UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

FORM 10-K

(Mark One)

☒ ANNUAL REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d)

OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

For the Fiscal Year Ended December 31, 2020

☐ TRANSITION REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d)

OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

FOR THE TRANSITION PERIOD FROM ______ TO ______              

Commission File Number 001-33401

CINEMARK HOLDINGS, INC.

(Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in its Charter)

Registrant’s telephone number, including area code: (972) 665-1000

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(g) of the Act:

None

Indicate by check mark if the registrant is a well-known seasoned issuer, as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act. Yes ☒ No ☐

Indicate by check mark if the registrant is not required to file reports pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15 (d) of the Act. Yes ☐  No ☒

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant (1) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to file such reports), and (2) has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days. Yes ☒ No ☐

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has submitted electronically every Interactive Data File required to be submitted pursuant to Rule 405 of Regulation S-T (§232.405 of this chapter) during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to submit such files). Yes ☒ No ☐

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, a smaller reporting company, or emerging growth company. See the definitions of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer,” “smaller reporting company,” and "emerging growth company" in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act.

If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13 (a) of the Exchange Act.  ☐

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has filed a report on and attestation to its management’s assessment of the effectiveness of its internal control over financial reporting under Section 404(b) of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act (15 U.S.C. 7262(b)) by the registered public accounting firm that prepared or issued its audit report.  ☒

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Act). Yes ☐ No ☒

The aggregate market value of the voting and non-voting common equity owned by non-affiliates of the registrant on June 30, 2020, computed by reference to the closing price for the registrant’s common stock on the New York Stock Exchange on such date was approximately $1.23 billion (106,745,094 shares at a closing price per share of $11.55).

As of February 15, 2021, 118,583,610 shares of common stock were outstanding.

DOCUMENTS INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE

Table of Contents

Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

This annual report on Form 10-K includes “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, or the Exchange Act. The “forward looking statements” include our current expectations, assumptions, estimates and projections about our business and our industry. They include statements relating to:

You can identify forward-looking statements by the use of words such as “may,” “should,” “could,” “estimates,” “predicts,” “potential,” “continue,” “anticipates,” “believes,” “plans,” “expects,” “future” and “intends” and similar expressions which are intended to identify forward-looking statements. These statements are not guarantees of future performance and are subject to risks, uncertainties and other factors, some of which are beyond our control and difficult to predict and could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or forecasted in the forward-looking statements. In evaluating forward-looking statements, you should carefully consider the risks and uncertainties described in the “Risk Factors” section in Item 1A of this Form 10-K and elsewhere in this Form 10-K. All forward-looking statements attributable to us or persons acting on our behalf are expressly qualified in their entirety by the cautionary statements and risk factors contained in this Form 10-K. Forward-looking statements contained in this Form 10-K reflect our view only as of the date of this Form 10-K. We undertake no obligation, other than as required by law, to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

Cinemark Holdings, Inc. is a Delaware corporation incorporated on August 2, 2006. Our principal executive offices are at 3900 Dallas Parkway, Plano, Texas 75093. Our telephone number is (972) 665-1000. General information about us can be found at www.cinemark.com. Our annual reports on Form 10-K, quarterly reports on Form 10-Q and current reports on Form 8-K, and any amendments to those reports filed or furnished pursuant to Section 13(a) or15(d) of the Exchange Act are available on our website free of charge under the heading "Investor Relations  - Financials - SEC Filings" as soon as reasonably practicable after such reports are filed with, or furnished to, the Securities and Exchange Commission, or the SEC. Additionally, all of our filings with the SEC can be accessed on the SEC's website at www.sec.gov.

Unless the context otherwise requires, all references to “we,” “our,” “us,” “the issuer”, “the Company” or “Cinemark” relate to Cinemark Holdings, Inc. and its consolidated subsidiaries. All references to Latin America are to Brazil, Argentina, Chile, Colombia, Peru, Ecuador, Honduras, El Salvador, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Panama, Guatemala, Bolivia, Curacao and Paraguay. Unless otherwise specified, all operating and other statistical data are as of and for the year ended December 31, 2020.

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PART I

Item 1. Business

Cinemark Holdings, Inc. and subsidiaries is a leader in the motion picture exhibition industry, with theatres in the United States, or “U.S.,” Brazil, Argentina, Chile, Colombia, Peru, Ecuador, Honduras, El Salvador, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Panama, Guatemala, Bolivia, Curacao and Paraguay.

We are a leader and one of the most geographically diverse operators in the motion picture exhibition industry. As of December 31, 2020, we operated 531 theatres and 5,958 screens in the U.S. and Latin America. Our U.S. circuit had 331 theatres and 4,507 screens in 42 states and our international circuit had 200 theatres and 1,451 screens in 15 countries.  Our significant and diverse presence in the U.S. and Latin America has made us an important distribution channel for movie studios and other content providers. We believe our portfolio of modern, high-quality theatres with multiple platforms provides a preferred destination for moviegoers and has contributed to our historically consistent financial performance.  

As of December 31, 2020, we managed our business under two reportable operating segments: U.S. markets and international markets. See Note 21 to our consolidated financial statements.

Impact of COVID-19 Pandemic

The outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic has had an unprecedented impact on the world and our industry. As a movie exhibitor that operates spaces where patrons gather in close proximity, we have been, and continue to be, significantly impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. At the initial outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, to comply with government mandates, we temporarily closed all of our theatres in the U.S. and Latin America effective March 17, 2020 and March 18, 2020, respectively. In conjunction with the temporary closure of our theatres in March 2020, we implemented temporary personnel and salary reductions, limited non-essential operating and capital expenditures, and negotiated modified timing and/or abatement of contractual payments with landlords and other major suppliers until our theatres reopened.  In addition, we suspended our quarterly dividend.

As of December 31, 2020, we had reopened 217 of our domestic theatres and 129 of our international theatres, showing a limited volume of new releases along with library content during reduced operating hours with limited capacities.  

Some of the health and safety protocols that we have implemented in our theatres for the safety of our employees, guests and surrounding communities include:

While some staffing has been brought back to support theatre reopenings, we continue operating with reduced staffing and limiting capital expenditures to essential activities and projects.  Government restrictions also continue to fluctuate with the status of the virus, impacting our reopening plans.  We continue to work with landlords and other vendors on modified contractual payment terms while we continue to navigate through the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and seek to recover a routine level of operations

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Our focus on maintaining a strong balance sheet and low leverage allowed us to enter the global COVID-19 pandemic in a solid financial position. Based on our current estimates of recovery, we believe we have and will generate sufficient cash to sustain operations. Nonetheless, the COVID-19 pandemic has had, and continues to have, adverse effects on our business, results of operations, cash flows, financial condition, access to credit markets and ability to service existing and future indebtedness, some of which are significant.

Motion Picture Exhibition Industry Overview

Domestic

North American industry results for 2020 are not yet available, and as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic and resulting temporary theatre closures, are expected to be significantly lower than prior years.  Preliminary estimates indicate that box office revenues were approximately $2.2 billion for 2020, down approximately 81% as compared to 2019.

The following table represents the results of a survey by Motion Picture Association of America, or MPAA, published during March 2020, outlining the historical trends in U.S. box office performance for the five-year period from 2015 through 2019.

While the industry experienced drastically reduced results during 2020 as a direct result of the COVID-19 pandemic, industry statistics show slight increases and decreases in attendance over the past five years. Historically, domestic box office revenues remained relatively stable during this period.  Even during recessionary periods, industry results demonstrated stability and a continued ability to attract consumers.   Box office performance has been primarily dependent on the quality, quantity and timing of film product.  Average ticket prices can also be driven by the mix of film product and availability of films in premium formats.

Films released during the year ended December 31, 2020 included Bad Boys for Life, Sonic the Hedgehog, Birds of Prey, Dolittle, The Invisible Man and The Call of the Wild.   The carryover of late 2019 releases such as 1917, Jumanji:  The Next Level and Star Wars:  The Rise of Skywalker also contributed to industry box office during early 2020.  Due to the temporary closure of many theatres beginning in March, movie studios delayed the release of many films originally planned for 2020.  As we reopened our domestic theatres, we offered patrons primarily library content, bringing back many classics to the big screen.  As more theatres reopened and enhanced health and safety protocols were implemented, studios began releasing new content, which included Wonder Woman 1984, Tenet, The Croods: A New Age, The New Mutants, Unhinged, The War with Grandpa and Honest Thief.  

Currently, films scheduled for release in 2021 include the sequel to Marvel’s Spider-man Far From Home, Top Gun Maverick, Black Widow, F9, Luca, Eternals, Mission: Impossible 7, No Time to Die, Cruella, and Minions:  The Rise of Gru, among others.  As the industry navigates the continued impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and the various regulations and restrictions, film release schedules may continue to fluctuate.

International

According to MPAA, international box office revenues were approximately $30.8 billion for the year ended December 31, 2019.  More specifically, Latin American box office revenues were $2.7 billion for the year ended December 31, 2019.  As noted above, industry performance for 2020 was significantly impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic and results are not yet available.  Preliminary estimates for Latin American box office revenues for 2020 is $0.3 billion, down approximately 89% compared to 2019.

