Brandwave

How popular isAcademy Cinemas?

In October 2026, people searched for Academy Cinemas by name about 14,800 times in New Zealand, a 22.3% increase from the previous year. These searches made up 17.7% of all New Zealand neighbourhood cinema searches, placing Academy Cinemas second out of nine cinemas. When we asked both ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews about neighbourhood cinemas, Academy Cinemas appeared in two of the three answers and was the second most recommended of the nine.

Search and AI answers in October 2026

Academy Cinemas is the second most searched of 9 competitors and the second most recommended in the AI answers we collected.

  1. Monterey CinemaShare of searches 19.8%Mentioned in 0 of 3 AI answersPlace in AI recommendations –
  2. Academy CinemasShare of searches 17.7%Mentioned in 2 of 3 AI answersPlace in AI recommendations 2nd
  3. Lumière CinemasShare of searches 17.7%Mentioned in 2 of 3 AI answersPlace in AI recommendations 5th
  4. Bridgeway CinemasShare of searches 14.5%Mentioned in 2 of 3 AI answersPlace in AI recommendations 3rd
  5. Roxy CinemaShare of searches 8.2%Mentioned in 3 of 3 AI answersPlace in AI recommendations 1st

+4 more

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Top neighbourhood cinemas in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews

In three ChatGPT questions, Academy Cinemas was mentioned in two out of three: in two of the three ChatGPT answers. Academy Cinemas is the second most recommended of the nine.

Most recommended by AI

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

  1. Roxy Cinema1st
  2. Academy Cinemas2nd
  3. Bridgeway Cinemas3rd
  4. The Vic Devonport4th
  5. Lumière Cinemas5th
  6. Monterey Cinema–
  7. Embassy 3 Cinemas–
  8. Starlight Cinema–
  9. Luxe Cinemas–

Mentioned by AI

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

See every answer about neighbourhood cinemas

3 answers

Not named in any answer:

Brands are shown in the order each answer named them. The survey took place in New Zealand on October 21, 2026.

How often do people search for Academy Cinemas compared with other New Zealand neighbourhood cinemas?

Academy Cinemas against neighbourhood cinemas in New Zealand, by month

Share of searches by month for Monterey Cinema, Academy Cinemas, Lumière Cinemas, Bridgeway Cinemas, Roxy Cinema, Embassy 3 Cinemas, Starlight Cinema, Luxe Cinemas, The Vic Devonport. The figures are in the table below the chart.

View monthly share of searches table
MonthMonterey CinemaAcademy CinemasLumière CinemasBridgeway CinemasRoxy CinemaEmbassy 3 CinemasStarlight CinemaLuxe CinemasThe Vic Devonport
Nov 202523.6%18.7%12.5%18.7%8.8%8.4%0.09%4.7%4.5%
Dec 202524.9%14.1%14.1%17.2%8.5%11.6%0.1%4.4%5.2%
Jan 202624.7%14.8%14.8%18.1%7.8%10%0.09%5.4%4.5%
Feb 202620%17.8%14.6%17.8%9.3%9.8%0.16%5.2%5.4%
Mar 202621.7%19.4%13%15.9%8.3%8.7%1.3%5.9%5.8%
Apr 202622.2%17.5%11.7%14.3%8.2%9.7%7.9%4.8%3.5%
May 202621.1%16.7%11.1%16.7%8.3%9.2%7.5%5.3%4.1%
Jun 202621%21.7%9.7%17.7%8.1%8%6.5%3.8%3.5%
Jul 202622.8%18%9.9%14.7%9.5%10%8.1%3.4%3.6%
Aug 202620.9%20.2%11.1%16.5%7%9.1%7.4%3.7%4%
Sep 202623.4%18.5%12.4%15.1%7.9%8.4%6.8%3.9%3.6%
Oct 202619.8%17.7%17.7%14.5%8.2%8%5.3%4.4%4.4%

  1. 1.Monterey Cinema

    19.8%

    Held 1st. 16.5K estimated branded searches, -11.8% vs prior month. Share -3.6 points.

  2. 2.Academy Cinemas

    17.7%

    Held 2nd. 14.8K estimated branded searches, 0% vs prior month. Share -0.8 points.

  3. 3.Lumière Cinemas

    17.7%

    Moved from 4th to 3rd. 14.8K estimated branded searches, +49.5% vs prior month. Share +5.4 points.

  4. 4.Bridgeway Cinemas

    14.5%

    Moved from 3rd to 4th. 12.1K estimated branded searches, 0% vs prior month. Share -0.6 points.

  5. 5.Roxy Cinema

    8.2%

    Moved from 6th to 5th. 6.8K estimated branded searches, +7.9% vs prior month. Share +0.3 points.

  6. 6.Embassy 3 Cinemas

    8%

    Moved from 5th to 6th. 6.7K estimated branded searches, 0% vs prior month. Share -0.3 points.

  7. 7.Starlight Cinema

    5.3%

    Held 7th. 4.4K estimated branded searches, -18.6% vs prior month. Share -1.5 points.

  8. 8.Luxe Cinemas

    4.4%

    Held 8th. 3.6K estimated branded searches, +15.9% vs prior month. Share +0.4 points.

  9. 9.The Vic Devonport

    4.4%

    Held 9th. 3.6K estimated branded searches, +24.7% vs prior month. Share +0.7 points.

Compare popularity between Academy Cinemas and its closest rivals

Every comparison with Academy Cinemas

15 comparisons

How has branded search demand for Academy Cinemas changed in New Zealand over the last 12 months?

3 findings
  • Across the 12 months ending October 2026, estimated monthly branded searches for Academy Cinemas in New Zealand rose from 12.1K to 14.8K.
  • Across the 12 months ending October 2026, Academy Cinemas’ share of searches among neighbourhood cinemas in New Zealand decreased from 18.7% to 17.7%.
  • Across the 12 months ending October 2026, Academy Cinemas’ share of searches among neighbourhood cinemas in New Zealand peaked at 21.7% in June 2026 and was lowest at 14.1% in December 2025.

How did search popularity change for New Zealand neighbourhood cinemas in October 2026?

6 changes

  1. In October 2026, Lumière Cinemas overtook Bridgeway Cinemas to rank 3rd among neighbourhood cinemas in New Zealand, with 17.7% of the searches.

  2. In October 2026, The Vic Devonport gained share of searches among neighbourhood cinemas in New Zealand, from 3.6% to 4.4%.

  3. In October 2026, Monterey Cinema lost share of searches among neighbourhood cinemas in New Zealand, from 23.4% to 19.8%.

  4. In October 2026, Starlight Cinema lost share of searches among neighbourhood cinemas in New Zealand, from 6.8% to 5.3%.

  5. In October 2026, Academy Cinemas lost share of searches among neighbourhood cinemas in New Zealand, from 18.5% to 17.7%.

  6. In October 2026, Bridgeway Cinemas lost share of searches among neighbourhood cinemas in New Zealand, from 15.1% to 14.5%.

How are Academy Cinemas’ branded searches counted?

2 search terms

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

  • academy cinemas
  • academycinemas

Do you work for Academy Cinemas? To request corrections or removal please contact us via our support page and we will be happy to assist.

How the Brand Demand Index is measured

Where does Academy Cinemas compete?

Academy Cinemas is ranked by how often people search for it in two competitor sets. Each share is worked out among that set's brands, so it differs from set to set.
Competitor setRankShare of searchesRanking
Cinemas6th of 92.9%Show ranking
Neighbourhood cinemas2nd of 917.7%Shown above
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