AMC Will Now Charge You A Premium For Sitting In Certain Theater Seats
AMC will now charge for movie tickets based on where the seat is located, with the most expensive seats being in the middle of the theater.
Next time you go to the movies, the price you pay might change based on where you decide to sit. According to NPR, AMC Theatres will start selling tickets at different price points depending on the viewing experience from that seat. AMC’s Sightline initiative, announced on Monday, strives to put moviegoing in a similar category as concertgoing, where patrons pay a premium for the best seats.
While many are upset that their favorite movie theater seats might soon cost them more, others are celebrating AMC for allowing customers to choose the value that works for them. Seats on the front row are considered Value Sightline seats and will cost less than a standard movie ticket, while seats in the middle of the theater will cost more. All other seats in the theater will be considered Standard Sightline seats, and their price will remain roughly the same as it has been.
You can see a matinee before 4 p.m. for the standard price no matter where you sit, and for all those bargain hunters, AMC’s wildly popular $5 Discount Tuesday tickets will remain $5 no matter where you sit. The Sightline initiative has already been rolled out at select theaters across the country, and AMC expects it to be in place in all theaters by the end of 2023. AMC Executive Vice President Eliot Hamlisch expects the new pricing to allow customers greater freedom in choosing the cinema experience that works best for them and said that AMC Sightline is just “another way for moviegoers to find value at the movies.”
AMC’s rewards club, AMC Stubs, will continue to provide additional deals and discounts for members. Value Seats, those on the front row available at a discount, are only available to AMC Stubs members, though for interested parties, the basic rewards club is free to join. Members of AMC Stubs A-List, the highest tier of the rewards club, can select Preferred Sightline seats for the cost of a Standard seat. AMC Stubs members at all tiers also accumulate rewards for discounts on movie tickets, concessions, and other prizes.
According to CBS News, AMC, and other movie theatres, suffered tremendously during the pandemic, seeing all-time low revenues in 2020 and 2021. Though the company rebounded some in 2022 as restrictions and anxieties eased, they are still not seeing traffic and revenue like they did in 2019, pre-pandemic. COVID-19 helped to align the experience of going to the movies with the experience of going to a concert or an event—all suffered because of social distancing measures, and all are having to rethink and reconfigure how they operate to provide worthwhile experiences for customers.
Only time will tell if AMC’s Sightline initiative proves to be an incentive for viewers to go to the movies or a policy that drives them to seek out other activities and experiences. There’s no doubt that movie theaters are having to seek out creative ideas to remain relevant when so many quality films and viewing content are available at home on streaming platforms. There’s nothing quite like a bucket of popcorn and a new movie on the big screen, though, an experience that AMC bets is worth your money.