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In addition to the quality, quantity and timing of Hollywood product, performance in Latin American markets is also impacted by social behaviors, growing populations, and continued retail development. In many Latin American countries, including Brazil, Argentina, Colombia, Peru and Chile, successful local film product can also contribute to box office growth.  However, local restrictions and regulations implemented as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic impacted movie production and movie-going during 2020 similar to the U.S.  

Drivers of Continued Industry Success

Industry dynamics continue to evolve as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, but we believe the following factors will continue to drive the strength of our industry:

Importance of Theatrical Success in Establishing Movie Brands. Theatrical exhibition has long been the primary distribution channel for new major motion picture releases. In addition to representing a significant share of a film’s overall revenues, a successful theatrical release “brands” a film and is one of the major contributors to a film’s success in “downstream” markets, such as digital downloads, video on-demand, DVDs, pay television, network and syndicated television, and streaming video on demand, as well as theme parks and branded retail merchandise.  While some film releases for 2020 did not have, and certain films for 2021 are not expected to have, a normal exclusive theatrical release window due to theatre closures associated with the COVID-19 pandemic, theatrical exhibition is expected to continue to contribute a significant portion of overall revenues generated by a film.

Convenient and Affordable Form of Out-Of-Home Entertainment.  Post COVID-19 pandemic, as venues continue to reopen and restrictions are lifted, we expect consumption of media and out-of-home experiential offerings to continue to increase due to pent up demand associated with the COVID-19 pandemic.  Movie going remains one of the most convenient and affordable forms of out-of-home entertainment.  While the average movie ticket price in the U.S. was $9.16 for 2019, average prices for other forms of out-of-home entertainment in the U.S., including sporting events and theme parks, ranged from approximately $32.99 to $102.35 per ticket according to MPAA. (As of the date of this report, 2020 industry data was not yet available.)

Expansion of Concepts and Product Offerings that Enhance the Movie-Going Experience.  Over recent years, the motion picture exhibition industry has invested in the development of new movie theatre platforms and concepts to respond to varying and changing consumer preferences as well as to differentiate the movie-going experience from other in-home and out-of-home entertainment options. Some examples include changing the overall style, and amenities of theatres, as well as expansion of concession product offerings that provide more variety to traditional popcorn, fountain drinks and candy.   Enhanced projection and sound equipment and motion seats are offered in some locations to further enhance the movie viewing experience. New and enhanced programming alternatives expand the industry’s entertainment offerings to attract a broader customer base.   As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, we offered new options to our guests, including Private Watch Parties to allow them to see a movie of their choice with a group of their choice as well as seat buffering technology to facilitate social distancing while enjoying out-of-home entertainment.  We offered many classic and holiday movies in the absence of new film releases.  To encourage contactless transactions in our theatres, while further enhancing the movie-going experience, we developed mobile concession ordering and delivery-to-seat options in some locations.  

Contribution of International Markets to Box Office Performance. International markets continue to be an important component of the overall box office revenues generated by Hollywood films, accounting for $30.8 billion, or approximately 73%, of 2019 total worldwide box office revenues according to MPAA. (As of the date of this report, 2020 industry data was not yet available.) Theatres in international markets are continuing to reopen as local restrictions are revised.  Film release schedules are expected to follow those of the U.S. consistent with previous years.  We believe the contribution of markets outside North America to the global box office revenues will continue to be meaningful.

Our Strategy

Our primary objective for the past few years has been to attract and expand audiences to maximize attendance and box office, and then pursue monetization opportunities to capture ancillary revenue.  We focused on providing an extraordinary guest experience, investing in our core circuit and continuing to grow organically to accomplish

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these goals. While our long-term strategies remain consistent, for the near term we have shifted our focus to cash preservation and liquidity, closely managing costs and restructuring our operations and teams to be more efficient, and keeping our guests and employees safe and healthy.  We expect this focus to continue until we fully recover from the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.  

Upon recovery from the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic and the resurgence of the industry, our long-term strategies will again become front and center.  These include:

Provide an Extraordinary Guest Experience. We differentiate our theatres by focusing on various initiatives that continuously enhance the in-theatre guest experience. We have a market-adaptive approach with our theatre amenities, including Luxury Lounger recliner seats, our exhibitor-branded premium large format, XD, and expanded food and beverage offerings. Our investment in these preferred amenities allows us to create and maintain a high-quality theatrical experience throughout our circuit. We believe our ongoing focus on providing an extraordinary in-theatre guest experience is a primary factor of our consistent industry-leading results. While our capital investments may be reduced temporarily, we will continue to ensure that our locations are well maintained.

Enhance Overall Guest Engagement.  We offer loyalty and subscription programs that help provide a personalized experience, continued investment in our website and mobile app features and tailored custom interactions. We pursue a wide range of strategic marketing initiatives to communicate and build consumer awareness, better understand the unique preferences of our guests and enrich their movie-going experience.

Pursue Organic and Synergistic Growth Opportunities and Maintain Core Circuit.  We have consistently reinvested our cash flows from operations in our circuit with a focus on new and exciting ways to attract guests.  Our commitment to investing in our theatre assets is demonstrated by our level of capital expenditures for the years ended December 31, 2017, 2018 and 2019 of approximately $380.9 million, $346.1 million, and $303.6 million, respectively. In addition to our Luxury Lounger recliner seats and premium large format XD auditoriums, we have incorporated other market-adaptive concepts such as full bars and dine-in options. We selectively build or acquire new theatres in markets where we can establish and maintain a strong market position. During the year ended December 31, 2019, we built eleven new theatres with 97 screens and acquired two theatres with 30 screens. During the year ended December 31, 2019, we also grew organically and built eleven new theatres with 97 screens and acquired two theatres with 30 screens.   As a result of a significant reduction in our operating cash flows for 2020, we halted nonessential capital expenditures and reduced our capital expenditures to $83.9 million for the year.  We built four theatres with 44 screens during 2020, as these projects were underway at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.   For the short term, we will continue to focus our capital investments on essential projects and maintaining the high quality of our assets, while we refortify our balance sheet.

Competitive Strengths

We believe the following strengths have allowed us to compete effectively in the past and continue to help us navigate through the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic:

Disciplined Operating Philosophy. Our balanced and disciplined investment approach centers on building new theatres, thoughtfully reinvesting in our existing theatres and acquiring theatres that will complement our circuit and offer a meaningful return.   Our operating philosophy focuses on creating an extraordinary guest experience, maintaining favorable theatre-level economics, controlling operating costs and effectively reacting to economic and market changes.  

We have long believed in the combination of a strong balance sheet and ensuring our capital investments earn a solid return.  This philosophy has proved to be successful for us, and helped us enter the COVID-19 pandemic in a strong financial position. We will continue to be disciplined with our cash management and liquidity strategies as we recover from the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, ensuring we effectively service our debt and other obligations.

Leading Position in Our U.S. Markets. Based on our performance in recent years, we have a leading market share in most of the U.S. markets we serve, which includes a presence in 42 states. For the year ended December 31, 2019, we ranked either first or second, based on box office revenues, in 20 out of our top 25 U.S. markets, including

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the San Francisco Bay Area, Dallas, Houston, Salt Lake City, Sacramento, Cleveland, Austin and Las Vegas.  During 2020, we continued our leadership position as we were one of the first circuits to start to reopen our theatres and we have remained open as local regulations allow.  As of December 31, 2020, we had 217 theatres reopened in the U.S.

Located in Top Latin American Markets. We have successfully established a significant presence in major cities in Latin America, with theatres in 15 of the 20 largest metropolitan areas in South America.  We are the largest exhibitor in Brazil and Argentina and have significant market presence in Colombia, Peru and Chile. Our geographic diversity makes us an important global distribution channel for the movie studios.  While our performance during 2020 was impacted by the temporary closure of our theatres, we continue to reopen theatres in the region with 129 open as of December 31, 2020.  

State-of-the-Art Theatre Circuit. We offer a state-of-the-art movie-going experience, which we believe makes our theatres preferred destinations for moviegoers in our markets. During the year ended December 31, 2019, we built eleven new theatres with 97 screens.   Our capital investments were very limited during 2020 due the COVID-19 pandemic, but we built four theatres with 44 new screens.  As of December 31, 2020, we had commitments to open 195 new screens over the next three years. We have also started to convert our theatres to laser projectors, further enhancing the movie-going experiences.  We expect the conversion to be completed over the next ten years.  

We have incorporated Luxury Lounger recliner seats in all of our recent domestic new builds and have also repositioned many of our existing domestic theatres to offer this premium seating feature. We currently feature Luxury Loungers in 2,815 domestic auditoriums, representing almost 63% of our domestic circuit.

