‘Stranger Things’ Finale Earns $25M+ in Theaters—Netflix Walks Away Without Keeping a Dime, Here’s Why

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The final episodes of Netflix’s “Stranger Things” were a big hit in theaters over the New Year’s holiday, bringing in over $25 million in ticket and concession sales, as reported by Deadline.

AMC Theatres led the way, bringing in $15 million in revenue with 753,000 people visiting its 231 theaters.

The final movie wasn’t shown with traditional ticket sales. Because of agreements with the actors, admission was free. However, to cover costs, theaters like AMC asked fans to purchase $20 vouchers for snacks and drinks.

The special movie event sold over 1.1 million tickets in more than 620 cinemas, marking a significant theatrical release for Netflix without the company directly profiting from ticket sales.

AMC CEO Adam Aron called the event a huge success, stating that demand was so strong they had to continuously add thousands of extra showtimes. He also expressed AMC’s interest in partnering with Netflix again to show more of their films in theaters.

The strong performance of “Stranger Things” in cinemas arrives as Netflix is close to completing its purchase of Warner Bros., which would require filmmakers to release movies in theaters under certain conditions. Industry experts view the film’s release as a test run and a show of good faith towards movie theaters. Although Netflix’s Ted Sarandos has stated the company will release Warner Bros. films in theaters with typical release windows, what exactly constitutes a ‘typical’ window isn’t yet defined.

According to sources, Netflix is considering releasing movies in theaters for a very limited time – potentially just 17 days. This is much shorter than the roughly 45 days that large theater chains like AMC prefer to ensure their profitability. Netflix has tried to shorten theatrical releases before, and a recent event for “Stranger Things” may offer a preview of how they’ll approach future movie releases in cinemas.

The final episode started playing at 5 PM Eastern Time on New Year’s Eve and continued all day on New Year’s Day. While Netflix doesn’t share numbers for ticket sales or what theaters made from snacks and drinks, theater owners are already calling the event a big success.

I was really struck by what Aron said – it’s clear AMC is dedicated to finding ways to work with Netflix. He emphasized that, whether it’s through shows like KPop Demon Hunters and Stranger Things, or in the future, AMC wants to combine Netflix’s amazing content with the special experience of seeing a movie in their theaters. It sounds like they’re aiming for a win-win situation for everyone – fans get the best of both worlds!

The conclusion of “Stranger Things” demonstrates Netflix’s ability to produce large-scale, cinematic experiences without needing to share revenue. However, it also makes us wonder what this means for how movies are typically released. Will we see more content premiering directly on streaming services, or will movie theaters remain popular?

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2026-01-02 19:14