID Leisure Ventures in December 2014, and Wanda Cinema Line purchased the group in June 2015. Hoyts' kiosk DVD business was rebranded as Video Ezy in 2018 after the relevant subsidiary was sold. The brand's former regional cinema operations also changed ownership: the Argentine business was acquired by Cinemark, the Chilean operation by Cinépolis and the Uruguayan operation by Life Cinemas. In the 2020s, Hoyts continued to operate in Australia and New Zealand while adding venues through acquisitions. It bought three Western Australian cinemas from Grand Cinemas in December 2022 and another in April 2023 after Grand Cinemas entered administration. The group has also maintained and expanded premium exhibition formats, including Xtremescreen, Hoyts Lux and selected D-BOX auditoriums. Val Morgan remains the cinema advertising arm, while Val Morgan Outdoor sells advertising across digital screens in locations such as shopping centres, gyms, service stations and office buildings. Hoyts Cinema Technology Group, established in 2008, supports digital cinema systems for other exhibitors and special screenings.
- 2023
Additional Grand Cinemas acquisition
[1]Hoyts acquired another former Grand Cinemas venue in April.
- 2022
Hoyts acquires three former Grand Cinemas venues
[1]Hoyts acquired three cinemas in Western Australia from Grand Cinemas after Grand entered administration.
- 2015
Wanda Cinema Line acquires Hoyts
[1]Wanda Cinema Line purchased Hoyts from ID Leisure Ventures.
- 2014
Hoyts is acquired by ID Leisure Ventures
[1]Sun Xishuang acquired Hoyts through ID Leisure Ventures. The proposed HOYTS Stream service was also cancelled after delays.
- 2012
Hoyts Distribution is sold to StudioCanal
[1]The film-distribution business was sold to StudioCanal and later rebranded under that company.
- 2008
Hoyts Cinema Technology Group is established
[1]The group created a cinema technology division supporting digital cinema installations and operations.
- 2007
Pacific Equity Partners acquires Hoyts
[1]Pacific Equity Partners bought Hoyts in a transaction valued at A$440 million.
- 2005
Hoyts takes full control of Val Morgan Cinema Advertising
[1]After participating in a rescue and ownership arrangement, Hoyts increased its stake in Val Morgan Cinema Advertising to 100 percent.
- 2003
United States cinema chains are sold
[1]Hoyts sold its United States cinema chains to Regal Entertainment Group.
- 1999
Consolidated Press Holdings acquires Hoyts
[1]Kerry Packer's Consolidated Press Holdings acquired Hoyts for A$620 million.
Products and positioning
A large Australian and New Zealand cinema operator positioned around convenient multiplex access, premium viewing formats, upgraded seating, food-and-beverage experiences, loyalty and cinema-media advertising.
Cinema exhibition · 1909
Hoyts Cinemas
Hoyts Cinemas is the group's core multiplex exhibition business in Australia and New Zealand. Its venues screen mainstream feature films and may provide reserved seating, food and beverage services, loyalty benefits and premium auditorium options. Reference material describes the network as having 60 cinemas and approximately 500 screens in 2024.
Premium cinema format
Xtremescreen
Xtremescreen is Hoyts' large-format premium cinema concept. Auditoriums use larger, high-resolution screens and immersive surround sound to provide a more substantial presentation than a standard cinema screen. Availability and specifications vary by venue.
Luxury and dine-in cinema
Hoyts Lux
Hoyts Lux is the group's upgraded cinema experience combining premium seating with dine-in food and beverage service. It is designed for customers seeking a more hospitality-oriented alternative to conventional auditorium admission.
Motion cinema seating
D-BOX
Selected Hoyts cinemas offer D-BOX seats that move and vibrate in synchronisation with on-screen action. The technology adds physical motion effects to compatible film presentations and is not available in every auditorium.
Cinema advertising
Val Morgan
Val Morgan sells advertising on cinema screens and related digital inventory. It extends Hoyts' business beyond ticket sales by connecting advertisers with cinema audiences before film screenings and through associated media placements.
Digital out-of-home advertising
Val Morgan Outdoor
Val Morgan Outdoor operates advertising screens in locations including shopping centres, gyms, service stations and office towers, as well as digital outdoor billboards. It is the group's broader place-based and outdoor media business.
Cinema technology services · 2008
Hoyts Cinema Technology Group
Hoyts Cinema Technology Group supports digital cinema installation and operation for other exhibitors and provides technical support for one-off screenings, festivals and corporate events. Its activities allow Hoyts to participate in cinema infrastructure as well as exhibition.
Film distribution · 1979
Hoyts Distribution
Hoyts Distribution was a historical film-distribution arm operating in various forms from 1979 to 1994 and again after 2001. It handled Australian and New Zealand distribution for independent and major-studio-related titles before the business was sold to StudioCanal in 2012.
Video streaming · 2013
HOYTS Stream
HOYTS Stream was a proposed video-streaming service intended to launch in 2013. The launch was delayed and the service was cancelled in 2014 before becoming an established Hoyts offering.
Brand decisions
2022
Acquisition of Grand Cinemas venuesM&ABackground
Grand Cinemas entered administration, creating an opportunity to acquire selected Western Australian locations.
Action taken
Hoyts acquired three Grand Cinemas venues in December 2022 and an additional venue in April 2023.
Aftermath
The acquisitions increased Hoyts' presence in Western Australia.
2015
Wanda Cinema Line acquires HoytsM&ABackground
Hoyts had been acquired by Sun Xishuang through ID Leisure Ventures in December 2014.
Action taken
Wanda Cinema Line, a subsidiary of Dalian Wanda Group, purchased Hoyts from ID Leisure Ventures in June 2015.
Aftermath
Hoyts remained focused on cinema exhibition and advertising in Australia and New Zealand under Chinese ownership.
2014
Cancellation of HOYTS StreamOtherBackground
Hoyts planned a video-streaming service for 2013, but the launch was delayed.
Action taken
The company cancelled HOYTS Stream in 2014 rather than launch the delayed service.
Aftermath
Hoyts continued to focus on physical cinema exhibition and related media activities.
Sources1 sources
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