View source for Vue International

{{Short description|British multinational cinema company}}
{{Use British English|date=October 2015}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2022}}
{{Infobox company
| name = Vue Entertainment International Limited
| logo = Logo Vue.png
| logo_size = 200px
| type = [[Private company limited by shares|Private]]
| founder = Tim Richards [[CBE]] ([[Chief executive officer|CEO]])
| key_people = {{ubl||Tim Richards [[CBE]] ([[Organizational founder|Founder]], [[CEO]])|Alison Cornwell ([[Chief financial officer|CFO]])|Katrina Cliffe ([[Acting Co–chairman]])}} Matt Eyre ([[Chief operating officer|COO]])
| num_locations = 225 {{small|(as of 2025)}}
| divisions = {{ubl|CinemaxX|[[Multikino]]|The Space Cinema|Vue UK and Ireland|Vue Nederland}}
| subsid = Vue Lumière
| area_served = [[Vue International#Locations|8 European countries]]
| owner = The Bickes Capital LTD<br />[[Barings LLC]]<br />[[Farallon Capital]]
| foundation = {{Start date and age|df=yes|1999}} (as Spean Bridge Cinemas)<br />{{Start date and age|df=yes|2003|5|13}} (as Vue)
| location = {{ubl|
  | '''[[Registered office]]:'''<br>[[St Helier]], Jersey
  | '''[[Corporate headquarters]]:'''<br>[[London]], England, UK}}
| homepage = {{nowrap|{{URL|https://www.vue-international.com}}}}
}}

'''Vue International''' ({{IPAc-en|v|j|uː}} {{respell|vew}}, like "view"), is a multinational cinema holding company headquartered in [[London]], England, and registered in [[St Helier]], Jersey. It operates in the United Kingdom, Ireland and Denmark as Vue, with international operations in Germany (as '''CinemaxX'''); Italy (as '''The Space Cinema'''); Poland and Lithuania ([[Multikino]]); Netherlands ('''Vue Netherlands''').

==History==
===Foundation===
[[File:Vue Cinema, The Oracle, Reading.jpg|thumb|Vue at [[The Oracle, Reading|The Oracle]] in Reading, England]]
[[File:Vue Cinema, Cardigan Fields, Kirkstall Road, Leeds - geograph.org.uk - 197088.jpg|thumb|Vue at Cardigan Fields in Leeds, England]]
The company was founded in 1999 as '''Spean Bridge Cinemas''' by Stewart Blair, a former executive of [[Regal Cinemas|United Artists Theatres]] and Tim Richards, a former executive of [[Warner Village Cinemas|Warner Bros. International Theatres]]. It was named after a holiday to the Scottish Highland village of the [[Spean Bridge|same name]] by Blair.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.scotsman.com/business/sbc-cinemas-mooted-reel-cine-uk-2454506 |title=SBC Cinemas mooted to reel in Cine-UK |website=www.scotsman.com|date=June 2003 }}</ref>

===2000s===
[[File:Vue Cinema Wood Green London.jpg|thumb|Vue Cinema, Wood Green, London]]
The first cinema to open was under The Circuit Cinema brand in [[Livingston, West Lothian|Livingston]], Scotland, on 5 October 2000.<ref name="auto">{{cite web |url=http://cinematreasures.org/theaters/27096 |title=Vue Livingston in Livingston, GB - Cinema Treasures |website=cinematreasures.org}}</ref> The company was later renamed as '''SBC International Cinemas''' and opened cinemas in [[Faro, Portugal]] (closed in 2014) and [[Taipei]], Taiwan (still operating as SBC).<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20151017070837/http://www.filmjournal.com/content/entrepreneurial-vue-tim-richards-reflects-early-days-and-moving-forward Entrepreneurial Vue: Tim Richards reflects on early days and moving forward] Film Journal International. 21 June 2013.</ref>

