Do you like Netflix? Do you wish you the same “all-you-can-watch” service were possible in movie theaters? Well, you’re about to get your wish.
MoviePass is a new monthly movie theater subscription service that will launch in mid-September. Similar to Netflix, MoviePass will charge subscribers a monthly fee of about $50. per month to see as many movies as they want in a movie theater.
MoviePass originally tested in San Francisco area theaters earlier this summer, but quickly shut down when theater chains including AMC protested the service. According to MoviePass co-founder Stacy Spikes, “It blew up nationally and internationally, and I think that caught everyone off guard.” But now the start-up company is ready to make another go at it.
New York based MoviePass has taken on Hollywood Movie Money as a partner, which has access to 36,000 movie screens in its network, or roughly 97% of the movie theater market. MoviePass will pay Hollywood Movie Money and all theaters full price for each ticket issued, plus a transaction charge. They expect to make money not just from monthly subscriptions, but by teaming up with Hollywood studios to market and promote films, such as contacting fans of certain actors and directors to encourage them to see a new movie.
MoviePass has already begun rolling out its service nationwide on a limited, invitation-only basis. With 30,000 people on its waiting list, it expects to offer a tiered subscription plan, with prices varied depending on where the customer lives.
