Brandwave

Event Cinemas vs Hoyts:Which is more popular?

In September 2026, Hoyts had more branded searches than Event Cinemas among cinema chains in Australia. Hoyts had about 550,000 branded searches, while Event Cinemas had 368,000. Hoyts made up 35.4% of all cinema chain searches we track, and Event Cinemas accounted for 23.7%. When we asked ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews about cinema chains, Hoyts appeared in all five answers and Event Cinemas in three. Hoyts was mentioned before Event Cinemas in two out of three answers.

Among cinema chains in Australia in September 2026

Who do people search for more?

Hoyts, about 49% more searches than Event Cinemas

Hoyts 550K searchesEvent Cinemas 368K searches

Who does AI mention more?

Hoyts, mentioned in every answer we collected

Hoyts in 5 of 5Event Cinemas in 3 of 5

Who does AI recommend more?

Hoyts, named ahead of Event Cinemas in 2 of 3 answers

Hoyts first in 2Event Cinemas first in 1

Follow Event Cinemas vs Hoyts and get free monthly updates on what changed

By continuing you'll get index updates and occasional product news from Brandwave. Unsubscribe any time. Privacy

Track your brand against a rival →

Top cinema chains in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews

In three ChatGPT questions and two Google AI Overviews, Hoyts appeared in all five answers. Event Cinemas was mentioned in three out of five: in two of the three ChatGPT answers and in one of the two Google AI Overviews. Hoyts was listed before Event Cinemas in two out of three answers.

Most recommended by AI

Brands get a higher ranking if they are mentioned earlier in the answers.

  1. Hoyts1st
  2. Event Cinemas2nd
  3. Reading Cinemas3rd
  4. Palace Cinemas4th
  5. Village Cinemas5th

Mentioned by AI

Each dot is one answer, filled in when that answer mentions the brand.

  • Hoyts5 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
  • Event Cinemas3 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
  • Reading Cinemas3 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
  • Village Cinemas2 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
  • Palace Cinemas2 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers

See every answer about cinema chains

5 answers

Brands are shown in the order each answer named them. The survey took place in Australia on October 22, 2026.

Is Event Cinemas or Hoyts more popular in search?

This chart shows how often people search Google for Event Cinemas and Hoyts by name. Each line represents a brand's share of searches for all five cinema chains we track, month by month, from searches in Australia.

Event Cinemas and Hoyts among cinema chains in Australia, by month

Share of searches by month for Hoyts, Event Cinemas. The figures are in the table below the chart.

View monthly share of searches table
MonthHoytsEvent CinemasVillage CinemasReading CinemasPalace Cinemas
Oct 202536.7%24.5%16.4%16.4%6%
Nov 202534.9%23.4%19.1%15.6%7%
Dec 202538.2%25.6%17.1%14%5.1%
Jan 202634.9%23.4%19.1%15.6%7%
Feb 202634.4%23%18.8%15.4%8.4%
Mar 202639.6%21.7%17.7%14.5%6.5%
Apr 202639.6%21.7%17.7%14.5%6.5%
May 202638.4%21%17.2%17.2%6.3%
Jun 202639.6%21.7%17.7%14.5%6.5%
Jul 202637.8%25.3%16.9%13.8%6.2%
Aug 202634.9%23.4%19.1%15.6%7%
Sep 202635.4%23.7%19.4%15.8%5.8%

How has the Event Cinemas and Hoyts comparison changed over the last 12 months?

3 findings
  • Hoyts was ahead of Event Cinemas in every measured month of the 12 months ending September 2026.
  • Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Event Cinemas’ share of searches among cinema chains in Australia moved from 24.5% to 23.7%, and its estimated monthly branded searches held steady at 368K.
  • Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Hoyts’ share of searches among cinema chains in Australia moved from 36.7% to 35.4%, and its estimated monthly branded searches held steady at 550K.

How did search popularity change for Australia cinema chains in September 2026?

0 changes

Neither Event Cinemas nor Hoyts moved beyond provider rounding among cinema chains in September 2026.

How are branded searches counted?

2 search terms

Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using Event Cinemas’ and Hoyts’ names. When viewed over time, estimated search volumes for these branded terms can be used to understand whether interest in the brands is growing, holding steady, or fading.

Event Cinemas

1 branded search term

  • event cinemas

Hoyts

1 branded search term

  • hoyts

How the Brand Demand Index is measured

Other head-to-heads among cinema chains

Creator with pink hair and a pink jacket

Put your own brand in this comparison

Brandwave tracks your branded demand next to the rival you actually watch, with your campaigns, spend and outcomes on the same timeline.

Start free