In May 2003, SBC bought '''[[Warner Village Cinemas]]''' from its owners, [[Village Roadshow]] and [[Warner Bros.]], for £250&nbsp;million. At the time, SBC owned four cinemas, and Warner Village Cinemas owned 36.<ref>{{cite news |title=Deal marks the end for Warner Village |first=Richard |last=Wray |url=https://www.theguardian.com/business/2003/may/14/film.filmnews |newspaper=The Guardian |date=14 May 2003 |access-date=10 June 2013}}</ref> In April 2005, the chain acquired the [[Ster Century]] chain from Aurora Entertainment; this included the highest grossing cinema in the United Kingdom or Ireland at [[Liffey Valley Shopping Centre]] in Dublin, Ireland.<ref>{{cite press release |title=Vue Entertainment Purchases Ster Century UK & Ireland |url=http://www.bvlp.com/press-announcements-events/vue-entertainment-purchases-ster-century-uk-ireland/ |publisher=BV Investment Partners |date=April 2005 |access-date=10 June 2013 |last=Murray |first=Adam |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130519184653/http://www.bvlp.com/press-announcements-events/vue-entertainment-purchases-ster-century-uk-ireland/ |archive-date=19 May 2013 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

On 20 June 2006, Vue's executive team completed a management buyout of the company with the backing of Bank of Scotland Corporate; the management team retaining a 51% stake. Also, as part of the buyout, Vue took full ownership of the four Village sites it had been operating under contract from Village Roadshow. The private equity firm [[Doughty Hanson & Co]] acquired Vue in November 2010.<ref>{{Cite news |date=8 November 2010 |title=Doughty Hanson buys Vue cinema chain |work=Reuters |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/uk-doughty-vue-idUKLNE6A702720101108 |access-date=22 July 2021}}</ref>

===2010s===
Vue bought the company, Apollo, in May 2012, retaining 14 new sites across the United Kingdom, making it the third largest cinema company in the United Kingdom, behind [[Odeon Cinemas|Odeon]] and [[Cineworld]].<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/ee2be098-9ac1-11e1-94d7-00144feabdc0.html#axzz2VqJcz9t7 |title=Vue acquires rival Apollo for £20m |date=10 May 2012 |newspaper=Financial Times |access-date=10 June 2013}}</ref>

In May 2013, Vue Entertainment acquired [[Multikino]], the Polish cinema operator owning thirty cinemas with almost 250 screens in Poland and Baltic countries.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://uk.finance.yahoo.com/news/uks-vue-entertainment-buys-polish-152510033.html%23ahflkasjhdflakd |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130616034858/http://uk.finance.yahoo.com/news/uks-vue-entertainment-buys-polish-152510033.html%23ahflkasjhdflakd |archive-date=16 June 2013 |url-status=dead |title=UK's Vue Entertainment buys Polish cinema chain Multikino - Yahoo! Finance UK}}</ref>

In June 2013, Doughty Hanson & Co announced it had sold Vue to the Canadian pension funds [[Alberta Investment Management Corporation]] and [[OMERS]] for £935&nbsp;million.<ref>{{Cite web |title= Doughty Hanson sells Vue cinema chain in £935m deal| date= June 2013 |url=https://www.ft.com/content/f7183114-d19f-11e2-9336-00144feab7de |access-date=22 July 2021 |website=[[Financial Times]]| url-access=subscription}}</ref>

In November 2014, Vue International acquired The Space Cinema in Italy.<ref>{{cite web |date=10 April 2018 |title=Vista Cinema Enters Italy; Completes Rollout of The Space Cinema, Owned by Vue International |url=https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180410006322/en/Vista-Cinema-Enters-Italy-Completes-Rollout-of-The-Space-Cinema-Owned-by-Vue-International |access-date=22 July 2021 |website=www.businesswire.com}}</ref>

In March 2015, Vue announced it would build the United Kingdom's first [[eSports]] arena in cooperation with Gfinity, costing £350,000.<ref name=CityAM>{{cite news |title=Can Professional Video Gaming Take UK We Visit Opening Night First Esports Arena Find Out |url=https://www.cityam.com/212874/can-professional-video-gaming-take-uk-we-visit-opening-night-first-esports-arena-find-out |publisher=CityAM}}</ref> The Fulham Broadway cinema was converted into a six hundred seat 'Gfinity Arena,' to host e gaming events <ref name=Engadget>{{cite web |title=Vue Gfinity Esports |date=18 February 2015 |url=https://www.engadget.com/2015/02/18/vue-gfinity-esports |publisher=Engadget}}</ref>

