Next year, you’ll be able to purchase affordable monthly movie passes to AMC Theaters. The pilot program, a partnership between AMC, the second largest theater chain in the country, and MoviePass, rolls out in 2015 in Boston and Denver only. For $45 per month, one will be able to see one movie per day, including 3D and “AMC ETX” movies. And for $35, one will enjoy the same one-a-day perk, but is limited to 2D flicks.
If you were to actually use the $45 monthly movie pass every day in a 30-day month, you’d be spending $1.50 on each screening – the lowest fare I’ve seen in my lifetime. That said, you don’t need to be a die hard to see the benefits (not to mention there isn’t a new movie released every day). With IMAX tickets upwards of $18, going to the theater three times in one month with the pass saves you money. With the $35 pass, you’d only need to go four times.
MoviePass’ success banks on the majority of people doling out the cash and then underusing the perks, as often seen with, say, gym memberships where people often let diets and dumbbells fall to the wayside weeks after they make resolutions. As the New York Times states:
Under the MoviePass business model, theaters get paid full price for every admission. To make money, the service depends on traditional subscription-service economics: More people pay than go. Mr. Spikes said that, based on his company’s experience so far with members, “Some overuse; a lot underuse.”
If you were wondering, we will likely fall into the overusers category.