We offer our guests a premium large format experience through our 16 IMAX screens and our 278 XD auditoriums, which represents the largest exhibitor-branded premium large format footprint in the industry. Our XD auditoriums offer a premium experience utilizing the latest in digital projection and enhanced custom sound, including a Barco Auro 11.1 or Dolby Atmos sound system in select locations. The XD experience includes wall-to-wall screens, wrap-around sound, plush seating and a maximum comfort entertainment environment for an immersive experience. The benefits of our XD auditoriums include program flexibility, as we can show the content of our choice, and there is no additional revenue share component outside of routine film rental.

We offer enhanced food and beverages such as gourmet pizzas, burgers, and sandwiches, and a selection of beers, wines, and cocktails, all of which can be enjoyed in the comfort of the auditoriums, at approximately 60% of our worldwide theatres. We also offer market-adaptive concepts with full bars or dine-in areas in certain of our theatres and continue to expand to additional locations.

We currently have auditoriums that offer seats with immersive cinematic motion, which we refer to as motion seats, throughout our worldwide circuit. These motion seats are programmed in harmony with the audio and video content of the film and further immerse guests in the on-screen action. We offer motion seats in 121 theatres throughout our worldwide circuit.  

Experienced Management. Led by Chairman and founder Lee Roy Mitchell, Chief Executive Officer Mark Zoradi, Chief Operating Officer and Chief Financial Officer Sean Gamble, President-International Valmir Fernandes, and Executive Vice President and General Counsel Michael Cavalier, our global operational management team has extensive industry experience.  Additionally, our country general managers are local citizens familiar with cultural, political and economic factors impacting their country, which enables them to more effectively manage the local business. Our global management team has successfully navigated us through many industry and economic cycles over the years and their leadership in steering the Company during the COVID-19 pandemic is a testament to their abilities and effectiveness as stewards of the Company.

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Theatre Operations

As of December 31, 2020, we operated 531 theatres and 5,958 screens in 42 U.S. states and 15 Latin American countries.

We opened our first theatre in the U.S. during 1984.  Our domestic circuit has expanded primarily due to organic growth and two significant acquisitions. We currently have theatres in 105 designated market areas, or DMAs. The following table summarizes the geographic locations of our U.S. theatre circuit as of December 31, 2020.

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We first entered Latin America when we opened a theatre in Chile in 1993. Since then, through our focused international growth strategy, we have developed one of the most geographically diverse theatre circuits in the region. We have balanced our risk through a diversified international portfolio, which includes theatres in 15 of the 20 largest metropolitan areas in South America. We have established significant presence in Brazil and Argentina, where we are the largest exhibitor. We also have significant market presence in Colombia, Peru and Chile. The following table summarizes the geographic locations of our international theatre circuit as of December 31, 2020.

Content

We offer a variety of content at our theatres.  During the COVID-19 pandemic, as we were reopening theatres, we offered primarily library content to our guests, and we added new releases as they became available.  We also offered our guests the ability to select a film for private viewing with our Private Watch Parties in a group of up to 20 family members and friends.  In normal operating times, we monitor upcoming films and other content and work diligently with film distributors to license content that we believe will be most successful in our theatres. We play mainstream films from many different genres, such as animated films, family films, dramas, comedies, horror and action films. We offer content in both 2-D and 3-D formats in all of our theatres, and in many locations, we offer either our exhibitor-branded premium large format, XD, or IMAX. We also offer a format that features motion seats and added sensory features.

We regularly play art and independent films, under our CineArts banner, at many of our U.S. theatres and offer local film product in our international markets, providing a variety of film choices to our guests. We have also historically offered a classic series at a majority of our U.S. theatres and some of our international theatres, which involves playing digitally re-mastered classic movies from a variety of genres during non-peak times.  We also offer multi-cultural foreign language films and e-sports gaming events in our theatres.  

Our joint venture, AC JV, LLC, with Regal Entertainment Group, or Regal, and AMC Entertainment, Inc., or AMC, provides marketing and distribution of live and pre-recorded entertainment programming to movie theatres to augment theatres’ feature film schedules, which includes the Metropolitan Opera, sports programs, concert events, and other special presentations, that may be live or pre-recorded. We, along with AC JV, LLC, continue to identify new ways to utilize our theatre platform to provide alternative content to consumers beyond movies.

Film Licensing

In the domestic marketplace, our corporate film department negotiates with film distributors to license films for each of our domestic theatres. In each of our international offices, our local film personnel negotiate with local offices of major film distributors, local film distributors and independent content providers to license films for our international theatres. Film distributors are responsible for determining film release dates and film marketing campaigns and the related expenditures, while we are responsible for booking the films at each of our theatres at the optimal showtimes for our guests.

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In both our domestic and international locations, we pay film rental fees based on a film’s box office receipts at our theatres. Film rental rates are negotiated based on either a sliding scale formula under which the rate is based on a standard rate matrix that is established prior to a film’s run; a firm terms formula, as determined prior to a film’s run, under which we pay a negotiated rate; or a rate that is negotiated after a film’s run.  

Food and Beverage

Concession sales are our second largest revenue source, historically representing approximately 35% of total revenues. We have devoted considerable management effort to expanding concession sales by enhancing our offerings and adapting to our customers’ changing preferences, as discussed below.

Product Mix. Common concession products offered at all of our theatres may include various sizes and types of popcorn, soft drinks, coffees, non-carbonated drinks, candy and quickly-prepared or pre-prepared food, such as hot dogs, pizza, pretzel bites, nachos and ice cream. The food and beverage offerings vary based on consumer preferences in a particular market. We have introduced some healthier snack and beverage options for our guests, which are available at some locations, added alcohol offerings in a growing number of theatres, partnered with Pizza Hut to offer freshly-made Pizza Hut pizzas in select theatres, and also offer diverse ethnic foods based on market demographics.

In select locations, we have expanded concession product offerings to include a broader variety of food and drink options, such as gourmet pizzas, burgers, and sandwiches and a selection of beers, wines, and cocktails, all of which can be enjoyed in the comfort of the auditoriums.  

Our proprietary point-of-sale system allows our category managers to monitor product sales and readily make adjustments to product mix on a theatre-by-theatre or market-by-market basis, when necessary. This program flexibility also allows us to efficiently activate and manage both national or regional product launches and promotional initiatives to further grow food and beverage sales.  

Pricing. New products and promotions are introduced on a regular basis to increase concession purchase incidence by existing consumers as well as to attract new consumers. In certain international countries and in all of our domestic theatres, we offer a free loyalty program that routinely offers food and beverage discounts. Our paid Movie Club membership program also allows our domestic guests to sign-up for exclusive concessions discounts.

During 2020, when we started reopening our U.S. theatres as government restrictions lifted, we limited our concession product offerings and implemented “Welcome Back” pricing discounts on core concessions (fountain soda, popcorn and candy) as well as select alcohol, hot dog and nacho products.  

Staff Training. Employees are continually trained in proper sales techniques, food preparation and handling and maintaining concession product quality. Some of our product promotions include a motivational element that rewards theatre staff for exceptional sales of certain promotional items. During 2020, we implemented enhanced food safety and cleanliness protocols to align with the Center for Disease Control’s, or CDC, COVID-19-specific recommendations relative to concession and restaurant areas.  

Theatre Design. Our theatres are designed to optimize the guest purchase experience at the concession stands, which includes multiple concession counters throughout a theatre to facilitate serving guests in an expedited manner. We strategically place large concession stands within theatres to heighten visibility, reduce the length of concession lines, and improve traffic flow around the concession stands. We incorporate self-serve candy cases and bottled drink coolers at our traditional crew-serve theatres to help provide convenience for our guests, drive impulse purchases and increase product availability for these two core categories. We also have self-service cafeteria-style concession areas in many of our domestic theatres, which allow customers to select their own refreshments and proceed to the cash register when they are ready. This design allows for more efficient service, and superior visibility of concession items. We also have lobby bars and VIP lounges in many domestic and international theatres.

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During the latter part of 2020, we implemented mobile concession ordering at approximately half of our U.S. theatres allowing guests to purchase and pre-pay for select concession products and pick them up at the concession stand upon arrival or have them delivered to their seat.

Cost Control. We negotiate prices for concession supplies directly with concession vendors and manufacturers to obtain volume discounts and also negotiate volume-based and promotional-based rebates. Concession supplies are generally managed through a distribution network in which inventory is delivered to the theatres after receiving orders directly from the theatres.  We conduct frequent inventory counts of concession products at every theatre to ensure proper stock levels are maintained to appropriately serve our guests.

As previously mentioned, to focus on operational efficiency and cost reduction since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, we streamlined our menu offerings within each product category with a renewed focus on core brands and products.  While we still offer a broad assortment of food and beverage items, product streamlining has allowed us to closely manage inventory levels and reduce labor costs associated with more complex food offerings.    

Screen Advertising

In our domestic markets, our theatres are part of the in-theatre digital network operated by National CineMedia, LLC, or NCM. NCM provides advertising to our theatres through its branded “Noovie” pre-show entertainment program and also handles lobby promotions and displays for our theatres. We believe that the reach, scope and digital delivery capability of NCM’s network provides an effective platform for national, regional and local advertisers to reach our audience. We receive a monthly theatre access fee for participation in the NCM network and also earn screen rental revenue on a per patron basis or revenue share basis depending on the placement of the advertisement. As of December 31, 2020, we had an approximate 25% ownership interest in NCM. See Note 8 to our consolidated financial statements for further discussion of our investment in NCM.

