3-D movies give me a headache, so I won't do that. You only get the Stubs perks on the monthly dollar amount with AMC's service, with MoviePass, you still can get the Stubs program perks and you get credit based on the cost of your tickets, so you can quickly build up points with MoviePass's service
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MoviePass Will Introduce Surge Pricing for Popular Films Beginning in a Few Weeks
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Some theaters have reserved seating and it's nice to buy both tickets at the same time to ensure you get the seats you want. Other than that I can't think of any reason.
Regal and another regoinal theater chain around me won't let you buy single seats if there is a free one between yours and the next purchased seat. For example, wife and I went to see Incredibles 2 last weekend. She didn't want front row, and the only place with 2 or more seats left was 4th row or 1st row. 4th row had 3 seats together on the end. I think, ok, I'll buy the one in the middle first so nobody snipes the other one I need to buy on a separate Moviepass card. Kiosk denies me saying I can't leave an empty seat between me and another purchased one. So I buy the one on the end instead. Attempt to buy the one in the middle now that is next to it...same problem, can't leave an empty seat. So I have to go to the actual box office to get it. In the 30 seconds it took me to move from kiosk to box office, the two seats were gone. So we had to sit in the front row after having the box office switch my single ticket to that spot. I don't even care about the buy a ticket for a friend option, I just want to be able to buy both of our tickets (both having a subscription) in one single transaction.
Been a MoviePass member for about 6 years now, all the way back when they only had about 20,000 members and you had to pick your show time at home, print out a PAPER voucher and then take that to the theater. I love the service. I've been along the ride when prices went up, unlimited turned into like 5 or 6 movies a month, and then when prices dropped.
The key here is the service still isn't in full swing. They need to last long enough that they don't run out of money and die, but they still need to grown much larger before it all fits into place. If you run the numbers (which I've done before using data from the MPAA and estimated MoviePass members) if they can get to the size of Netflix and charge ~$15/mo, then they will collect roughly 100% of the 2017 box office every year just from their membership fee. The hard data that the MPAA releases shows that MoviePass could totally work if they were the size of Netflix, it's getting there that will be hard.
This is why we've seen such price drops to gain members fast (almost 2 million added in less then a full 12 months) and why we're starting to see AMC try to get into the game.
MoviePass could continue to drive the same box office domestic yearly growth if they had the same number of subscribers as Netflix (domestic only, approx. 55 million). MoviePass members tend to spend more on concessions at the theater. It's easier to spend $12 on soda and popcorn when you didn't actually pull any money out for a ticket. Monthly subscriber fees tend to get pushed back in your mind when you're there buying the concessions. That's good for theaters. Upcharge for IMAX or 3D is an additional revenue stream for Hollywood, just like it is now. $2 extra where you're at the box office for a 3D movie, again, it seems cheap when you're auto billed monthly for the subscription plan.
The thing I've been expecting for a long time is exactly what they're doing. Pushing the "unlimited" viewings into the slower days. Theaters can pack the house with good movies on Fridays and Saturdays without any problem, but they have trouble getting people in on a Tuesday night. Now if you can pay $10 to $20/mo and see unlimited movies every month BUT you have to go Sun-Wed, and if you go Thur, Fri, or Sat you pay $2/movie, well, it still seems like a great deal for many people, even if you only see one movie a week. Now the theater has more butts in seats on a Tuesday night or whatever and can sell more popcorn and soda those days.
The MoviePass system can work, both financially and logistically. It won't kill Hollywood and might actually improve theater profits. The scary thing for Hollywood is allowing a 3rd party in to manage the tickets. Hollywood wouldn't be setting prices, they would be working with MoviePass and collecting a per subscriber fee (+ any of the up charges). Theaters would have to go to MoviePass to negotiate discount days or what movies which markets should get, etc. It's allowing a new guy into the old guard AND giving him control of the pocket book. The numbers can all make sense and even point toward growth for everyone, but man it would be a lot of control to give over and that's why they've been fighting it from day one.
(btw, if you wonder how MoviePass would make money if they were passing almost all of it over to Hollywood, well... 1% kept for them on 55 million members paying $15/mo would be almost $100 million revenue... and all they have to do is maintain an app and the billing system and customer service... I'm sure they would try to take more then 1% too, and heck, maybe after a year they up it by $0.99 or $1.99. If $15/mo was a great value would $15.99 or $16.99 really be a deal breaker? Because now MoviePass would be making up to $1.4 BILLION a year. They're a long way from 55 million members, but I doubt people thought Netflix would be there, and a LOT of people go to movies still...)
The key here is the service still isn't in full swing. They need to last long enough that they don't run out of money and die, but they still need to grown much larger before it all fits into place. If you run the numbers (which I've done before using data from the MPAA and estimated MoviePass members) if they can get to the size of Netflix and charge ~$15/mo, then they will collect roughly 100% of the 2017 box office every year just from their membership fee. The hard data that the MPAA releases shows that MoviePass could totally work if they were the size of Netflix, it's getting there that will be hard.
This is why we've seen such price drops to gain members fast (almost 2 million added in less then a full 12 months) and why we're starting to see AMC try to get into the game.
MoviePass could continue to drive the same box office domestic yearly growth if they had the same number of subscribers as Netflix (domestic only, approx. 55 million). MoviePass members tend to spend more on concessions at the theater. It's easier to spend $12 on soda and popcorn when you didn't actually pull any money out for a ticket. Monthly subscriber fees tend to get pushed back in your mind when you're there buying the concessions. That's good for theaters. Upcharge for IMAX or 3D is an additional revenue stream for Hollywood, just like it is now. $2 extra where you're at the box office for a 3D movie, again, it seems cheap when you're auto billed monthly for the subscription plan.
