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RandySF

(57,622 posts)
Tue Jul 31, 2018, 01:14 PM Jul 2018

MoviePass' latest survival plan: increase prices, gut first-run movie access

July has not been good for MoviePass, the embattled all-you-can-watch movie ticket subscription service. The company ran out of money and shut down for a night last week. It’s compensated by shutting people out of popular movies like Mission: Impossible — Fallout. The company has claimed lately that technical difficulties are keeping users from getting movie tickets, though it’s unclear whether this is also a behind-the-scenes gambit to limit how much of its remaining money users can spend. The MoviePass stock has plummeted. And now, MoviePass has announced a slew of changes that aim to “compress its timeline to reach profitability” — by making the service much more restrictive.

According to a company press release, MoviePass will increase its price to $14.95 a month within the next 30 days. First-run movies will only be viewable on a limited basis during the first two weeks of release, unless the company has a promotional deal with a given film. This is in addition to the already-announced plan to implement surge pricing for popular movies, which users have noted in practice has meant virtually all movies, regardless of ticket demand.

MoviePass’ statement claims these changes are being made “to enhance discovery, and to drive attendance to smaller films and bolster the independent film community.” In a widely reported all-hands meeting at the company, MoviePass CEO Mitch Lowe cited the upcoming Christopher Robin and The Meg specifically as films that would not be available to subscribers.


https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.theverge.com/platform/amp/2018/7/31/17634508/moviepass-price-increase-limited-first-run-movie-access

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MoviePass' latest survival plan: increase prices, gut first-run movie access (Original Post) RandySF Jul 2018 OP
I am SO GLAD I was never able to log in/register when I read about it. CurtEastPoint Jul 2018 #1
What good is it if you can't go see the latest blockbuster workinclasszero Jul 2018 #2
they will drive more people to watch movies at home on a big monitor. dixiegrrrrl Jul 2018 #3
They're done... Docreed2003 Jul 2018 #4
I got some great value out of it over the past 8 months... TCJ70 Jul 2018 #5
 

workinclasszero

(28,270 posts)
2. What good is it if you can't go see the latest blockbuster
Tue Jul 31, 2018, 01:20 PM
Jul 2018

like Mission: Impossible - Fallout on opening weekend?

dixiegrrrrl

(60,010 posts)
3. they will drive more people to watch movies at home on a big monitor.
Tue Jul 31, 2018, 01:45 PM
Jul 2018

Less benefits for more cost is not a good business model if other options are available.

they clearly know this by the phrase "to drive attendance to smaller films and bolster the independent film community.”

Docreed2003

(16,817 posts)
4. They're done...
Tue Jul 31, 2018, 02:30 PM
Jul 2018

The MI-Fallout fiasco this past week was the second time they've had the same issue the weekend a major blockbuster was scheduled to open. They are undermining their own business model by limiting what films subscribers can go see. They will be lucky to make it to Christmas.

TCJ70

(4,387 posts)
5. I got some great value out of it over the past 8 months...
Tue Jul 31, 2018, 04:22 PM
Jul 2018

...everything worked exactly as advertised. Show up, pick a time, see a movie. Easy. I haven't cancelled mine yet but if things continue going south, as they probably will, it won't last long.

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