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AMC Theaters’ ticket prices are set to undergo huge changes, as the cost of tickets will soon be determined based on the seat’s location.
As part of a large change to their pricing model, AMC Theatres will now charge tickets based on the location of the seats across their venues, offering the best seats for higher prices. The theater chain is one of the largest in the world, holding the biggest share of the theater market across the United States. Despite its large scale, AMC Theatres have faced a number of challenges in recent years, with the chain in the midst of recovering after experiencing massive losses due to closures throughout the COVID-19 pandemic and large studios changing their release strategies.
As reported by Variety, AMC Theatres is set to change their pricing model ahead of 2023’s most anticipated film releases with the introduction of their Sightline initiative. With Sightline, cinemagoers will see seating divided into three pricing options. Standard Sightline seats will offer traditional seating prices across the most common seats in auditoriums, Value Sightline will be available for AMC Stubs members and offer seats in the front row of the auditorium, and Preferred Sightline will charge seats in the middle of the auditorium at premium rates, with AMC Stubs A-List members able to pre-book Preferred Sightline seats. The initiative is set to roll out across select locations in New York, Chicago, and Kansas on Friday before expanding across venues across the country later in the year.
Why AMC Theatres Are Experimenting With Major Changes
While audiences may be surprised by AMC’s drastic move, it isn’t the first time in recent years that the company has experimented with major changes in its US markets. The company previously charged higher prices for The Batman tickets when compared to other chains upon the film’s release in 2022. CEO Adam Aron defended the decision as something that the company had already utilized in European markets, as well as being no different from how concert and sports venues charged for their events.
AMC Theatres’ changes come in the midst of the chain’s attempts to recover from the loss of $4.6 billion it endured throughout 2020 due to closures during the COVID-19 pandemic. While AMC has managed to navigate the changing theatrical landscape so far, other chains haven’t been as successful, with Cineworld filing for bankruptcy late last year, casting the fate of Regal Cinemas into question; numerous locations across the US have closed recently. Despite difficulties in recent years, however, a slew of releases from the past several months, such as Avatar: The Way of Water and M3GAN, have reignited hope that the theatrical market can return someday.
As the world reopened following the COVID-19 pandemic, it is clear that audiences are keen to return to seeing movies on the big screen. This can be seen with a number of films enjoying impressive box office runs in late 2022 and early 2023. Despite this, it has yet to be seen how audiences may respond to AMC Theatres‘ drastic pricing changes.
Source: Variety
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