The thing I've been expecting for a long time is exactly what they're doing. Pushing the "unlimited" viewings into the slower days. Theaters can pack the house with good movies on Fridays and Saturdays without any problem, but they have trouble getting people in on a Tuesday night. Now if you can pay $10 to $20/mo and see unlimited movies every month BUT you have to go Sun-Wed, and if you go Thur, Fri, or Sat you pay $2/movie, well, it still seems like a great deal for many people, even if you only see one movie a week. Now the theater has more butts in seats on a Tuesday night or whatever and can sell more popcorn and soda those days.
The MoviePass system can work, both financially and logistically. It won't kill Hollywood and might actually improve theater profits. The scary thing for Hollywood is allowing a 3rd party in to manage the tickets. Hollywood wouldn't be setting prices, they would be working with MoviePass and collecting a per subscriber fee (+ any of the up charges). Theaters would have to go to MoviePass to negotiate discount days or what movies which markets should get, etc. It's allowing a new guy into the old guard AND giving him control of the pocket book. The numbers can all make sense and even point toward growth for everyone, but man it would be a lot of control to give over and that's why they've been fighting it from day one.
(btw, if you wonder how MoviePass would make money if they were passing almost all of it over to Hollywood, well... 1% kept for them on 55 million members paying $15/mo would be almost $100 million revenue... and all they have to do is maintain an app and the billing system and customer service... I'm sure they would try to take more then 1% too, and heck, maybe after a year they up it by $0.99 or $1.99. If $15/mo was a great value would $15.99 or $16.99 really be a deal breaker? Because now MoviePass would be making up to $1.4 BILLION a year. They're a long way from 55 million members, but I doubt people thought Netflix would be there, and a LOT of people go to movies still...)
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I won't renew my annual subscription if that happens. it's already a pain getting tickets since movies sell out early and we can only order the day of at the theater...
I think you will find the yearly subscription will have this if you sign up after the effective date.
Well said. This is exactly how I feel. It's one thing if you introduce new tiers for new customers (or those who would like new features like 3-D, IMAX, etc.), but it seems like every month there is a change to the service that asks more of it's loyal customers. I'd rather understand exactly what I'm getting up front (ie: the AMC product) for slightly more per month out of the gate.
Yeah, MoviePass was a OK when it was $10/month, but what, I'm gonna pay another several dollars? Next thing you know it I'll have spent the price of one single movie ticket to see eight movies. Nice try, suckers!
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Amen. Where I live (NYC), it's pushing $20 a ticket, for 2D screenings. So my breakeven with MoviePass is about 1 movie every two months. I also love going on an off night, or even in the daytime.
Also, we all conveniently forget, but theaters used to (and some do, I guess?) have cheaper matinee shows for exactly this same reason: to fill seats early in the day. I fail to see how adding two dollars to a peak-demand movie ticket is making this a bad deal. What is that, the price of one peanut M&M? But I guess people have to whine about something.
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I mentioned this in another thread, but using MoviePass to earn Stub points is against AMC's T&C. If they catch on, they *will* flag/remove you from the program. Some users have received the following email:
Except that AMC get the concession sales and MoviePass doesn’t. (Supposedly they’ve been begging for a cut of them.) That’s a massive difference. Whether or not it’s financially worthwhile for AMC is still an open question, but on average it’s unlikely that they lose any money.
This sounds like a total con job.
“Surge pricing?” lol
Going to the theater isn’t even at all like an Uber service. There’s only X amount of theater showings at any given time. There’s either available seating, or there’s not. This is just a way to charge more money for popular movies.
But it totally flies in the face of the subscription model. What if you went on Netflix to watch the newest Marvel movie or Stranger Things and it Netflix decided to charge you an extra $2 because it "deemed it popular?"
At least 35 states have laws that make situational pricing, price gouging, or ticket scalping a crime. For example, it is illegal in Florida to raise the price of common items like plywood or gasoline when a hurricane warning is announced. A sharp DA could probably make a case of this.
Unless they hook up with another company or something, I don’t see them still in business a year from now (maybe I’m being generous and they’re gone by Christmas).
The laws you’re referring to typically apply to items essential to survival and in times of emergency, just like your example. Seeing a movie is not essential, so increasing prices during peak hours/for popular movies isn’t going to fall under that law.
I don’t like that I’ll have to pay more for movies under MP, but i get why they’re doing it. They need kickback/discounted tickets from the theaters, and their goal is to tell the theaters “look! We helped you fill empty seats.”
Theaters don’t need help filling seats during peak times, so that doesn’t give MP any leverage if you go during a peak time. They want to encourage people to go during the week and to see less popular movies.
To be fair, I wonder where you live. Popcorn is definitely expensive but these services are making tickets cheaper and the kicking chairs and long lines don’t really mesh with what’s becoming the standard recliner reserved seats. Here anyway.
The company is dead already. The CEO said they run through $45 million a month and they only have the month of June left without selling shares. So to raise money he had to lose the investors’ money so they all sold with him. Their stock was $33 less than a year ago. It’s now 31 cents. They are praying NFLX comes, feels sorry for them, and buys it up.
Got the email today that it is rolling out to everyone in the next few weeks.
I signed up with the yearly subscription through Costco. I'm sure somewhere in the fine print it stated, "subject to change in terms" which no one ever reads, but the amount of changes and policies have changed so many times, it's quite disturbing. I did read the FAQ's before signing up and all seems fair. All that has changed now. Don't think I will renew.
I signed up with the yearly subscription through Costco. I'm sure somewhere in the fine print it stated, "subject to change in terms" which no one ever reads, but the amount of changes and policies have changed so many times, it's quite disturbing. I did read the FAQ's before signing up and all seems fair. All that has changed now. Don't think I will renew.