National Amusements Acquisition, Valuation, Funding & Investors

National Amusements was acquired by RedBird Capital Partners and David Ellison for $2.4B in July 2024.

National Amusements acquisition price

$2.4B

Acquired by RedBird Capital Partners, David Ellison · Jul 2024

Cumulative funding National Amusements raised

$125M

across 1 funding round

Key investors in National Amusements

  • BDT & MSD Partners

National Amusements Overview

About National Amusements

National Amusements is a Boston-headquartered theater operator owning Cinema de Lux, Showcase Cinemas, and UCI Cinemas brands. The company manages over 800 screens in the United States, United Kingdom, and Italy, providing premium entertainment experiences with recliner seating and dining options.


Founded

1936

HQ

United StatesBoston, MA

Status

Acquired

Customer focus

B2C

Revenue model

Product sales

Valuation

$2.4B (acquired Jul 2024)

National Amusements Acquisition

National Amusements was acquired by RedBird Capital Partners and David Ellison for $2.4B on 7 July 2024.

Before the acquisition National Amusements had raised $125M across 1 funding round.

The Skydance Investor Group, comprised of the Ellison family and RedBird Capital Partners, agreed on 7 July 2024 to acquire National Amusements, Inc. (NAI), the Redstone family company that held a controlling interest in Paramount Global, for $2.4 billion in cash. The purchase was the first step of a two-step transaction in which Skydance Media would then merge with Paramount in an all-stock deal valuing Skydance at $4.75 billion. In total the Ellison family and RedBird committed more than $8 billion to the transaction, including $4.5 billion of cash consideration for Paramount's public Class A and Class B shareholders and $1.5 billion of new capital for Paramount's balance sheet. Paramount's special committee approved the agreement after months of negotiations with several bidders. David Ellison was named to lead the combined company as chairman and chief executive, with Jeff Shell as president. National Amusements, founded in 1936 and based in Massachusetts, operates movie theatres in the United States, United Kingdom and Latin America under brands including Showcase and Cinema de Lux, and through its Class A voting stake it controlled Paramount Global, owner of CBS, Paramount Pictures, MTV, Nickelodeon and Paramount+. The transactions closed in August 2025 after regulatory approval, creating Paramount Skydance Corporation.

National Amusements acquisition details
AcquirerDateTypePrice
  • RedBird Capital Partners
  • David Ellison
7 Jul 2024Strategic M&A$2.4B

Sources: sec.gov

National Amusements Funding History

National Amusements has raised a total of $125M across 1 funding round.

National Amusements funding rounds

National Amusements funding rounds
DateStageInvestorsRaisedDeal Summary
May 2023Undisclosed stageBDT & MSD Partners (lead)$125MNational Amusements, Inc. is a world leader in the motion picture exhibition industry operating 837 movie screens in the U.S., U.K., and Latin America under brands including Showcase, Cinema de Lux, Multiplex, SuperLux, and UCI. The company serves as the majority voting shareholder of Paramount Global. On May 25, 2023, National Amusements announced a $125 million preferred equity investment from BDT Capital Partners, an affiliate of BDT & MSD Partners, a merchant bank serving family business owners and founders. The investment was designed to bolster National Amusements' financial position during the post-pandemic recovery period as movie theater attendance increased. BDT & MSD Partners operates as a merged entity combining MSD Partners (the investment arm of Michael Dell and his family) with BDT & Company (led by merchant banker Byron Trott), and reported $50 billion in Assets Under Management as of 2023. The transaction reflected BDT & MSD Partners' commitment to long-term strategic partnerships with founder-led and family-controlled businesses, aligning with the firm's broader investment strategy that also included concurrent stakes in companies such as Under Armour, Qualtrics, and IMA Group.

Who has invested in National Amusements?

1 investor has backed National Amusements across its funding rounds, including BDT & MSD Partners.

Lead investors include BDT & MSD Partners.


National Amusements Investors

Investors in National Amusements by funding rounds participated
InvestorHQRoundsRoleFirst check

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National Amusements Competitors

National Amusements competitors include listed companies like Toei Co., Basic-Fit, Imax and AMC Entertainment, and private ones like Hudle and Aman Resorts.

Public and private companies comparable to National Amusements
CompanyHQStatusRevenueEBITDAValuationRevenue Multiple
Toei Co.JapanJapanPublicly listed$1.2B$346M$2.4B2.0x
Basic-FitNetherlandsNetherlandsPublicly listed$1.6B$718M$2.2B3.0x
ImaxUnited StatesUnited StatesPublicly listed$410M$130M$2.6B5.8x
HudleIndiaDelhiPrivate--$2.8B-
AMC EntertainmentUnited StatesUnited StatesPublicly listed$4.8B$216M$2.8B1.7x
Aman ResortsSwitzerlandBaarPrivate$518M-$3B-

National Amusements Public Comps

National Amusements is no longer listed, but its public comps include Toei Co., Basic-Fit, Imax, Smart Fit, Round One, AMC Entertainment, United Parks & Resorts, EVT, OneSpaWorld and Melco Resorts and Entertainment.

Last FYEV/RevenueEV/EBITDA
RevenueEBITDALast FYLTM2027ELast FYLTM2027E
Toei Co.$1.2B$346M2.0x2.0x6.9x9.3x
Basic-Fit$1.6B$718M3.4x3.0x7.6x9.9x
Imax$410M$130M6.7x5.8x21.2x11.6x
Smart Fit$1.3B$690M3.2x2.6x6.0x8.0x
Round One$71M-40.8x2.2x--
AMC Entertainment$4.8B$216M2.0x1.7x44.6x11.7x
United Parks & Resorts$1.7B$535M2.5x2.5x7.8x7.2x
EVT$888M$213M3.0x2.9x12.7x19.5x

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Common questions about National Amusements

When was National Amusements founded?National Amusements was founded in 1936.
Where is National Amusements headquartered?National Amusements is headquartered in Boston, MA, United States.
Is National Amusements publicly listed?No, National Amusements was acquired by RedBird Capital Partners and David Ellison in July 2024.
Who acquired National Amusements?National Amusements was acquired by RedBird Capital Partners and David Ellison in July 2024.
How much was National Amusements acquired for?National Amusements was acquired for $2.4B in July 2024.
How much funding has National Amusements raised?National Amusements has raised $125M across 1 funding round.
What was National Amusements' last funding round?National Amusements' last funding round was a $125M undisclosed-stage round in May 2023, led by BDT & MSD Partners.
Who are National Amusements' investors?National Amusements' investors include BDT & MSD Partners.
Which companies are comparable to National Amusements?Companies comparable to National Amusements include Toei Co., Basic-Fit, Imax, Hudle, AMC Entertainment and Aman Resorts.

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