Throughout our international markets, we have established our Flix Media brand that handles screen advertising functions in Brazil, Argentina, Chile, Central America, Colombia, Paraguay, Bolivia, Ecuador and Curacao.  Our Flix Media marketing personnel work with local agencies and advertisers to coordinate screen advertising in our theatres as well as other theatres in our markets. In addition to screen advertising in our theatres, we continue to expand Flix Media’s services to include, among other things, alternative content, digital media and other synergistic media opportunities. In a few of our other international markets, we outsource our screen advertising to local companies who have established relationships with local advertisers that provide similar programming benefits. The terms of our international screen advertising contracts vary by country; however, we generally earn a percentage of the screen advertising revenues for access to our screens.

Upon reopening our theatres, we utilized our pre-show programming to remind guests about The Cinemark Standard, which encompasses our enhanced comprehensive cleaning and safety protocols.  

Marketing and Promotions

Our investment in digital marketing over the past several years enables us to expand our reach to our guests and communicate with them on a consistent basis regarding our promotions and offerings.  The growth in our digital communication ability has been particularly effective over the past year to keep our guests engaged, informed and excited about our theatre reopenings and “Welcome Back” offers.  We adapted our marketing strategy with an emphasis on consistent organic communication to keep our millions of guests informed through email, social media, and website and mobile app updates.  We also implemented strategic public relations campaigns, both nationally and locally.  We supplemented our organic communication with targeted advertising to communicate our enhanced cleaning and safety protocols, generate theatre reopening awareness and alert guests as to advance ticket sale dates.  

While awaiting a steady stream of new film content, marketing and promotions played a pivotal role in encouraging moviegoers to visit their local Cinemark theatres. We branded our library content “Comeback Classics” and had enticing “Welcome Back” pricing on those films, as well as for our limited concessions offerings. We continually initiated unique, interactive marketing campaigns, such as our Halloween giveaway and 12 Days of Merry. These campaigns drove loyal and prospective customers to visit our website and our theatres to earn discounts, bonus coupons and prizes.

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In recognition that there was a segment of the audience who would prefer to visit our theatres and stay within their trusted group, we introduced Private Watch Parties. Our Private Watch Party program allows guests to rent an entire auditorium to watch a film that they choose from our current library and bring up to 20 guests for a price range of $99-$149.

We automatically paused Movie Club subscriptions upon the initial closure of our theatres, alleviating the impact of recurring monthly payments on members while allowing them to maintain their benefits.  Additionally, we extended the expiration date of all loyalty points into 2021.

In traditional times, we generally market our theatres and special events, including new theatre grand openings, remodel openings and VIP events, using email, organic and paid digital advertising, and radio and television advertising spots. We exhibit previews of coming attractions and current films as part of our on-screen pre-feature program. We offer guests access to movie times, the ability to buy their tickets and reserve their seats in advance and purchase gift cards at our website www.cinemark.com and via our smart phone and tablet applications. Customers can subscribe to our emails and push notifications to receive information about current and upcoming films at their preferred Cinemark theatre(s), including details about upcoming XD movies, advanced ticket sales, screenings, special events, concerts, live broadcasts, contests, promotions, and our latest concessions and merchandise offerings. We partner with film distributors on a regular basis to promote upcoming films through local, regional and national programs that are exclusive to our theatres.

We interact with guests every day on social media platforms, such as Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter.  Through social media, we provide relevant information, quick access to advanced ticketing information and upcoming movies and events, as well as to respond to guest feedback. Guests can also utilize social media to ask questions regarding their local Cinemark theatre offerings, movie-related information or to provide suggestions.

We launched a subscription membership program for our domestic circuit in December 2017 named Movie Club.  Movie Club offers guests a standard ticket credit, member-pricing for a companion ticket and concession and other transaction discounts for a monthly fixed price.  Movie Club is a unique option to reward our loyal guests and allows us to stay informed of our frequent guests’ preferences.

We offer a free domestic loyalty program to our guests, named Movie Fan. Movie Fan allows our guests to earn one point for every dollar they spend.  Points can then be redeemed for tickets, concession items and discounts, as well as unique and limited-edition rewards that relate to films currently playing in our theatres.

We also have loyalty programs in some of our international markets that either allow customers to pay a nominal fee for an annual membership card that provides them with certain admissions and concession discounts or that allows guests to earn loyalty points for each purchase. Similar to the Movie Fan program, our points-based international programs offer discounts on movie tickets and concessions. Our global loyalty programs put us in direct contact with our guests and provide additional opportunities for us to partner with the studios and our vendors through targeted promotions.

Competition

We are one of the leaders in the motion picture exhibition industry. We compete against local, regional, national and international exhibitors with respect to attracting guests, licensing films and developing new theatre sites. Our primary U.S. competitors include Regal and AMC and our primary international competitors, which vary by country, include Cinépolis, Cine Colombia, CinePlanet, Kinoplex (GSR), Village Cines, Hoyts Chile, SuperCines and Araujo.

We are generally able to book films without regard to the film bookings of other exhibitors at many of our theatres. In certain limited situations, distributors allocate movies to only one theatre in a market generally based on demographics, the conditions, capacity and grossing potential of each theatre, and the terms of exhibition. In all theatres, our success in attracting guests can depend on customer service quality, location, theatre capacity, quality of projection and sound equipment, film showtime availability and ticket prices.

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We compete for new theatre sites with other movie theatre exhibitors as well as other entertainment venues. Securing a potential site depends upon factors such as commercial terms, committed investment and resources, theatre design and capacity, revenue potential, and financial stability.  

We face competition from other forms of out-of-home entertainment competing for the public’s leisure time and disposable income, such as family entertainment centers, concerts, theme parks and sporting events.  We also face competition for patrons from a number of alternative film distribution channels, such as streaming services, digital downloads, video on-demand, DVDs, pay television, network and syndicated television, and streaming video on demand.

Seasonality

Our revenues have historically been seasonal, coinciding with the timing of releases of motion pictures by the major distributors. The most successful motion pictures have historically been released during summer months in the U.S., extending from May to July, and during the holiday season, extending from November through year-end. The timing of releases, however, has become less pronounced as distributors have begun releasing content more evenly throughout the year.  In our Latin American markets, while Hollywood content has similar release dates as in the U.S., the local holidays and seasons can vary. The unexpected emergence of a hit film during other periods can impact this seasonality trend. The timing, quantity and quality of film releases can have a significant impact on our results of operations, and the results of one period are not necessarily indicative of results for the following period or for the same period in the following year.

Corporate Operations

Our worldwide headquarters, referred to as the Cinemark Service Centre, or CSC, is located in Plano, Texas. Personnel at the CSC provide oversight and support for our domestic and international theatres, and includes our executive team and department heads in charge of film licensing, food and beverage, theatre operations, theatre construction and maintenance, real estate, human resources, marketing, legal, finance, accounting, tax and information technology. Our U.S. operations are comprised of twenty regions, each of which is headed by a regional vice president. We have nine regional offices in Latin America responsible for the local management of theatres in fifteen countries (Honduras, El Salvador, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Panama, Guatemala and Curacao are managed out of one Central American regional office). Each regional office is headed by a general manager or a member of our international management team with additional personnel responsible for film licensing, marketing, human resources, information technology, operations and finance. We have divisional chief financial officers in Brazil and Argentina and a regional chief financial officer located in Chile that oversees Chile, Bolivia and Paraguay.

Human Capital

Our business is seasonal and therefore, our headcount can vary throughout the year depending on the timing and success of movie releases. While we do not have unionized employees within our domestic employee base, some of our international locations are subject to union regulations.

At the time we temporarily closed our theatres in March 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, we had approximately 18,000 employees in the U.S and approximately 10,500 employees in our international markets.  In response to the swift and significant impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on our business, we undertook a number of operational measures, which included temporary and permanent reductions of personnel. Our focus upon the reopening of our theatres was to re-hire our hourly team members who were impacted upon closure of our theatres.  We currently have approximately 8,300 employees in the U.S., approximately 30% of whom are full-time employees and 70% of whom are part-time employees. We have approximately 6,300 employees in our international markets, approximately 80% of whom are full-time employees and approximately 20% of whom are part-time employees.

The COVID-19 pandemic continues to impact the lives of our employees and we have taken steps to help protect their health and safety and maintain business continuity. A vast majority of our CSC employees continue to work remotely, which we expect will continue over the near term. The health and safety of our employees, guests and communities is a top priority.  As such, we established stringent, enhanced cleaning and safety protocols at our corporate offices and theatres, including mandatory face covering, physical distance requirements, enhanced

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cleaning and mandatory temperature screening. We also implemented a COVID-19 hotline to report positive COVID-19 tests. As part of that reporting process, we developed a robust contact tracing program to quickly identify team members who may have been in close contact with the infected individual.

