May well be worth it if you like going to sees stuff in theaters.
Imagine being able to go see any movies you want in theaters for $10 a month, one per day. That’s what MoviePass is currently making strides to offer to customers of its service; unlimited access for a very reasonable monthly price. Doubly so considering how expensive going to catch a flick has become.
There is one string attached, though. The trade off for that low cost is that they collect data on you; for example, what movies you’re seeing. They in turn sell that data to make up the cost of buying the tickets in the first place and make the business model work. The model was cooked up by CEO Mitch Lowe (formerly of Netflix).
There are a few limitations, though; aside from the fact that the service only gets you one ticket a day, that is. The only listed restrictions are that IMAX and 3d movie tickets are not covered by the service. You can get the lay of the deal via their FAQ, and Terms and Conditions page.
A long, long time ago, in a theater far far away
MoviePass has been trying to make a run of it for quite a while. Considering the fact that you probably haven’t heard of them before now should really tell you all you need to know. Their previous service ranged between $30-$50, which ran off you not seeing that many movies a month. That said, under the current model, you really only need to see two movies to get the monetarily good end of the deal, analytics not included.
Still, not everyone’s nuts about it. AMC’s being oddly agitated by the whole thing, which is odd since the service is making sure theaters get their cut anyway by purchasing the tickets for its users. Especially since, according to MoviePass, their service boosts attendance and concessions sales. Personally, I’d be more okay with blowing $4 on a baggie of Reese’s Pieces if my ticket was that heavily subsidized in the first place. I mean, that’s still a ridiculous price, but if you’re seeing a bunch of movies, each ticket further divides that $10 you paid MoviePass. I’m fine with them knowing I saw the new Star Trek movie 20 times in one month and thinking that’s actually worthwhile data to anonymize and sell to advertisers.
While most large chains are still putting more into their customer service programs (AMC, of course, has Stubs) this could be beneficial to the industry as a whole. The cost alone has been driving people from theaters and to home entertainment. This could even make genres that haven’t been popular in a while profitable again. We’ll probably know more once everything goes into motion.
About Author
