NEW YORK, N.Y. – Faced with a lengthy shutdown due the coronavirus pandemic, movie theaters are requesting relief from the U.S.
government. The National Organization of Theater Owners, the trade group that represents most of the industry's cinemas, said Wednesday that it's asking for immediate federal help for its chains and its 150,000 employees.
The theaters are requesting loan guarantees for exhibitors, tax benefits for employees and funds to compensate for lost ticket sales and concessions.
NATO said the movie theater industry is “uniquely vulnerable” to the crisis, and needs assistance to weather a near total shutdown of two to three months. “This is an unprecedented challenge to the business,” said John Fithian, president and chief