AMC is experimenting with new approaches to encourage frequent moviegoing at its 500+ cinemas across the U.S. The world’s largest exhibitor introduced a new fall promotion called the “Slash Pass,” which offers six tickets to horror movies over the next three months for a total of $66.66.
The fall promo was introduced in time for this weekend’s opening of Warner Bros.’ THE CONJURING: LAST RITES, which has become the top-selling horror movie of the year, grossing $83M in its first three days. The fall calendar will be splattered with new movies within the genre, coming next with Lionsgate’s THE LONG WALK, an adaptation of a Stephen King short story, opening next weekend on September 12.
A half dozen new titles will follow, leading up to the ever-popular Halloween weekend, and ending the season with the December 5th opening of Universal and Blumhouse’s FIVE NIGHTS AT FREDDY’S 2. As of late, exhibitors have shown increasing interest in experimenting with alternative approaches for movie ticket pricing.
Many regular moviegoers are choosing to sign up for movie subscription plans, such as AMC Stubs, which boasts tens of millions of subscribers. This summer, starting in July, AMC introduced a 50% discount Wednesday deal for its loyalty members, to double up on its long-standing Discount Tuesdays promotion. Most large exhibitors also offer loyalty programs to their customers, many of which also include ticket discounts for mid-week showtimes.
Many of the hard and fast rules in pricing movie tickets have become negotiable over the past half dozen years, which is an understandable and healthy response to the competitive market for entertainment. Theatres have raised prices for experiences such as premium large format and audio and motion seating while offering discounts and bundles to bring customers in during the slow times.
