Moviegoing as you know it is about to undergo a big change. AMC Theatres is changing the way it charges for seats. The country's largest movie chain announced that the prices of a movie ticket will now depend on the seat location. Seats at the front will be normal-priced. The more desirable seats in the middle row will cost extra.
Per Variety, the ticket pricing initiative, called Sightline at AMC, will roll out at all of its roughly 1,000 movie theaters by the end of the year.
- Three pricing tiers will soon be offered. The highest-end “Preferred” tier are in the middle of the theaters. Those seats will be priced at a “slight premium."
- The “Standard” tier will remain the most common choice. "Standard" seats will be sold for the “traditional cost of a ticket.”
- The third tier is called “Value.” Those seats are in the front row of theaters. They will cost less than its “Standard” tier.
Sightline also provides customers with an incentive to sign up for the AMC Theatres "Stubs A-List."
A-List members can access the “Preferred” seating at no extra charge. This will only be used on showings after 4 pm, so go for an earlier showing.
“Sightline at AMC more closely aligns AMC’s seat pricing approach to that of many other entertainment venues, offering experienced-based pricing and another way for moviegoers to find value at the movies,” said Eliot Hamlisch, executive VP and CMO at AMC Theatres. “While every seat at AMC delivers an amazing moviegoing experience, we know there are some moviegoers who prioritize their specific seat and others who prioritize value moviegoing. Sightline at AMC accommodates both sentiments to help ensure that our guests have more control over their experience, so that every trip to an AMC is a great one.”
Live theater, such as Broadway, has long been using a similar method of pricing for seats. Movie theaters outside the United States also have similar location pricing standards. Pricing structures we aren't accustomed to in America.
The initiative kicks off on Friday at select AMC locations in New York, Chicago and Kansas City. It will be expanded to all domestic AMC locations by the end of the year.
