LOS ANGELES (CelebrityAccess) And so it begins: surge pricing, the scourge of Uber customers, is going to the movies.
Movie-theatre subscription service MoviePass told Business Insider that, starting next month, members will be charged extra for “high demand” tickets. By August, other features will be added to the app, such the ability to add a friend to ticket purchasing, or an added fee to buy movies seen at the Imax or in Real 3D.
The surge pricing would start at $2 a ticket, which subscribers found very popular, according to MoviePass CEO Mitch Lowe.
“At certain times for certain films – on opening weekend – there could be an additional charge for films,” Lowe told Business Insider. The pricing system is designed to let MoviePass’s theatre partners attract more traffic for blockbuster films for the weekdays and for the weekends after the initial launch, Lowe added.
Plus, it would “make sure that we can continue to offer a valuable service and support the whole enterprise.”
Those who opt for an annual plan would not be subject to “high demand” (ie, surge) pricing.
The announcement comes just days after AMC Theatres announced it was launching a monthly subscription plan, AMC Stubs A-List, which would allow subscribers to see three movies a week including Imax and Real 3D titles.
Lowe told Business Insider his company’s announcement “validates that subscription is really here to stay.”
The question, obviously, is whether “high demand” pricing will eventually find its way to the live event arena.
