AMC Theaters Is Raising Prices For Seats With Good Views

[@al.109]

John Campea vs AMC is always a joy to watch

[@nicholasdruce5346]

Maybe John Campea should be the new CEO of AMC Theatres.

[@cfats9071]

what is your proposal to increase revenue and level up then?? Shareholders cry of dilution... Media trying to steer this as a price gouge... Just curious how a CEO should improve the company when denied and challenged like this with every attempt made. You have no choice but to charge more... You wanna break a cycle and get people to come out more, but where the hell you getting the money for that? I get it, you have to talk about something.. but honestly how do you think things happen if you aren't able to raise capital at some point... Give the ol man some more time... More importantly the studios and creators need to focus on made for theater type movies... I think they are getting back to it... If you think they are saying they don't t have a good product in admitting the front row is lesser value... How about you just take out the first two rows of seating and increase the remaining good or premium seating then they aren't questioning their quality of product at all and still increase potential capital for improvement.... i think it's a reasonable move and if i do order tickets late to a show and get stuck up front, yes i want to get it at a discount because they do indeed change the experience. I did enjoy your show, keep up the good work. Peace and love

[@grim_2000]

@@cfats9071 You can just raise prices & be honest about it. "Inflation is high, so tickets cost a dollar more now". End of story

[@lightquest2]

i’ve never seen a company want to sabotage themselves so bad

[@nicholasdruce5346]

2023 Sucks

[@andytuzzino3274]

I worked for AMC Theatres for 20 years at 5 different locations until 2001. I was in the business for 31 years. It is easily the best chain. However, once Stan Durwood died, things began to slowly show their cracks and the chain went to hell. It has always been apparent that Adam Aron is a complete jackass. So, John, as a fellow Italian, it is an honor that we share comparable amounts of disdain for Aron.

[@trueheart1372]

For me, I would sit in cheaper seats theaters empty and I would move to a free seat. When no one else shows up, I live near a small city thou

[@scottlinting6308]

In a time where moviegoers are shrinking and with an inflated economy, this is the worst idea. I stopped going to AMC when this was leaked. I support Regal and it's been. A better experience.

[@DyanBermeo]

I can stream everything at home.

[@richardlogan850]

I go to cinemark mainly now. The theatres by me is new (I live in Houston), the seats are amazing 🤩 and tickets are way less expensive then AMC

[@TimLSim]

I too can vouch that Cinemark is a better experience as well for movie theaters despite having no IMAX or Dolby options like AMC.

[@Hicks-g1m]

This has to be one of the worst moves that AMC has ever done. They really want to go out of business 🤦‍♂🤦‍♂Yeah raising the prices on seating is really going to help them

[@MasterTSayge]

Movie theater industry: Let's find a way to bring more people back to the theaters away from streaming during the worst financial recession by charging people extra for the same seats. The consumers: smh

[@j.j.q1379]

Amc prices is why i don’t go to amc anymore. This isn’t a concert. I expect that from a concert or broadway theater. Not from a movie theater.

[@SheDreadzMe]

Not only at concerts & professional games, you’re paying premium because you’re also at the event longer. Most movies are 1hr.30mins vs a concert or event 3-4 hours

[@JERSEYBOYPLAY2HARD]

Next thing you know the seats going too go to the higher Bidder.

[@ninjapirate83]

This is just more motivation for me to finish my in home theater. AMC is looking for that final nail. We'll be talking about theaters the way we talk about Drive Ins

[@raisedonpopcornwithgrant9670]

i have an A-List so i personally am not worried for myself but for people like my brother who likes movies but isn’t a die hard fan and often can’t afford to go that sucks and it’s really shitty of amc to put there patrons against the wall like this like john said amc is the biggest game in town for seeing new movies and they are gonna pied piper other cinemas to follow makes me sad because i want movie theaters to survive and for more people to share the experience

[@nicholasdruce5346]

2023 Sucks

[@stevelanthripp5567]

I want the seat where there is no one talking or on their phones

[@Digidot1992]

Are they going to have employees enforcing where people are sitting? I don’t know about other locations, but our local amc and regal theaters are almost never full.

[@dalecarodiskey5256]

I don't see how they could enforce this. At our local theater they sell you tickets at the concession stand. then tell you which theater your in. To make this work they would have to have staff monitoring each theater. which means increasing staff. And the staff would need to be ok with confrontation. How would they identify which seats are which as well

[@rilchu3037]

Regal has the best theater subscription plan to me. You pay 20 a month for as many views as you want and 3 prebookings and you get 10% off concessions. The only downside is that you have to pay a little extra for a premium screen experience like IMAX which is 5 dollars but I don’t personally feel that that is that bad.

