MoviePass is Going To Start Charging More For Popular Movies Next Month (qz.com)

As if seeing a popular movie with MoviePass -- where you can't reserve tickets in advance -- wasn't stressful enough, it's about to get more expensive, too. From a report: The movie-ticket subscription service, which charges $9.95 per month to see a movie a day in the US, will start surge pricing on popular movies next month, Business Insider reported. MoviePass will charge subscribers $2 or more to see titles that the app decides are very popular with its members beginning in July, Mitch Lowe, MoviePass's CEO, told the publication. He was vague on the details. "At certain times for certain films -- on opening weekend -- there could be an additional charge for films," Lowe said, calling the forthcoming policy "high-demand" pricing. But if you've paid for a year's subscription to MoviePass upfront, don't worry: Lowe said these subscribers would not be subjected to the new pricing policy. MoviePass will begin rolling out two other previously announced features, like the option to upgrade to premium movie formats such 3D and IMAX, or bring a friend to the movies, by August, Lowe added.

Comments

Doomed business

[Anonymous Coward]

Realizes it's business model is unsustainable and tries to stop the hemorrhaging....

Re:Doomed business

[InfiniteBlaze]

Sometimes, in order to grow a business to a sustainable level, some losses must be taken. Once the necessary growth is achieved, the business can modify its model to become sustainable.

Hoping...

[rally2xs]

that MoviePass can arrive at something sustainable. I bought the yearly subscription because I saw this stuff coming, the original business model appearing unworkable to me. I "knew" that they would have to start doing stuff like this and wanted the "pay up front" model so's it would be a contract violation for them to start changing extra for the features.

Before Moviepass, my admission expenditures were $85 for the month of January (lots of great movies come out in January) and $65 in February (not so many movies coming out in February.) In case you haven't figured it out, I see almost everything, the moviegoing experience - popcorn, sit in the dark and let the world go by (escape from reality) for a couple hours, having someone else make the popcorn and clean up afterward fits my lifestyle! The movies are not more than 50% of the reason I go. That's a good thing because movies are faaar less entertaining than they used to be. Lots of movies don't even make sense any more - "A Quiet Place" is totally unbelievable since it depicts a post-apocalyptic world, but they have grid electricity, and they are plagued by animals but it seems nobody has the gumption to carry firearms and dispatch said animals. Makes no sense at all, and lots of movies are like that. Lots of the "SciFi" has little or no "Sci" and violates scientific principles from start to finish. That's hard to take for some of us with the study of science in our backgrounds. But the moviegoing experience is the thing that makes it pleasant, and sometimes the film must be endured rather than enjoyed.

Is using MoviePass really stressful?

[Nutria]

I don't use it so don't know, and thought that the purpose was to remove the (relative) stress of high ticket and concession prices and getting tickets for the showing you want.

Re:Is using MoviePass really stressful?

[asylumx]

My wife and I used it for the first time last week (complimentary month, courtesy of a friend). It was not a great experience, mainly because while my Android app stopped me from checking in while we were too far away, her iPhone app did not and when we arrived at the theater her card did not function at the cashier. So far, it's understandable. She figured "it let me check in so I'm good" but the rules state you have to pick up your ticket within 30 mins of checking in. Chalk that part up to "users don't read info messages" which any developer already realizes.

The bad/stressful part -- certainly dealing with the card not working at the cashier was not the most fun but TBH the cashier was great about it even though they don't work for MoviePass. We ended up paying for her ticket out of pocket and the movie was great. After that, my wife contacted customer support, and I would have expected them to say something like "Hey, just so you know, here are the rules... but we'll take care of you this time." Instead they basically said "go suck an egg" and she immediately canceled as a result.

Getting back to your point, if things go smoothly it can remove the relative stress of high ticket prices, but if they don't go smoothly it actually adds a lot more stress. Customer service matters! It always has, and when a customer's first experience makes them feel bad -- even if it's ultimately their own fault -- they won't want to be associated with that product anymore.

Re:Is using MoviePass really stressful?

[omnichad]

Except it doesn't work because they all have Chinese backing and can easily starve out MoviePass.

They also get full price on the tickets bought. They should love and promote Movie pass until the day it goes under.

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Almost all movies are popular

[OrangeTide]

There are only maybe 5 movies out at any given time. Plus whatever crap from last season the cheap theaters are still showing, but if you're an avid enough movie goer to have a subscription you've already seen those older movies.

That said the current subscription price doesn't make a lot of sense and is probably too low. But people don't like paying more for subscriptions especially if it's a per-person sort of thing like Moviepass.

Huh?

[dcw3]

"will charge subscribers $2 or more to see titles..."

Why would I pay $2 to see...oops, didn't have my reading glasses.