Record North American box office for SCREENX and 4DX, paired with a domestic market recovery, drive exhibitor's first quarterly pre-tax profit since Q3 2024

Logo of CJ CGV (Provided by CJ CGV)

CJ CGV posted a return to pre-tax profit in the second quarter of 2026, driven by the accelerating overseas growth of its specialty-format subsidiary CJ 4DPLEX and a steady recovery in the domestic theatrical market. The exhibitor reported consolidated sales of KRW 593.9 billion (approx. USD 428 million), up 20.8% year-on-year, with operating profit of KRW 11.5 billion (approx. USD 8.3 million) and pre-tax profit of KRW 9.0 billion (approx. USD 6.5 million) — the company's first quarterly pre-tax profit since the third quarter of 2024.

CJ 4DPLEX, which operates the SCREENX and 4DX specialty formats, was the standout performer, posting sales of KRW 46.9 billion and operating profit of KRW 8.3 billion, up 56% and 260% respectively from a year earlier. The unit's growth was fueled by the continued global rollout of SCREENX and 4DX auditoriums and by the box office success of "The Super Mario Galaxy Movie" and "Toy Story 5," with North America recording its strongest first-half box office on record.

Domestically, CJ CGV's Korean theater business generated sales of KRW 166.0 billion, up 17%, while narrowing its operating loss to KRW 6.2 billion from KRW 17.3 billion a year earlier — an improvement of KRW 11.1 billion. The company attributed the gain to the box office performance of the Korean films "COLONY" and "Salmokji: Whispering Water," a government-backed movie-ticket discount coupon program, and internal restructuring of its domestic operations.

Among CJ CGV's overseas markets, Vietnam and Indonesia remained profitable: Vietnam posted sales of KRW 64.0 billion and operating profit of KRW 7.4 billion on the strength of self-distributed content, while Indonesia recorded sales of KRW 25.8 billion and operating profit of KRW 4.1 billion despite a smaller market this year due to a shift in the timing of the Lebaran holiday. Türkiye and China continued to post losses even as revenue grew — Türkiye's sales rose 36% to KRW 39.7 billion against an operating loss of KRW 4.1 billion, while China's sales rose to KRW 45.8 billion on higher admissions for local titles, against an operating loss of KRW 11.9 billion.

CJ Olive Networks, the group's IT services affiliate, contributed sales of KRW 254.5 billion, up 29%, and operating profit of KRW 20.0 billion, up 16%, on the back of expanding AX (AI Transformation) business lines including next-generation ERP systems and AI Factory services.

"As the global investment results of CJ 4DPLEX began to materialize in earnest, combined with the recovery of the domestic film market, we achieved a turnaround to pre-tax profit in the second quarter," said CJ CGV CEO Jung Jong-min. "In the second half of the year, we will further enhance both profitability and growth by expanding our global technology-specialized theater business, scaling up CJ Olive Networks' AX operations, and strengthening the competitiveness of our domestic theater business."

The results underscore how Korean-developed exhibition technology is increasingly functioning as a genuine profit engine overseas rather than a supplementary offering. SCREENX and 4DX's record first-half performance in North America is particularly notable given how competitive the premium-format landscape has become there, suggesting Korean specialty-screen technology is gaining real traction as a platform for Hollywood tentpole releases.

CJ 4DPLEX plans to expand its SCREENX and 4DX footprint further in the second half through what the company calls "Global Big Deal" contracts. Two upcoming releases are expected to reinforce that push: "Spider-Man: Brand New Day," the first Hollywood production shot specifically for the SCREENX format, and Christopher Nolan's "The Odyssey."

On the domestic side, a lineup that includes the Korean film "HOPE" alongside Hollywood titles such as "Spider-Man: Brand New Day" and "The Odyssey" points to a continued recovery in theatrical admissions through the second half. CJ CGV is also pressing ahead with technology upgrades at flagship locations: its Yongsan I'Park Mall multiplex completed a SCREENX renovation in July, and its Yeouido location is set to debut the world's first three-sided LED SCREENX auditorium, signaling the company's continued bet on technological differentiation in an increasingly competitive premium-screen market.

Still, the persistent losses in Türkiye and China remain an unresolved challenge in CJ CGV's global portfolio diversification, and international partners will likely be watching closely for signs of a profitability turnaround in those markets in the coming quarters.

Sources

• CJ CGV, "CJ CGV, Q2 Sales KRW 593.9 Billion, Operating Profit KRW 11.5 Billion... Pre-Tax Profit Turns Positive in Q2", 2026.08.07 (press release)

• Etoday, "CJ CGV, Q2 Earnings Rebound... Sales KRW 593.9 Billion, Pre-Tax Profit Turns Positive", 2026.08.07

• Yonhap News Agency, "CGV's Q2 Operating Profit Reaches KRW 11.5 Billion, Up Fivefold on Domestic Market Recovery", 2026.08.07