I frequently visit my local movie theater. Heck, I’ve even drove several hours away to see a film I didn’t think would show in my neck of the woods. Even without factoring the price of gas, these trips were costly due to the rising price of movie tickets and concessions. Things have gotten so bad on that front that many avoid the theater altogether. Could a reasonably priced subscription service help bring budget conscious folks back to the theater? The folks behind reasonably priced subscription service MoviePass hope that’s the case.
For a small monthly fee (plans range from $24.99-39.99), MoviePass offers its subscriber one movie ticket per day (no multiple viewings; no IMAX & 3D at the moment). Members will check into their theater of choice using a mobile application (iOS now; Android soon) and then pay for their ticket with a MoviePass-issued card. The transaction looks no different to the theater than using a credit card; having things structured this way means that you can use it in any location.
MoviePass has been experimenting with various business models for approximately one year. The latest version of the service, which went into beta yesterday, seems to have piqued the interest of many. Currently, there are 75,000 individuals testing the service. That number will likely expand fast as each participant has 10 invitations to give out. If you aren’t friendly with a beta tester, you may request an invitation here.
Here’s a trailer:
MoviePass Trailer from MoviePass on Vimeo.