AMC Theatres, the nation’s largest movie chain, will be offering additional discounts for members by slashing ticket prices on Wednesdays.
Beginning July 9 and every Wednesday following, all AMC Stubs members will receive a 50 percent price reduction on regular adult tickets all day long. A Stubs membership is free.
“Available to all AMC Stubs members, including any new members of AMC Stubs ... the new program allows guests to experience the latest blockbuster hits and other beloved stories on the big screen at a significantly reduced cost,” read the May 12 press release.
Premium cinema formats such as IMAX, Dolby Cinema, PRIME at AMC, and RealD 3D will still be priced higher, but will also be discounted by 50 percent.
“While certain movies and holiday time periods may be excluded from the ‘50 percent off Wednesdays’ program, it is envisioned that if successful, this new AMC pricing initiative will be almost universally available at all AMC Theatres in the United States going forward,” read the release.
The discount extends an existing Tuesday reduction for Stubs members, who currently total over 36 million.
In a statement, AMC Chairman and CEO Adam Aron credited the move to a resurgence of movie theater attendance following post-pandemic levels.
“We’ve gone to great lengths to create the preeminent moviegoing environment at our AMC theatres including our offering more comfortable seating, more premium formats, and better food and beverage offerings. Now, we also are pleased to make moviegoing more affordable.
“Realistically, we could not afford to have made this change to our ticket pricing strategy until the box office showed true signs of sustained recovery,” he said.
Last month, the president and CEO of Cinema United—the leading trade organization for movie distributors—called for a longer theatrical window in hopes of drawing larger audiences. The theatrical window is the time a film spends in theaters before it is available for streaming.
“Longer windows, supported by marketing, would reduce the current level of decline and create more revenue across the industry,” said Michael O’Leary during an address at the CinemaCon convention.
“Everyone benefits from these movies flourishing … including movie fans.”
O’Leary sees a 45-day minimum run in theaters, in comparison with the 17- or 31-day window, as providing a promising future for the film industry and creating more revenue.
According to Fandango, the leading ticketing company in the nation, over 80 percent of general ticket buyers said they are members of a free movie-related loyalty program and would prefer to get discounts even for less popular showtimes.