In our Mission, Vision and Values Statement, our employees form the core of our Cinemark Values, or our Values. We strive to (i) act with honesty and integrity, respect and care for each other, our guests, communities and partners, (ii) provide a safe environment for our employees and guests, (ii) be the best in what we do and (iv) empower our people to make decisions and take responsibility. Guided by our Values, we are committed to creating a company where everyone is included and respected, and where we support each other in reaching our full potential. We take pride in the fact that many of our employees, including executive management, international general managers and field employees, have significant tenure with the Company. A vast majority of our field employees who were hired as we started reopening our theatres were employed by us prior to the pandemic.

We seek to be an equitable, diverse and inclusive company. We are committed to diverse representation across all levels of our workforce to reflect the vibrant and thriving diversity of the communities in which we live and work. As part of our ongoing commitment to a diverse and inclusive workforce, we support employee-driven support groups or Employee Resource Groups, or ERGs. The ERGs are open to all employees in the CSC and the Technology Operations Presentation, or TOP, Center and are based on employee interests such as work life balance, PRIDE, environmental, faith-based and cross-cultural. These groups help foster inclusion among all teammates, build awareness, recruit and retain a diverse workforce necessary for the Company to successfully operate in a global, multicultural, and evolving business environment.

To attract and retain the most qualified talent, we offer competitive benefits, including market-competitive compensation, healthcare, paid time off, parental leave and a 401(k) retirement savings and investment plan with generous Company matching. We support the continuous development of professional, technical and leadership skills of our employees by offering tuition assistance, skills development courses through partnerships with leading educational institutions, and leadership development and training both generally and as part of our diversity and inclusion initiatives.  Employees are encouraged to provide feedback about their experience through periodic employee engagement surveys. These voluntary surveys provide overall and department-specific reports and enables us to improve employee experience and culture. We aspire to provide a safe, open and accountable work environment for our employees. We provide a hotline for all employees to report workplace concerns and violations. We address such concerns and take appropriate actions that uphold our Values.

Regulations

The distribution of motion pictures is largely regulated by antitrust laws and has been the subject of numerous antitrust cases. The manner in which we can license films from certain major film distributors has been influenced by consent decrees resulting from these cases. Consent decrees bind certain major film distributors and require the films of such distributors to be offered and licensed to exhibitors, including Cinemark, on a theatre-by-theatre and film-by-film basis. Consequently, exhibitors cannot enter into long-term arrangements with major distributors, but must negotiate for licenses on a theatre-by-theatre and film-by-film basis.

We are subject to various general regulations applicable to our operations including the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, or the ADA, and regulations recently issued by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration that require nutrition labels for certain menu items. Our domestic and international theatre operations are also subject to federal, state and local laws governing such matters as wages, working conditions, citizenship, health and sanitation requirements and various business licensing and permitting.

As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, we are subject to various cleaning, health and safety protocols, capacity restrictions and curfews, which can vary at the city, county and state level.  

Financial Information About Geographic Areas

We currently have operations in the U.S., Brazil, Argentina, Chile, Colombia, Peru, Ecuador, Honduras, El Salvador, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Panama, Guatemala, Bolivia, Curacao, and Paraguay, which are reflected in the consolidated financial statements. See Note 21 to our consolidated financial statements for segment information and financial information by geographic area.

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Item 1A. Risk Factors

An investment in our common stock or debt securities involves risks and uncertainties and our actual results and future trends may differ materially from our past or projected future performance. We urge investors to consider carefully the risk factors described below in evaluating the information contained in this report.

Risks  Related to the COVID-19 Pandemic

The COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted and is expected to continue to disrupt our industry and our business and could continue to materially affect our financial condition, liquidity, cash flows, results of operations and ability to service our existing and future indebtedness, for an extended period of time.

The outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted, and we expect it will continue to disrupt, our industry and our business for an extended period of time. While we have reopened 217 of our domestic theatres and 129 of our international theatres as of December 31, 2020, our business, results of operations, liquidity, cash flows and financial condition continue to be severely impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. One of the key factors that has materially affected our business is the availability of new films for exhibition at our theatres. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, production of films has been temporarily halted or delayed and new film releases have been postponed, resulting in a drastic reduction in the volume of new films available for theatrical exhibition. Even when new films are available, studios have reduced the window for video and digital releases or have released directly to alternative film distribution channels such as streaming services and bypassed a theatrical release.

In addition to the impact on film product availability for theatrical exhibition, governmental restrictions such as limitations on capacity and food and beverage sales continue to impact our results of operations, liquidity and cash flows. As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to develop, there could be additional federal, state or local responses that further restrict in-person gathering and/or movement of guests or otherwise impact our business.  Even as restrictions are lifted, consumers may not be comfortable gathering in a large group or within a closed space for a few hours at a time.

We cannot predict when the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic will subside, whether the response to contain or mitigate the COVID-19 pandemic through the development and availability of effective treatments and vaccines, including the vaccines recently approved by the FDA for emergency use in the U.S., will be successful or if business will return to normal levels of operation. The longer and more severe the pandemic, including repeat or cyclical outbreaks, the more severe the adverse effects will be on our business, results of operations, liquidity, cash flows, financial condition, access to credit markets and ability to service our existing and future indebtedness.

The outbreak of COVID-19 has also significantly increased economic and demand uncertainty. It is likely that the current outbreak or continued spread of COVID-19 will cause an economic slowdown, and it is possible that it could cause a global recession. For additional information on risks related to a slowdown or recession, see “—Other General Risks—General political, social, health and economic conditions can adversely affect our attendance.”

To the extent the COVID-19 pandemic adversely affects our business and financial results, it may also have the effect of heightening many of the other risks described in this “Risk Factors” section, including but not limited to those relating to our high level of indebtedness, our need to generate sufficient cash flows to service our indebtedness and our ability to comply with the covenants contained in the agreements that govern our indebtedness.

Risks  Related to Our Business and Operations

Our business depends on film production and performance.

Our business depends on both the availability of suitable films for exhibition in our theatres and the success of those films in our markets. Reduced volume of film releases, poor performance of films, the disruption in the production of films due to events such as a strike by directors, writers or actors, a reduction in financing options for the film distributors, or a reduction in the production and marketing efforts of the film distributors to make and promote their films could have an adverse effect on our business by resulting in fewer patrons and reduced revenues.  During 2020, we saw a significant reduction in the quantity of films available to exhibit in our theatres.  We expect the quantity of new film releases available for theatrical exhibition to continue to be lower than historical levels

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during 2021, due to production delays, theatre closures, government restrictions and consumer sentiment, all directly correlating to the status of the COVID-19 pandemic.  

Our results of operations fluctuate on a seasonal basis.

Our results of operations vary from period to period based upon the quantity and quality of the motion pictures that we show in our theatres. The major film distributors generally release the films they anticipate will be most successful during the summer and holiday seasons. Consequently, we typically generate higher revenues during these periods.  The timing of releases, however, has become less pronounced as distributors have begun releasing content more evenly throughout the year.  In our Latin American markets, while Hollywood content has similar release dates as in the U.S., the local holidays and seasons can vary. The unexpected emergence of a successful film during other periods or the failure of an expected success at a key time could alter this seasonality trend. Due to the dependency on the success of films released from one period to the next, results of operations for one period may not be indicative of the results for the following period or the same period in the following year.

A deterioration in relationships with film distributors could adversely affect our ability to obtain commercially successful films.

We rely on the film distributors to supply the films shown in our theatres. The film distribution business is highly concentrated, with five major film distributors accounting for approximately 80% of U.S. box office revenues and 40 of the top 50 grossing films during 2019. Film distributors license films to exhibitors on a theatre-by-theatre and film-by-film basis. Consequently, we cannot guarantee a supply of films by entering into long-term arrangements with major distributors. We are therefore required to negotiate licenses for each film and for each theatre. A deterioration in our relationship with any of the major film distributors could adversely affect our ability to obtain commercially successful films and to negotiate favorable licensing terms for such films, both of which could adversely affect our business and operating results.

We face intense competition for patrons and films which may adversely affect our business.

The motion picture exhibition industry is highly competitive. We compete against local, regional, national and international exhibitors in many of our markets. We compete for both patrons and licensing of films. In markets where we do not face nearby competitive theatres, there is a risk of new theatres being built. The degree of competition for patrons is dependent upon such factors as location, theatre capacity, presentation quality, film showtime availability, customer service quality, products and amenities offered, and ticket prices. The principal competitive factors with respect to film licensing include the theatre’s location and its demographics, the condition, capacity and grossing potential of each theatre, and licensing terms. We also face competition from new concept theatres such as dine-in theatres and tavern style theatres that open in close proximity to our conventional theatres. If we are unable to attract patrons or to license successful films, our business may be adversely affected.

An increase in competing forms of entertainment or the use of alternative film distribution channels may reduce movie theatre attendance and limit revenue growth.

