AMC is coming for MoviePass with a brand new ticket subscription service that sidesteps many of the pitfalls of its competitor.
On Tuesday, June 26, AMC will roll out AMC Stubs A-List. The service will cost $19.95 per month, making it $10 more expensive than MoviePass’s $9.95-a-month unlimited plan. AMC Stubs A-List only lets members see three movies per week, without rollover.
However, AMC subscription plan includes access to premium showings, including IMAX, Dolby Cinema, and RealD 3D. MoviePass will add a premium plan later this summer that also features access to those showings, but it will cost $2 to $6 more, bringing the monthly subscription cost closer to that of AMC’s plan. AMC will also let members see multiple movies per day, something MoviePass does not allow, as well as repeat showings of the same movie, a feature MoviePass controversially decided to discontinue when Avengers: Infinity War was released.
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The relationship between the U.S.’s largest theater chain and the start-up ticket subscription program has been fraught since the early days. In January, MoviePass banned user access to 10 AMC theaters and reportedly asked the company for ticket and concession compensation. AMC, meanwhile, sought to ensure MoviePass members knew that the ban was not its doing.
At the same time, MoviePass’s members are quickly losing patience with the service, which is is no longer the amazing deal it once was. Besides adding a ban on repeat showings, the company also said it will add an additional $2 surcharge for popular, opening weekend movies.
Despite the difference in base pricing, AMC is likely to win over some of MoviePass’s current customers. It's also a better deal than another MoviePass competitor, Sinemia, which offers a maximum of three movie tickets per month for $14.99. However, Sinemia is making an attempt to appeal to couples and friends with a series of new “for two” ticket offers, including three movies per month for $24.99.
If anything, the increasing competition is proof that the days of paying $15 for a single movie ticket are behind us. Subscriptions are the future of moviegoing.