IMAX Revenue Hit a Record. The Premium Experience Economy Is Still Working.

IMAX reported record revenue of $1.3 billion for 2025, driven by growth across its theater network, technology business, and premium-format box office. The result comes as major studios continue investing in theatrical releases designed around large-format experiences, including Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey, which was filmed with IMAX cameras and built around the theatrical presentation. The broader market question is not whether consumers are spending, but where they still see enough difference to justify a higher price.

The key observation is that selective consumers are not abandoning experiences evenly; they are separating ordinary options from those they view as difficult to replace.

IMAX reported 2025 revenue of $1.3 billion, a record for the company. The company reported global IMAX box office of $1.4 billion during the year, also a record. Revenue growth came from multiple areas, including higher box office, theater system installations, and related business activity.

IMAX has continued expanding its global theater footprint, with more than 1,700 IMAX systems installed worldwide. Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey was produced using IMAX film cameras and is scheduled for a theatrical release designed to highlight the large-format experience.

This is a premiumization environment.

The defining feature is not broad consumer strength. It is separation. Some spending categories face pressure when customers see little difference between alternatives, while differentiated experiences can maintain attention and pricing power.

The downward slide has begun.

According to new research from Bloomberg, the U.S. dollar’s share of global reserves has just fallen to the lowest level this century.

While everyone is distracted by hyped-up IPOs and the AI bubble, the world is walking away from the dollar – the foundation on which all of our lives are built is crumbling.

And I believe the consequences for the country – and your financial security – are extremely serious.

President Trump knows it. That’s why he has taken emergency action by signing executive order 14241 to initiate the first full reset of the American dollar in half a century.

That means every dollar you have saved and invested… every good, every service, every asset… all of it could be about to be repriced against a new monetary anchor.

It’s not gold, or crypto – but something far more unexpected. An asset so fiercely contested and so critical that Vladimir Putin once claimed whoever controls it “will become the leader of the world”

Nobody can tell you exactly how this reset will play out.

But I do know that the last time America changed its money like this – half a century ago – it split the country in two. Between the folks who understood what was happening and responded accordingly – and those who got brutally left behind.

That line is being drawn again. And what you do with your money in the months ahead could decide which side you end up on.

I’d like to show you which investments could thrive – and which could be the most dangerous – inside Trump’s new monetary order.

The full story is here.

One key signal is whether customers continue accepting higher prices when the experience offers a clear distinction.

Another signal is whether businesses can create durable demand through differentiation rather than relying mainly on discounts, promotions, or increased volume.

A common misread is treating consumer weakness as a uniform condition across all categories. Spending can soften in areas where alternatives feel interchangeable while remaining firm in areas where customers perceive unique value.

One mistake is viewing premiumization only as a luxury trend. The same pattern can appear in entertainment, travel, hospitality, and other industries where the customer is paying for an experience rather than only a product.

Focus on differentiation, not just demand.

IMAX illustrates a broader business principle: consumers often become more selective when budgets are under pressure, but they do not necessarily stop spending on experiences they believe are meaningfully different.

The important distinction is between companies competing for attention and companies creating a reason for customers to choose them. Differentiation can become a more important factor when consumers are evaluating every purchase more carefully.

The consumer environment is becoming more selective, not simply weaker or stronger. The businesses that stand out are often those that give customers a clear reason to value the experience beyond the basic transaction.

Talk soon,
The Playbook Daily