amc – Techdirt (original) (raw)

Stories filed under: "amc"

AMC’s ‘Fix’ For Declining Movie Theater Attendance? Charging You More Money To Sit In The Same Seats

from the problem-solved! dept

You might recall that during pandemic lockdowns, AMC executives threw a massive temper tantrum because companies like Comcast/NBC began experimenting with slightly more innovative release windows. AMC was mad because the pandemic highlighted how the 90-day gap between the time a movie appears in theaters and its streaming or DVD release was exposed as both dated and stupid.

Comcast (successfully) experimented with not only shortening the window, but eliminating it entirely. At the time, AMC Theatre CEO Adam Aron pouted like a child, insisting that Comcast films would never again appear in AMC theaters, before ultimately having to retract the silly threat.

AMC and Aron have since had plenty of time to contemplate new ways to shore up attendance in traditional brick and mortar movie theaters. And what have they come up with? AMC executives say they’ll soon start charging consumers more money for better seats, a move that doesn’t meaningfully improve the product, but does involve charging existing customers more money for the same service.

The justification for the idea is framed in the most corporate-speak way possible:

“Sightline at AMC more closely aligns AMC’s seat pricing approach to that of many other entertainment venues, offering experienced-based pricing and another way for moviegoers to find value at the movies,” said Eliot Hamlisch, executive VP and CMO at AMC Theatres. “While every seat at AMC delivers an amazing moviegoing experience, we know there are some moviegoers who prioritize their specific seat and others who prioritize value moviegoing. Sightline at AMC accommodates both sentiments to help ensure that our guests have more control over their experience, so that every trip to an AMC is a great one.”

One problem is AMC is pretending it’s competing with professional live theater and other businesses where nosebleed and priority seating has long been standard. But AMC isn’t competing with those business models, it’s competing with the convenience of home entertainment, and the simplicity and ease of being able to watch movies, at home, uninterrupted on the couch using modern high-end gear.

AMC had several years during the pandemic to contemplate how to make the traditional movie theater experience more enticing, and the very best they could apparently come up with was charging some people significantly more money for the same seats they’ve always used. Super innovative! Surely streaming competitors will have to rethink their entire home entertainment business model.

Filed Under: amc, assigned seats, competition, hollywood, movie theaters, movies, price discrimination
Companies: amc