AMC buyout of rival Carmike clears last hurdle

Federal anti-trust officials have cleared the way for AMC Entertainment’s $1.2 billion buyout of smaller rival Carmike Cinemas.

Leawood-based AMC Entertainment Holdings Inc. said Tuesday approval from the U.S. Department of Justice “was the final regulatory hurdle” needed to complete its purchase of Carmike, which AMC said it would do “expeditiously.”

Combining No. 2 AMC with No. 4 Carmike will make AMC the largest screen operator in the nation, beyond the total of Regal Entertainment Group.

AMC also is acquiring Europe’s largest theater chain, called Odeon & UCI. That deal will make AMC the world’s largest theater operator, with more than 10,400 screens.

This story was originally published December 20, 2016 at 1:59 PM with the headline "AMC buyout of rival Carmike clears last hurdle."