In August 2015, Vue International acquired JT Bioscopen, the second-largest cinema chain in the Netherlands, bringing Vue's number of sites to over 200.<ref name="Corporate My Vue">{{cite web |title=Vue International Acquires Second Largest Chain in the Netherlands |url=http://corporate.myvue.com/news/article/title/vue-international-acquires-second-largest-cinema-chain-in-the-netherlands |publisher=Corporate Vue}}</ref>

In June 2018, Vue acquired the Irish operator Showtime Cinemas, adding a further two cinemas to their estate in the United Kingdom and Ireland, now totalling 89 cinemas.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.limerickleader.ie/news/home/319503/showtime-chain-to-acquire-seven-screen-cinema-in-limerick.html |title=Showtime: Chain to acquire seven-screen cinema in Limerick |website=www.limerickleader.ie|date=20 June 2018 }}</ref>

===2020–present===
In March 2020, Vue temporarily closed its cinemas due to the [[COVID-19 pandemic]], stating that it would "remain closed until further notice".<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-51925490 |title=Coronavirus: Odeon, Vue and Cineworld shut UK cinemas |date=17 March 2020 |access-date=31 October 2020 |website=bbc.com}}</ref> Though numerous lockdowns affected a brief reopening in mid-2020, eventually, all cinemas reopened in May 2021, with COVID restrictions in force until spring 2022.

On 18 May 2020, Vue announced that it would close its single Multikino site in [[Riga]], Latvia, after operating for almost 10 years.<ref>{{cite web|last=Balčus|first=Zane|title=Cinema Splendid Palace Reopens In Riga But Multikino Latvia Ceases Operations - FilmNewEurope.com|url=https://www.filmneweurope.com/news/latvia-news/item/119995-cinema-splendid-palace-reopens-in-riga-but-multikino-latvia-ceases-operations|access-date=22 July 2021|website=www.filmneweurope.com}}</ref>

In January 2023, Vue International Group completed a restructuring which resulted in a change in the consolidating entity from Vue International Bidco plc (a UK incorporated company) to Vue Entertainment International Limited (a Jersey incorporated company).<ref>https://vue-international.com/investor-relations/reports/2023/125-veil-annual-report-and-financial-statements-fy23/file</ref> 

In January 2024, the company concluded the sale of its operations in Taiwan, resulting in a reduction of 1 cinema site.<ref>https://vue-international.com/investor-relations/reports/2023/125-veil-annual-report-and-financial-statements-fy23/file</ref>

==Locations==
Vue International operates 225 sites and almost 2,000 screens across 8 countries.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Our Markets - Vue International|url=http://vue-international.com/markets/our-markets|access-date=20 September 2023|website=vue-international.com}}</ref>

{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center;"
|-
! scope="col"| Country 
! scope="col"| Operating brand
! scope="col"| No. of cinemas 
! scope="col"| No. of screens 
|-
| [[United Kingdom]] and [[Republic of Ireland|Ireland]] || Vue UK & Ireland || 92 || 876
|-
| [[Germany]] || CinemaxX|| 30 || 257 
|-
| [[Denmark]] || Vue Danmark & CinemaxX|| 3 || 33
|-
| [[Italy]] || The Space Cinema || 35 || 349
|-
| [[Poland]] and [[Lithuania]] || Multikino || 45 || 320
|-
| [[Netherlands]] || Vue Nederland || 20 || 133
|-
|}

{{Reflist|group=lower-alpha}}

==References==
{{Reflist|30em}}

==External links==
{{commons category}}
* {{Official website|https://www.vue-international.com}}
* [https://www.bloomberg.com/profile/company/0838499D:LN Vue International Bidco PLC] on [[Bloomberg L.P.]]

{{Major UK Cinema Chains}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Cinema chains in the United Kingdom]]
[[Category:Cinema chains in the Republic of Ireland]]
[[Category:British companies established in 1999]]
[[Category:Entertainment companies established in 1999]]
[[Category:2010 mergers and acquisitions]]
[[Category:2013 mergers and acquisitions]]
[[Category:1999 establishments in England]]