AMC Theaters has unveiled a ticket subscription plan that they hope will rival the one offered by MoviePass.
Billed as an extension to the theater chain’s AMC Stubs loyalty program, movie goers would be charged $19.95 a month in return for the ability to see up to three films a week.
On the surface, between the two, MoviePass still looks to be the better option. With an allowance of only three movies a week, the new AMC Stubs A List plan costs twice as much for less than the half the potential moviegoing that MoviePass offers. But the AMC plan does include films shown in premium formats such as IMAX or 3D, formats that are not allowed under MoviePass’s plan. The AMC plan will also allow for multiple ticket purchases the same day and the ability to see the same film more than once, both options unavailable with MoviePass’s plan. Of course, AMC’s plan is restricted to just their own theaters whereas MoviePass is more flexible in terms of venues where it can be used.
MoviePass has been under scrutiny recently over how it plans to continue operating under its current business model. Although the company has three million subscribers, SEC filings reveal that they have $15.5 million in available cash, $27.9 million on deposits with merchants and monthly expenses of $21.7. The company is owned by analytics firm Helios and Matheson, who have stated that they hope to leverage data mined from member usage.