We compete with other forms of out-of-home entertainment, such as family entertainment centers, concerts, theme parks, gaming and sporting events, for our patrons’ leisure time and disposable income. We also face competition for patrons from a number of alternative film distribution channels, such as digital downloads, video on-demand, DVDs, pay television, network and syndicated television, and streaming video on demand. Some of these distribution channels have seen growth in production in recent years. A significant increase in popularity of these alternative film distribution channels, competing forms of entertainment or improvements in technologies available at home could have an adverse effect on our business and results of operations.

Our results of operations may be impacted by the shrinking, or elimination of, video and digital release windows.

The average video and digital release window, which represents the time that elapses from the date of a film’s theatrical release to the date a film is available for DVD, has been approximately 90 days and digital purchase for ownership (also known as electronic sell-through) has been approximately 74 days for the past several years. During the COVID-19 pandemic, certain studios have adopted strategies that reduced, or in some cases eliminated, the

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release windows.  Warner Brothers announced that its entire film slate for 2021 will move to simultaneous release in theatres and on HBO Max.  Disney has released movie titles to Disney+ and bypassed theatrical releases altogether and has indicated that some titles will be released simultaneously to theatres and on Disney+.  Other studious may adopt similar strategies due to the COVID-19 pandemic and may lead to permanent changes that shorten or eliminate exclusive theatrical windows.  These practices have significantly impacted our revenues.  If studios continue to reduce or eliminate the windows for certain films even after the industry recovers or, if our patrons continue to choose to wait for an in-home release rather than attend a theatre to view the film, it may continue to adversely impact our business and results of operations, financial condition and cash flows.

Our foreign operations are subject to adverse regulations, economic instability and currency exchange risk.

We have 200 theatres with 1,451 screens in fifteen countries in Latin America. Brazil represented approximately 8.6% of our consolidated 2020 revenues. Governmental regulation of the motion picture industry in foreign markets differs from that in the U.S. Changes in regulations affecting prices and quota systems requiring the exhibition of locally-produced films may adversely affect our international operations. Our international operations are subject to certain political, economic and other uncertainties not encountered by our domestic operations, including risks of severe economic downturns and high inflation. We also face risks of currency fluctuations, hard currency shortages and controls of foreign currency exchange and cash transfers to the U.S., all of which could have an adverse effect on the results of our operations.

We are subject to impairment losses due to potential declines in the fair value of our assets.

We have a significant amount of long-lived assets. We evaluate long-lived assets for impairment at the theatre level.  Therefore, if a theatre is directly and individually impacted by increased competition, adverse changes in market demographics, or adverse changes in the development or condition of the areas surrounding the theatre, we may record impairment charges to reflect the decline in estimated fair value of that theatre.  

We also have a significant amount of goodwill and tradename intangible assets. Declines in our stock price or market capitalization, declines in our attendance due to increased competition in certain regions and/or countries or economic factors that lead to a decline in attendance in any given region or country could result in impairments of goodwill and our intangible assets.

We are subject to uncertainties relating to future expansion plans, including our ability to identify suitable acquisition candidates or new theatre site locations, and to obtain financing for such activities on favorable terms or at all.

We have greatly expanded our operations over the last decade through targeted worldwide theatre development and acquisitions. We continue to pursue a strategy of expansion that will involve the development of new theatres and may involve acquisitions of existing theatres and theatre circuits both in the U.S. and internationally. There is significant competition for new site locations and for existing theatre and theatre circuit acquisition opportunities. As a result of such competition, we may not be able to acquire attractive site locations, existing theatres or theatre circuits on terms we consider acceptable. The pace of our growth may also be impacted by delays in site development caused by other parties. Acquisitions and expansion opportunities may divert a significant amount of management’s time away from the operation of our business. Growth by acquisition also involves risks relating to difficulties in integrating the operations and personnel of acquired companies and the potential loss of key employees of acquired companies. Our expansion strategy may not result in improvements to our business, financial condition, profitability, or cash flows. Further, our expansion programs may require financing above our existing borrowing capacity and operating cash flows. We may not be able to obtain such financing or ensure that such financing will be available to us on acceptable terms or at all.

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Risks  Related to Financing and Liquidity

We have substantial long-term lease and debt obligations, which may restrict our ability to fund current and future operations and that restrict our ability to enter into certain transactions.

We have, and will continue to have, significant long-term debt service obligations and long-term lease obligations. As of December 31, 2020, we had $2,527.9 million in long-term debt obligations, $141.0 million in finance lease obligations and $1,346.7 million in long-term operating lease obligations. Our substantial lease and debt obligations pose risk by:

Our ability to make scheduled payments of principal and interest with respect to our indebtedness will depend on our ability to generate positive cash flows and on our future financial results. Our ability to generate positive cash flows is subject to general economic, financial, competitive, regulatory and other factors that are beyond our control.  Once we recover from the COVID-19 pandemic, we may not be able to generate cash flows at historical levels, or guarantee that future borrowings will be available under our senior secured credit facility, in an amount sufficient to enable us to pay our indebtedness. If our cash flows and capital resources are insufficient to fund our lease and debt service obligations, we may be forced to reduce or delay capital expenditures, sell assets or operations, seek additional capital or restructure or refinance our indebtedness. We may not be able to take any of these actions, and these actions may not be successful or permit us to meet our scheduled debt service obligations and these actions may be restricted under the terms of our existing or future debt agreements, including our senior secured credit facility.

If we fail to make any required payment under the agreements governing our leases and indebtedness or fail to comply with the financial and operating covenants contained in them, we would be in default, and as a result, our debt holders would have the ability to require that we immediately repay our outstanding indebtedness and the lenders under our senior secured credit facility could terminate their commitments to lend us money and foreclose against the assets securing their borrowings. We could be forced into bankruptcy or liquidation. The acceleration of our indebtedness under one agreement may permit acceleration of indebtedness under other agreements that contain cross-default and cross-acceleration provisions. If our indebtedness is accelerated, we may not be able to repay our indebtedness or borrow sufficient funds to refinance it. Even if we are able to obtain new financing, it may not be on commercially reasonable terms or on terms that are acceptable to us. If our debt holders require immediate payment, we may not have sufficient assets to satisfy our obligations under our indebtedness.

A lowering or withdrawal of the ratings assigned or a change in outlook to our outstanding debt securities by

rating agencies may increase our future borrowing costs and reduce our access to capital.

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We are rated by nationally recognized rating agencies. The rating scales and methodologies used to derive individual ratings may vary from agency to agency. Credit ratings are issued by credit rating agencies based on evaluations of our ability to pay back our outstanding debt and the likelihood that we would default on that debt prior to its maturity.  The credit ratings issued by the rating agencies represent the rating agency's evaluation of both qualitative and quantitative information for our company. The credit ratings that are issued are based on the rating agency’s judgment and experience in determining what information should be considered in giving a rating to a particular company. Ratings are always subject to change and there can be no assurance that our current ratings will continue for any given period of time.

Our debt currently has a non-investment grade rating, and any rating assigned could be lowered (or outlook thereof could be changed) or withdrawn entirely by a rating agency if, in that rating agency’s judgment, future circumstances relating to the basis of the rating, such as adverse changes in our business or industry, including as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, so warrant. Any future lowering of our ratings likely would make it more difficult or more expensive for us to obtain additional debt financing. In particular, our access to the capital markets may be impacted, our other funding sources may decrease, the cost of debt may increase as a result of increased interest rates or fees, and we may be required to provide additional credit assurances, including collateral, under certain contracts or arrangements.

Our inability to raise funds necessary to settle conversions of, or to repurchase, the 4.50% Convertible Senior Notes (as defined below), upon a fundamental change as described in the indenture governing the 4.50% Convertible Senior Notes, may lead to defaults under such indenture and under agreements governing our existing or future indebtedness.

If we settle the 4.50% Convertible Senior Notes by cash, or by a combination of cash and shares of our common stock, upon a fundamental change as described in the indenture governing the 4.50% Convertible Senior Notes, we will be required to make cash payments with respect to the 4.50% Convertible Senior Notes being converted. However, we may not have enough available cash or be able to obtain financing at the time we are required to make purchases of the 4.50% Convertible Senior Notes being surrendered or converted. In addition, our ability to repurchase the 4.50% Convertible Senior Notes or to pay cash upon conversion of the 4.50% Convertible Senior Notes is limited by the agreements governing our existing indebtedness (including the senior secured credit facility) and may also be limited by law, by regulatory authority or by agreements that will govern our future indebtedness. Our failure to repurchase 4.50% Convertible Senior Notes at a time when the repurchase is required by the indenture governing the 4.50% Convertible Senior Notes or to pay cash payable on future conversions of the 4.50% Convertible Senior Notes as required by such indenture would constitute a default under such indenture. A default under the indenture governing the 4.50% Convertible Senior Notes or the fundamental change itself could also lead to a default under agreements governing our existing or future indebtedness (including the senior secured credit facility and the indentures governing Cinemark USA, Inc.’s senior notes).

The conditional conversion feature of the 4.50% Convertible Senior Notes, if triggered, may adversely affect our financial condition and operating results.

