Palace Cinemas vs Reading Cinemas:Which is more popular?
In September 2026, Reading Cinemas had more branded searches than Palace Cinemas among cinema chains in Australia. Reading Cinemas had about 246,000 branded searches, while Palace Cinemas had 90,500. Reading Cinemas made up 15.8% of all cinema chain searches we track, and Palace Cinemas accounted for 5.8%. When we asked ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews about cinema chains, Reading Cinemas appeared in three of the five answers and Palace Cinemas in two. Reading Cinemas was mentioned before Palace Cinemas in two out of three answers.
Who do people search for more?
Reading Cinemas, about 3 searches for every 1 for Palace Cinemas
Who does AI mention more?
Reading Cinemas, mentioned in 3 of 5 answers, Palace Cinemas in 2
Who does AI recommend more?
Reading Cinemas, named ahead of Palace Cinemas in 2 of 3 answers
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Top cinema chains in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews
In three ChatGPT questions and two Google AI Overviews, Reading Cinemas was mentioned in three out of five: in all three ChatGPT answers, but not in either of the two Google AI Overviews. Palace Cinemas was mentioned in two out of five: in two of the three ChatGPT answers, but not in either of the two Google AI Overviews. Reading Cinemas was listed before Palace Cinemas in two out of three answers.
Most recommended by AI
Brands get a higher ranking if they are mentioned earlier in the answers.
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
Asked ChatGPT
“Which cinema chain should I go to in Australia?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What are the best cinema chains in Australia?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What's the cheapest cinema chain in Australia?”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“cinema”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“movies near me”
Brands are shown in the order each answer named them. The survey took place in Australia on October 22, 2026.
Is Palace Cinemas or Reading Cinemas more popular in search?
This chart shows how often people search Google for Palace Cinemas and Reading Cinemas 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.
Share of searches by month for Reading Cinemas, Palace Cinemas. The figures are in the table below the chart.
View monthly share of searches table
| Month | Hoyts | Event Cinemas | Village Cinemas | Reading Cinemas | Palace Cinemas |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 2025 | 36.7% | 24.5% | 16.4% | 16.4% | 6% |
| Nov 2025 | 34.9% | 23.4% | 19.1% | 15.6% | 7% |
| Dec 2025 | 38.2% | 25.6% | 17.1% | 14% | 5.1% |
| Jan 2026 | 34.9% | 23.4% | 19.1% | 15.6% | 7% |
| Feb 2026 | 34.4% | 23% | 18.8% | 15.4% | 8.4% |
| Mar 2026 | 39.6% | 21.7% | 17.7% | 14.5% | 6.5% |
| Apr 2026 | 39.6% | 21.7% | 17.7% | 14.5% | 6.5% |
| May 2026 | 38.4% | 21% | 17.2% | 17.2% | 6.3% |
| Jun 2026 | 39.6% | 21.7% | 17.7% | 14.5% | 6.5% |
| Jul 2026 | 37.8% | 25.3% | 16.9% | 13.8% | 6.2% |
| Aug 2026 | 34.9% | 23.4% | 19.1% | 15.6% | 7% |
| Sep 2026 | 35.4% | 23.7% | 19.4% | 15.8% | 5.8% |
How has the Palace Cinemas and Reading Cinemas comparison changed over the last 12 months?
3 findings
- Reading Cinemas was ahead of Palace Cinemas in every measured month of the 12 months ending September 2026.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Palace Cinemas’ share of searches among cinema chains in Australia moved from 6% to 5.8%, and its estimated monthly branded searches held steady at 90.5K.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Reading Cinemas’ share of searches among cinema chains in Australia moved from 16.4% to 15.8%, and its estimated monthly branded searches held steady at 246K.
How did search popularity change for Australia cinema chains in September 2026?
1 change
In September 2026, Palace Cinemas lost share of searches among cinema chains in Australia, from 7% to 5.8%.
How are branded searches counted?
2 search terms
Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using Palace Cinemas’ and Reading Cinemas’ 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.
Palace Cinemas
1 branded search term
- palace cinemas
Reading Cinemas
1 branded search term
- reading cinemas
Other head-to-heads among cinema chains
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