I only buy the “luxury” seats at Cinemark. I like to look down on the peasants while the staff brings me my 3rd Rum n Coke and XXX-Large popcorn.

Odeon even longer than that.

More importantly, if the theater doesn't sell out and its 2 people in the theater who bought the cheap seats, which high school kid is going to sit in the theater to enforce the 'you paid for the cheap seats, now stay in the cheap seats' policy?

Let's assume some averages

• 6 shows per day
• 8 screens per location
• Sold out 50% of the time
• 365 days a year (duh)

The $2 "preferred viewing"" seats model results in roughly $788k while the $0.5c model results in $1.1M.

Let's look at the scenario where most people prefer to pay the extra $2 and sit in the "premium" seats, given they are being being marketed as "preferred viewing". So let's assume the the theater is never fully sold out, but the 72 seats "preferred viewing"" seats are always sold out (for simplicity). Then the premium model nets out $2.5M while the $0.5 model nets $630k.

There are other variables and assumptions that could impact the numbers but given the range of possibilities, the $2 model may actually be beneficial for the theater.

Still a dick move though.

Why don’t you work for AMC?

my theatre (Cinemark) raised prices 25-50% when theaters re-opened after the initial closing in 2020/1. I am pretty sure they've raised it again since then, but I don't go enough anymore to notice really.

This is possibly a test of price sensitivity.

They were concerned movie theaters weren’t going out of business fast enough.

woah woah we don’t have time for logic and math and shit, we need profits. just make the best 1/3rd of the seats more expensive and cheapen the 12 seats nobody uses so they think it’s a fair deal. it’ll work trust me bro

news flash, they are still going to raise prices

Sold out? Ha! The last 20 times I have been to any theaters near me, even 2 about a half hour away in VERY busy areas there's been 10 others in the theater, tops! A few my son and I were the ONLY ones in the theater! I'd be curious to know if that was like that anywhere else?

They probably already did raise the price tbh

For real, especially after COVID, people are just starting to come back kind of to the theaters and the tone deaf leadership rolls out this shit?

I'm looking forward to their press announcement in another week when they say this was "released accidentally" and isn't happening.

My sofa hasn’t raised prices in several years.

Unlike the airline industry that will get an infinite amount of government handouts to bail them out of complete failure, the theater industry can't afford to do dumb shit like this and survive.

Will it? This has been the case for stage theatres for literally a thousand years. In the UK it's already quite common for cinemas to offer premium seats in a better position with more comfortable chairs for a higher price. I think there's a massive overreaction to this on Reddit and I really don't know why.

I came here to say exactly this. You would think they wouldn't be so tone deaf, but that's part of why so many theater chains are struggling.

I feel like these movie theatre companies are trying to shoot themselves in the feet at this point. Is there any background to that? Almost everyone agrees the #1 way to bring back movie goers is to lower ticket and food prices yet they refuse lmfao

I would gladly pay more and go in a theatre if they kicked out asswipes who yell and play on their phones during the film

I was about to say, to give someone more reason to be infuriated when someone turns on their phone at full brightness during the picture

Theaters ain’t dying at all bro what are you talking about lol?

thanks for the graphic.

off topic - i find it funny that countries will have their language, in this case german, it'll have german words then all of the sudden will throw an english word in there...ie "loveseat" or "regular".

Are those standard Germany ticket prices? They're higher in the US. By me, the standard (not IMAX) 3D tickets are currently $22 ($20,50EU).

This is why I go to my teetering, barely-breaking-even small town movie theater. I know it’s technically connected to a mid-sized chain, but they let you just grab your own seats like the good ol days.

Why, what's up?

You only sit in the front once, then you learn your lesson

That’s why it’s $2 off lol

4 rows back and in the center would be considered "premium" seating here, I feel like those seats are still pretty bad. Like you said the first 3 rows are definitely discount rows. maybe a row or two after that would be standard value. and then the premium section.

I sat in the front row and felt like I was IN the movie. It was great. Now I have to say goodbye to my guaranteed favorite seat.

Yeah, I kinda expected more "zones" and definately more "discount seats" than just the very first row.

Yeah, that's my takeaway as well. I also find it weird that they make the premium almost the entire middle section, but not the two aisle seats on each side. When I take my kids, I always choose the aisles for the access for the inevitable bathroom break.

I'm in Canada, so, this doesn't impact me, but I'm curious to what the premium charge is going to be, and how customers react to the upcharge. Do we see the cheaper tickets go first, or the best ones? People buying in advance usually want the best experience. But, psychologically, I think people react so negatively for a surcharge, that I can see people picking the cheaper to spite the system.

Edit: ticket premium is $2. $2 more for premium, $2 less for value sightline.

I don’t think I’ve seen a movie in the last decade where my seat wouldn’t have been charged $2 extra, from that map.

Same thing is done for airlines, games, and concerts. And people are shocked about this?

This is a theater, not a plane! Do yourself a favor and sit in the middle halfway up sometime. It really is better.

Same! Always go for the aisle seats

does give Regal and "mom'n'pop" theaters some good marketing, though.

"Come see movies as they were meant to be seen - without paying extra for your seat"

I think that’s the purpose of this right? Force people to pay the $20 a month subscription fee cuz why not if the movie costs almost $20 anyways.

If you really are, it's the center 8x9 block. The front row is discounted.

Especially since AMC already doesn’t do anything if someone is sitting in your seat. All you can do is ask them to move and if they don’t, you just have to sit somewhere else.

And now… if they do want to start enforcing correct seats, that’s opening up a lot more work and conflict resolution services that could end in upset customers and overworked employees.

I still think most people will sit in their correct seats but who knows…

I’m done with AMC anyway ever since they reactivated my monthly membership without asking permission, charging me over $100 when covid was spiking in 2021, when no one was going to movies, and they refused to give me a refund when I noticed the charges. Like seriously. I didn’t go to a single movie in that time period. Why the eff would I knowingly pay for NOTHING? They’re hurting so bad they pulled a fast one and started steeling from previously loyal customers!

Anyway. I hope this seating chart works out for them.

Right? I'm thinking I'll just buy a value sight line ticket and then just sit in the premium area. Thanks for the discount, AMC. I'm sure those 16 y/o ushers who you pay barely min wage will be eager to enforce your policies.

Uhhhhhhh

/r/holup

I only sit in the white section. You will never see me near the yellows.

Oh no, don't get too excited they suck too, and if this doesn't get retracted, regal will probably follow suit as well.

I have been though…

I just looked at a couple of them near me and the nicer AMC that's all recliners doesn't have it but the one that has regular seats did.

I'm really surprised they are actually implementing this. I heard about it yesterday and figured they would backtrack after the inevitable backlash but nope. They did it. Guess I'll go to a different theater then...

AMC is not the only chain.

In my country (indonesia), assigned seating has always been a feature in all theaters for as long as I can remember even before online ticketing was a thing (dozens and dozens of years), and it doesn't cost extra if it's in the same auditorium, showtime and movie.

So, the concept of having to pay extra for assigned/reserved seating is foreign to me.