In the event the conditional conversion feature of the 4.50% Convertible Senior Notes is triggered, holders of the 4.50% Convertible Senior Notes will be entitled to convert the 4.50% Convertible Senior Notes at any time during specified periods at their option. If one or more holders elect to convert their 4.50% Convertible Senior Notes, initially we elect to satisfy our conversion obligations by combination settlement. In addition, in the future, we may elect to settle all of our conversion obligation through the payment of cash, which could adversely affect our liquidity. In addition, even if holders do not elect to convert their 4.50% Convertible Senior Notes, we could be required under applicable accounting rules to reclassify all or a portion of the outstanding principal of the 4.50% Convertible Senior Notes as a current rather than long-term liability, which would result in a material reduction of our net working capital.

Conversion of the 4.50% Convertible Senior Notes will dilute the ownership interest of existing stockholders, or may otherwise depress the price of our common stock.

The conversion of some or all of the 4.50% Convertible Senior Notes will dilute the ownership interests of existing stockholders to the extent we deliver shares of our common stock upon conversion of any of the 4.50%

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Convertible Senior Notes. The 4.50% Convertible Senior Notes may from time to time in the future be convertible at the option of their holders prior to their scheduled terms under certain circumstances. Any sales in the public market of the common stock issuable upon such conversion could adversely affect prevailing market prices of our common stock. In addition, the existence of the 4.50% Convertible Senior Notes may encourage short selling by market participants because the conversion of the 4.50% Convertible Senior Notes could be used to satisfy short positions, or anticipated conversion of the 4.50% Convertible Senior Notes into shares of our common stock could depress the price of our common stock.

The 4.50% Convertible Senior Notes Hedge Transactions and Warrant Transactions (each as defined below) may affect the value of our common stock.

In connection with the pricing of the 4.50% Convertible Senior Notes, we entered into Hedge Transactions with, and sold Warrants (as defined below) to, Option Counterparties (as defined below). The Hedge Transactions are expected generally to reduce the potential dilution to our common stock upon any conversion of the 4.50% Convertible Senior Notes and/or offset any cash payments we are required to make in excess of the principal amount of converted 4.50% Convertible Senior Notes, as the case may be. The Warrants would separately have a dilutive effect to the extent that the market price per share of our common stock exceeds the strike price of any Warrants on the applicable expiration dates unless, subject to the terms of the Warrants, we elect to cash settle the Warrants.  In addition, the Option Counterparties or their respective affiliates may modify their hedge positions by entering into or unwinding various derivatives with respect to our common stock and/or purchasing or selling our common stock or other securities of ours in secondary market transactions prior to the maturity of the 4.50% Convertible Senior Notes (and are likely to do so during any observation period related to a conversion of the 4.50% Convertible Senior Notes or following any repurchase of the 4.50% Convertible Senior Notes by us in connection with any fundamental change repurchase date or otherwise). This activity could also cause or avoid an increase or decrease in the market price of our common stock.

In addition, if any such Hedge Transactions and Warrants fail to become effective, the Option Counterparties or their respective affiliates may unwind their hedge positions with respect to our common stock, which could adversely affect the market price of our common stock. The potential effect, if any, of these transactions and activities on the market price of our common stock will depend in part on market conditions and cannot be ascertained at this time. Any of these activities could adversely affect the value of our common stock.

We are subject to counterparty risk with respect to the 4.50% Convertible Senior Notes Hedge Transactions.

The Option Counterparties are financial institutions or affiliates of financial institutions, and we will be subject to the risk that one or more of such Option Counterparties may default under the Hedge Transactions. Our exposure to the credit risk of the Option Counterparties will not be secured by any collateral. If any Option Counterparty becomes subject to insolvency proceedings, we will become an unsecured creditor in those proceedings with a claim equal to our exposure at that time under our transactions with that counterparty. Our exposure will depend on many factors but, generally, the increase in our exposure will be correlated to the increase in our common stock market price and in the volatility of the market price of our common stock. In addition, upon a default by the Option Counterparty, we may suffer adverse tax consequences and more dilution than we currently anticipate with respect to our common stock. We can provide no assurance as to the financial stability or viability of any Option Counterparty.

A credit market crisis may adversely affect our ability to raise capital and may materially impact our operations.

Severe dislocations and liquidity disruptions in the credit markets could materially impact our ability to obtain debt financing on reasonable terms or at all. The inability to access debt financing on reasonable terms could materially impact our ability to make acquisitions, invest in technology innovations or significantly expand our business in the future.

Our ability to pay dividends may be limited or otherwise restricted.

Our ability to pay dividends is limited by our status as a holding company and the terms of our senior notes indentures and our senior secured credit facility, which restrict our ability to pay dividends and the ability of certain

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of our subsidiaries to pay dividends, directly or indirectly, to us. Under our debt instruments, we may pay a cash dividend up to a specified amount, provided we have satisfied certain financial covenants in, and are not in default under, our debt instruments. The declaration of future dividends on our common stock, par value $0.001 per share, or Common Stock, will be at the discretion of our board of directors and will depend upon many factors, including our results of operations, financial condition, earnings, capital requirements, limitations in our debt agreements and legal requirements. We suspended our dividend in March 2020 due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and it is uncertain when we will again declare dividends.

Future sales of our common stock may adversely affect the prevailing market price.

Future sales of substantial amounts of our common stock in the open market and the issuance of the shares reserved for future issuance under our incentive plan, in exchange for outstanding warrants, conversion of outstanding 4.500% Convertible Senior Notes, or in connection with acquisitions or other corporate events, will be dilutive to our existing stockholders and could result in a decrease in our stock price. We cannot predict whether substantial amounts of our common stock will be sold in the open market in anticipation of, or following, any divestiture by any of our large stockholders, our directors or executive officers of their shares of common stock. We can also issue shares of our common stock which are authorized but unissued and not reserved for any specific purpose without any action or approval by our stockholders.

We may not be able to generate additional revenues or continue to realize value from our investment in NCM.

As of December 31, 2020, we owned 40,850,068 common units of NCM, which represented an ownership interest in NCM of approximately 25%. We receive monthly theatre access and advertising fees under our Exhibitor Services Agreement with NCM and we are entitled to receive mandatory quarterly distributions of excess cash from NCM.  During the years ended December 31, 2018, 2019 and 2020, the Company received approximately $12.1 million, $13.8 million and $4.7 million in other revenues from NCM, respectively, $22.2 million, $25.9 million and $14.2 million in cash distributions recorded as a reduction of our investment in NCM, respectively, and $15.4 million $12.9 million and $7.0 million in cash distributions in excess of our investment in NCM, respectively. Cinema advertising is a small component of the U.S. advertising market and therefore, NCM competes with larger, more established and well known media platforms such as broadcast radio and television, cable and satellite television, outdoor advertising and Internet portals. In-theatre advertising may not continue to attract advertisers or NCM’s in-theatre advertising format may not continue to be received favorably by theatre patrons. If NCM is unable to continue to generate consistent advertising revenues, its results of operations may be adversely affected and our investment in and distributions and revenues from NCM may be adversely impacted.  NCM revenues and excess cash distributions have been significantly impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic and resulting temporary theatre closures.  Future NCM revenues and excess cash distributions from NCM to the Company will depend on the reopening of theatres and the recovery of the motion picture exhibition industry.

Regulatory Risks

If we do not comply with the ADA and the safe harbor framework included in the consent order we entered into with the Department of Justice, or the DOJ, we could be subject to further litigation. In addition, if we do not comply with local and government restrictions related to the COVID-19 pandemic, we could be subject to fines or forced to close theatres.  

Our theatres must comply with Title III of the ADA and analogous state and local laws. Compliance with the ADA requires among other things that public facilities “reasonably accommodate” individuals with disabilities and that new construction or alterations made to “commercial facilities” conform to accessibility guidelines unless “structurally impracticable” for new construction or technically infeasible for alterations. On November 15, 2004, Cinemark and the DOJ entered into a consent order, which was filed with the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Ohio, Eastern Division. Under the consent order, the DOJ approved a safe harbor framework for us to construct all of our future stadium-style movie theatres. The DOJ has stipulated that all theatres built in compliance with the consent order will comply with the wheelchair seating requirements of the ADA. If we fail to comply with the ADA, remedies could include imposition of injunctive relief, fines, awards for damages to private litigants and additional capital expenditures to remedy non-compliance. Imposition of significant fines, damage awards or capital expenditures to cure non-compliance could adversely affect our business and operating results.

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We may be subject to increased labor and benefits costs.

In the U.S., we are subject to United States federal and state laws governing such matters as minimum wages, working conditions and overtime. We are also subject to union regulations in certain of our international markets, which can specify wage rates as well as minimum hours to be paid to certain employees. As federal and state minimum wage rates increase, we may need to increase not only the wages of our minimum wage employees, but also the wages paid to employees at wage rates that are above minimum wage. Labor shortages, increased employee turnover and health care mandates could also increase our labor costs. This in turn could lead us to increase prices, which could impact our sales. Conversely, if competitive pressures or other factors prevent us from offsetting increased labor costs by increases in prices, our results of operations may be adversely impacted.

Provisions in our corporate documents and certain agreements, as well as Delaware law, may hinder a change of control.

