MoviePass to add ‘high demand’ fee for popular films to subscription
A day after AMC rolled out its own movie- going monthly subscription plan, MoviePass announced new changes of its own — and theymay bite into yourwallet.
Starting in July, MoviePass will charge “high demand” pricing — on top of the monthly subscription plan — for movies it deems to be receiving high demand, according to Business Insider. The added charge will start at $2 and will vary up to $6 depending on the time and the popularity, akin to Uber’s surge-pricing mechanism.
“At certain times for certain films — on opening weekend — there could be an additional charge for films,” saidMoviePass CEO Mitch Lowe to Business Insider.
By August, MoviePass will also allow subscribers to add a friend when buying tickets through the app and have the option to order IMAX or 3D movies — at an extra price. While the bring-a-friend feature and the 3D/IMAXoptionwill be available in one package in the future, both will be offered separately at first, according to Lowe.
MoviePass is facing in- creased challenges in the subscription space it trailblazed, with the latest coming from AMC.
AMC announced on Wednesday the AMC Stubs A-List plan, which costs $19.95 a month — nearly twice as expensive as MoviePass — and allows up to three movies a week. MoviePass currently charges $9.95 a month to watch one movie a day in the theaters, including AMC’s.
But the A-List plan is packed with perks, such as free upgrades on popcorn and soda, free refills on large popcorn, a free popcorn and soda on subscribers’ birthdays, express ser- vice at the box office and concession stand, no online ticketing fees and an automatic enrollment into AMC’s rewards program.
Lowe described AMC’s foray into subscriptions — after AMC had initially calledMoviePass’s business model “unsustainable”— as “a littlebit kindof funny” to Business Insider.
“It’s pretty clear what he wanted to do — clear the way for his own subscription program and not have competition,” said Lowe, referring to AMC CEO Adam Aron.