Have you ever backed someone thinking they had what it took to deliver on the promises they’re making? That was me and MoviePass. So excited was I for an industry-changing service that helped get more people into theaters that I foolishly hoped the economics would somehow even out. Sure, MoviePass would lose money every time someone bought more than one ticket a month, but I was hoping they could sell the information to studios and ultimately make it up on the backend. Oh, how wrong I was.
The bottom dropped from under this service not too long ago, and thus began a mass exodus from the service (though I’m not sure if MoviePass is still in the business of holding their users hostage — let me know if you’re such a hostage down below!). But if there is one positive thing to come out of this, it’s the realization theaters have had that things need to change.
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In the wake of MoviePass’ initial success, chains like Cinemark and AMC have both launched their own membership programs they’d hoped would compete with MoviePass. No, they’re not as good of a deal as MoviePass is, but at least they’re built on a stable business model. Now, it seems to be paying off, at least for AMC.
According to a new report from Variety, AMC’s program A-List has brought in 380,000 members, which has reportedly exceeded their own internal expectations. The past six weeks alone have brought in 120,000 members. With this $19.99/month service, members can see up to three movies a month in any format they wish and even reserve their seats. It may not be as cheap as MoviePass, but clearly many moviegoers are quick to see that this one can at least sustain itself.
Are you happy to see services like this doing well? Let us know down below!
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SOURCE: Variety