Provisions in our amended and restated certificate of incorporation and bylaws, as well as provisions of the Delaware General Corporation Law, could discourage unsolicited proposals to acquire us. These provisions include:

Certain provisions of our 8.750% secured notes indenture, 4.875% senior notes indenture, our 5.125% senior notes indenture and our senior secured credit facility may have the effect of delaying or preventing future transactions involving a “change of control.” A “change of control” would require us to make an offer to the holders of each of our 8.750% Secured Notes, 4.875% Senior Notes and our 5.125% Senior Notes (each as defined below) to repurchase all of the outstanding notes at a purchase price equal to 101% of the aggregate principal amount outstanding plus accrued and unpaid interest to the date of purchase. A “change of control” would also be an event of default under our senior secured credit facility.

Risks Related to Cybersecurity and Business Disruptions

Cyber security threats and our failure to protect our electronically stored data could adversely affect our business.

We collect, use, store and maintain electronic information and data necessary to conduct our business, including confidential and proprietary information of the company, our customers, and our employees. We also rely on the availability of information technology systems to operate our business, including for communications, receiving and displaying movies, ticketing, guest services, payments, and other general operations. We rely on some of our vendors to store and process certain data and to manage, host, and/or provide some of our information technology systems. Because of the scope and complexity of our information technology systems, our reliance on vendors to provide, support and protect our systems and data, and the constantly evolving cyber-threat landscape, our information technology systems are subject to the risk of disruption, failure, unauthorized access, cyber-terrorism, human error, misuse, tampering, theft, and other cyber-attacks. These or similar events, whether accidental or intentional, could result in theft, unauthorized access or disclosure, loss, fraudulent or unlawful use of customer, employee or company data, which could harm our reputation or result in a loss of business, as well as remedial and other costs, fines, investigations, enforcement actions or lawsuits. These or similar events could also lead to an interruption in the operation of our systems resulting in business impact, including loss of business. Those same scope, complexity, reliance, and changing cyber-threat landscape factors could also affect our ability to adapt to and comply with changing regulations and contractual obligations applicable to data security and privacy, which are increasingly demanding, both in the United States and in other jurisdictions where we operate.  In order to address these risks, we have adopted security measures and technology, operate a security program, and work continuously to evaluate and improve our security posture. However, the development and maintenance of these

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systems and programs are costly and require ongoing monitoring and updating as technologies change and efforts to overcome security measures become more sophisticated. As such, there can be no assurance that these or similar events will not occur in the future or will not have an adverse effect on our business and results of operation.

In addition to Company-specific cyber threats or events, our business and results of operations could also be impacted by cyber-related events affecting our peers and partners within the entertainment industry, as well as other retail companies. We maintain insurance designed to provide coverage for cyber risks related to what we believe to be adequate and collectible insurance in the event of the theft, loss, fraudulent or unlawful use of customer, employee or company data, but the foregoing events or future events could result in costs and business impacts which may not be covered or may be in excess of any available insurance that we may have procured. As a result, future events could have a material impact on our business and adversely affect our financial condition and results of operations.

Other General Risks

General political, social, health and economic conditions can adversely affect our attendance.

Our results of operations are dependent on general political, social, health and economic conditions, and the impact of such conditions on our theatre operating costs and on the willingness of consumers to spend money at movie theatres. If consumers’ discretionary income declines during a period of an economic downturn or political uncertainty, our operations could be adversely affected. If theatre operating costs, such as utility costs, increase due to political or economic changes, our results of operations could be adversely affected. Political events, such as terrorist attacks, and health-related pandemics or epidemics, such as flu or other virus outbreaks, could cause people to avoid our theatres or other public places where large crowds are in attendance, which could adversely affect our results of operations. In addition, a natural disaster, such as a hurricane or an earthquake, could impact our ability to operate certain of our theatres, which could adversely affect our results of operations.

A failure to adapt to future technological innovations could impact our ability to compete effectively and could adversely affect our results of operations.

While we continue to invest in technological innovations, such as motion seats and satellite distribution technologies, new technological innovations continue to impact our industry. If we are unable to respond to or invest in changes in technology and the technological preferences of our customers, we may not be able to compete with other exhibitors or other entertainment venues, which could adversely affect our results of operations.

Legislative or regulatory initiatives related to global warming/climate change concerns may negatively impact our business.

Recently, there has been an increasing focus and continuous debate on global climate change including increased attention from regulatory agencies and legislative bodies. This increased focus may lead to new initiatives directed at regulating an as yet unspecified array of environmental matters. Legislative, regulatory or other efforts in the U.S. to combat climate change could result in future increases in the cost of raw materials, taxes, transportation and utilities for our vendors and for us which would result in higher operating costs for the Company. Also, compliance of our theatres and accompanying real estate with new and revised environmental, zoning, land-use or building codes, laws, rules or regulations, could have a material and adverse effect on our business.  However, we are unable to predict at this time, the potential effects, if any, that any future environmental initiatives may have on our business.

We may be subject to liability under environmental laws and regulations.

We own and operate a large number of theatres and other properties within the U.S. and internationally, which may be subject to various foreign, federal, state and local laws and regulations relating to the protection of the environment or human health. Such environmental laws and regulations include those that impose liability for the investigation and remediation of spills or releases of hazardous materials. We may incur such liability, including for any currently or formerly owned, leased or operated property, or for any site, to which we may have disposed, or arranged for the disposal of, hazardous materials or wastes. Certain of these laws and regulations may impose

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liability, including joint and several liability, which can result in a liable party being obliged to pay for greater than its share, regardless of fault or the legality of the original disposal. Environmental conditions relating to our properties or operations could have an adverse effect on our business and results of operations and cash flows.

Product recalls and associated costs could adversely affect our reputation and financial condition.

We may be found liable if the consumption of any of the products we sell causes illness or injury. We are also subject to recall by product manufacturers or if the food products become contaminated. Recalls could result in losses due to the cost of the recall, the destruction of the product and lost sales due to the unavailability of the product for a period of time.

Item 1B. Unresolved Staff Comments

None.

Item 2. Properties

The following table sets forth a summary of our theatres in U.S. and international markets as of December 31, 2020:

See Item 1, Business – Theatre Operations, for a summary of the geographic locations for our U.S. and international theatre circuit as of December 31, 2020.

The Company conducts a significant part of its theatre operations in leased properties under noncancelable operating and finance leases with base terms generally ranging from 10 to 25 years. In addition to fixed lease payments, some of the leases provide for variable lease payments and some require the payment of taxes, insurance and other costs applicable to the property. Variable lease payments include payments based on a percentage of retail sales over defined thresholds or payments adjusted periodically for inflation or changes in attendance. The Company can renew, at its option, a substantial portion of the leases at defined or then market rental rates for various periods.  Some leases also provide for escalating rent payments throughout the lease term. See Note 4 to our consolidated financial statements for further discussion of our property leases.  

In addition to our theatre properties, we currently own an office building in Plano, Texas, which is our worldwide headquarters. We lease office space in Frisco, Texas for our theatre technology support team and a warehouse in McKinney, TX.  We also lease office space in seven regions in Latin America for our local management teams .

Item 3. Legal Proceedings

For a discussion of contingencies related to legal proceedings, see Note 20 to our consolidated financial statements, which is hereby incorporated by reference.

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PART II

Item 5. Market for Registrant’s Common Equity, Related Stockholder Matters and Issuer Purchases of Equity Securities

Market Information

Our common equity consists of common stock, which has traded on the New York Stock Exchange since April 24, 2007 under the symbol “CNK."  

Holders of Common Stock

As of December 31, 2020, there were 227 holders of record of the Company’s common stock and there were no other classes of stock issued and outstanding.

Dividend Policy

We, at the discretion of the board of directors and subject to applicable law, may pay regular quarterly dividends on our common stock. The amount, if any, of the dividends to be paid in the future will depend upon our then available cash, anticipated cash needs, overall financial condition, loan agreement restrictions, future prospects for earnings and cash flows, as well as other relevant factors. In March 2020, our board of directors suspended our dividend policy.  See Item 7, Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operation – Liquidity and Capital Resources – Financing Activities for a discussion of dividend restrictions under our debt agreements.

See Note 7 to our consolidated financial statements for a detail of dividends paid during the years ended December 31, 2018, 2019 and 2020.

Performance Graph

The performance graph is incorporated by reference to the Company’s proxy statement for its annual stockholders meeting to be held on May 20, 2021 and to be filed with the SEC within 120 days after December 31, 2020.

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Item 6. Selected Financial Data

The following table provides our selected consolidated financial and operating data for the periods and at the dates indicated for each of the five most recent years ended December 31, 2020. You should read the selected consolidated financial and operating data set forth below in conjunction with “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” and our audited consolidated financial statements and related notes appearing elsewhere in this report.  We adopted ASC Topic 606, Revenue Recognition, effective January 1, 2018 (see Note 5 to our consolidated financial statements for related disclosures).  We adopted ASC Topic 842, Leases, effective January 1, 2019 (see Note 4 to our consolidated financial statements for related disclosures).