--- title: "Academy Cinemas vs Embassy 3 Cinemas: Which is more popular in New Zealand?" description: "Is Academy Cinemas or Embassy 3 Cinemas more popular in search? Compare estimated monthly branded-search demand and Share of Search inside the Neighbourhood cinemas set in New Zealand. Branded searches tell you how often people look for a brand by name or related terms. Comparing these searches across competitors helps you see how popular each brand is over time." canonical: "https://gobrandwave.com/demand/nz/compare/academy-cinemas-vs-embassy-3-cinemas" publisher: "Brandwave" --- # Academy Cinemas vs Embassy 3 Cinemas: Which is more popular in New Zealand? Is Academy Cinemas or Embassy 3 Cinemas more popular in search? Compare estimated monthly branded-search demand and Share of Search inside the Neighbourhood cinemas set in New Zealand. Branded searches tell you how often people look for a brand by name or related terms. Comparing these searches across competitors helps you see how popular each brand is over time. ## Key facts - **Compared**: Academy Cinemas and Embassy 3 Cinemas - **Competitive set**: Neighbourhood cinemas - **Market**: New Zealand - **Month measured**: Oct 2026 - **Academy Cinemas Share of Search**: 17.7% - **Embassy 3 Cinemas Share of Search**: 8% ## Is Academy Cinemas or Embassy 3 Cinemas more popular in search? - In October 2026, Academy Cinemas had more branded searches than Embassy 3 Cinemas among neighbourhood cinemas in New Zealand. Academy Cinemas had about 14,800 branded searches, while Embassy 3 Cinemas had 6,690. Academy Cinemas made up 17.7% of all neighbourhood cinema searches we track, and Embassy 3 Cinemas accounted for 8%. - Academy Cinemas was ahead of Embassy 3 Cinemas in every measured month of the 12 months ending October 2026. - Across the 12 months ending October 2026, Academy Cinemas’ share of searches among neighbourhood cinemas in New Zealand moved from 18.7% to 17.7%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 12.1K to 14.8K. - Across the 12 months ending October 2026, Embassy 3 Cinemas’ share of searches among neighbourhood cinemas in New Zealand moved from 8.4% to 8%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 5.4K to 6.7K. ## 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. Embassy 3 Cinemas did not appear in any of the three answers. Brands get a higher AI rank if they are mentioned earlier in the answers that list options. | Brand | AI rank | ChatGPT answers that named it | All answers that named it | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Roxy Cinema | 1st | 3 of 3 | 3 of 3 | | Academy Cinemas | 2nd | 2 of 3 | 2 of 3 | | Bridgeway Cinemas | 3rd | 2 of 3 | 2 of 3 | | The Vic Devonport | 4th | 1 of 3 | 1 of 3 | | Lumière Cinemas | 5th | 2 of 3 | 2 of 3 | | Monterey Cinema | Not ranked | 0 of 3 | 0 of 3 | | Embassy 3 Cinemas | Not ranked | 0 of 3 | 0 of 3 | | Starlight Cinema | Not ranked | 0 of 3 | 0 of 3 | | Luxe Cinemas | Not ranked | 0 of 3 | 0 of 3 | ## Every AI answer about neighbourhood cinemas - Asked ChatGPT "Which neighbourhood cinema should I go to in New Zealand?": 1. Roxy Cinema - Asked ChatGPT "What are the best neighbourhood cinemas in New Zealand?": 1. Roxy Cinema, 2. Lumière Cinemas, 3. Academy Cinemas, 4. Bridgeway Cinemas - Asked ChatGPT "What's the best neighbourhood cinema in New Zealand for a night out?": 1. The Vic Devonport, 2. Bridgeway Cinemas, 3. Academy Cinemas, 4. Roxy Cinema, 5. Lumière Cinemas Not named in any answer: Monterey Cinema, Embassy 3 Cinemas, Starlight Cinema and Luxe Cinemas. Brands are listed in the order each answer named them. The answers were collected in New Zealand on October 21, 2026. ## How did search popularity change for New Zealand neighbourhood cinemas in October 2026? - In October 2026, Academy Cinemas lost share of searches among neighbourhood cinemas in New Zealand, from 18.5% to 17.7%. - Embassy 3 Cinemas’ share of searches among neighbourhood cinemas in New Zealand has lost ground for 3 months in a row, from 10% to 8% in October 2026. ## How has branded search for Academy Cinemas and Embassy 3 Cinemas changed in New Zealand over the last 12 months? | Month | Academy Cinemas estimated searches | Academy Cinemas Share of Search | Academy Cinemas rank | Embassy 3 Cinemas estimated searches | Embassy 3 Cinemas Share of Search | Embassy 3 Cinemas rank | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Nov 2025 | 12.1K | 18.7% | 2 | 5.4K | 8.4% | 6 | | Dec 2025 | 12.1K | 14.1% | 3 | 10K | 11.6% | 5 | | Jan 2026 | 14.8K | 14.8% | 3 | 10K | 10% | 5 | | Feb 2026 | 12.1K | 17.8% | 2 | 6.7K | 9.8% | 5 | | Mar 2026 | 14.8K | 19.4% | 2 | 6.7K | 8.7% | 5 | | Apr 2026 | 18.1K | 17.5% | 2 | 10K | 9.7% | 5 | | May 2026 | 18.1K | 16.7% | 2 | 10K | 9.2% | 5 | | Jun 2026 | 22.2K | 21.7% | 1 | 8.2K | 8% | 6 | | Jul 2026 | 18.1K | 18% | 2 | 10K | 10% | 4 | | Aug 2026 | 18.1K | 20.2% | 2 | 8.2K | 9.1% | 5 | | Sep 2026 | 14.8K | 18.5% | 2 | 6.7K | 8.4% | 5 | | Oct 2026 | 14.8K | 17.7% | 2 | 6.7K | 8% | 6 | ## How are Academy Cinemas’ and Embassy 3 Cinemas’ branded searches counted? Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using Academy Cinemas’ and Embassy 3 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. - **Academy Cinemas**: Measured on the search terms “academy cinemas” and “academycinemas”, summed into one figure. - **Embassy 3 Cinemas**: Measured on the search terms “embassy 3 cinemas” and “embassy 3 whanganui”, summed into one figure. - [Academy Cinemas profile](/demand/nz/brands/academy-cinemas) - [Embassy 3 Cinemas profile](/demand/nz/brands/embassy-3-cinemas) - [All neighbourhood cinemas in New Zealand](/demand/nz/categories/nz-neighbourhood-cinemas): The set both shares are measured inside, 9 brands. ## Methodology - [How is the Brand Demand Index measured?](/demand/methodology): Where the figures come from, what they compare, and how they may be reused. ## Frequently asked questions ### Is Academy Cinemas or Embassy 3 Cinemas more popular in search? In October 2026, Academy Cinemas had more branded searches than Embassy 3 Cinemas among neighbourhood cinemas in New Zealand. Academy Cinemas had about 14,800 branded searches, while Embassy 3 Cinemas had 6,690. Academy Cinemas made up 17.7% of all neighbourhood cinema searches we track, and Embassy 3 Cinemas accounted for 8%. ## Cite this page Brandwave. "Academy Cinemas vs Embassy 3 Cinemas: Which is more popular in New Zealand?". https://gobrandwave.com/demand/nz/compare/academy-cinemas-vs-embassy-3-cinemas This page is also available as HTML at https://gobrandwave.com/demand/nz/compare/academy-cinemas-vs-embassy-3-cinemas. Brandwave publishes an index of its Markdown pages at https://gobrandwave.com/llms.txt.