[@Dohsoda]

Elijah Wood made the perfect tweet in that this seat price hike just screws over lower income viewers.

[@dvo1245]

Lol I love this!!! I'll just do what I do at baseball games... I'll go on a Monday or Tues, by the cheapest seat in the house & just move to the good seats cuz nobody else will be there!!!🤣 Mind u, I never go run to the theater when a movie comes out, I'll always wait through the opening weekend & go watch it Monday or Tuesday night...

[@WSK9002]

This is why competition is so important in spaces such as this, I really hope Regal Cinemas can turn their business and or get new owners. Decisions like this is the reason why AMC is a bit too strong.

[@krapeevids6992]

BOYCOTT AMC !!! People please don’t give in to this corporate greed. We can keep them from getting away with this BS if we simply don’t go to this theater OTHERWISE HARKINS WILL START DOING THE SAME THING.

[@gordonvshumway]

I bet those premium seats will be $15

[@amazingeric97]

I just visit locally independent owned movie theaters & not AMC owned theaters.

[@luciusblackwood2640]

This is insane. They are creating a caste system for people going to the movies. Movies are for everybody. I don't want to sit there and have other patrons looking at me and wondering why I couldn't afford to buy nicer seats. Screw them. Cinemark is the best anyway. I'm sticking with them.

[@barak-rocky-giles2081]

You know what? Cool. I'm fine sitting in back... Back at home.

[@shawnbrown4485]

😭😭😭😭😭

[@joeschmoe5231]

Fa sho

[@SuperDman82]

Thats great. I will wait till streaming then!!! Movie theatres will go the way of museums at some point now i guess!!! Between the food and the tickets, its inSANE!!!

[@rubenthecuban2897]

To everyone saying they’ll go to other theaters, the problem is if this works, every movie theater chain will end up do this nonsense.

[@SuperDman82]

if this works??? it wont!! Movie theatres will become the video store then down to just streaming being the main thing so yea within the next 5 years theatres will be a vintage luxury especially to the millennials

[@WallEWorld]

Let me guess they are going to keep the front row seats at original price and the best seats are extra $$$

[@ChadKirk]

So what happens when the movie starts and there are 10 premium seats empty? Then people move to take that seat and now AMC has lost money

[@DMLXGaming]

I FEARED this would happen one-day w/ assign seating, just like sporting/music events. 😨

[@johnhigdon6762]

I will change seats when I get into the theater. Empty anyway

[@ZACLAND21]

I Thank the theater gods for only having Cinemark and Regal where I live I can’t imagine if I only had AMC

[@luke_1234]

Rise the prices, better eliminate those ads and trailers

[@DaveLikesMovies]

What fantasy land are you living in? 😂

[@Jimbo1221]

@@DaveLikesMovies He's living in a fucking dream world

[@misterjayway]

Lalaland

[@KingOfMadCows]

Does AMC really expect their poorly paid employees to deal with the kind of problems this is going to cause?

[@nicholasdruce5346]

AMC needs a new CEO.

[@bacchingabriel]

AMC A List is the best thing ever happened

[@AlkalineInsides]

No one realizes this . All everyone is doing is complaining

[@MindJack-kw1pq]

17:50 I just joined AMC A list a year ago and I only pay $20 a month totally worth it

[@Randompersonfromnowhere]

I have A-Lister so it doesnt effect me but this is so dumb. If it wasnt For A-lister i wouldnt ever go to the place that makes a heartbreak feels good. Or people buying cheap seats and jumping around and sit in other people seats. Now people gotta tell people get out their seats

[@ViperRT99]

I'm done with AMC. I either got to Apple Cinema or Showcase, and have done that for 2 years now.

[@ExPerez]

Preferred seats? Are they kidding? Line of sight?? Where in any theater is there a blockage? Last few times I went to AMC here in Houston, TX to see popular movies the theater was practically empty, on a Saturday, early evening. Save your money, boycott the theaters for 6 month and see what happens to prices. I am done with movie going.

[@SoapNugget]

Or you could go to Regal or Cinemark

[@kj9006]

This is why I go to cinemark

[@luciusblackwood2640]

Cleaner and nicer as well.

[@johnlewiss7475]

John's math isn't mathing. Even if all 100 seats were 12 bucks, you couldn't possibly get a single dollar above 1200, let alone reach 1400.

[@JonytobiUchiha]

You didn't understand, he put the (correct number to a bigger one) cause he's not sure about the prices.

[@matthewbowman1364]

Wondering…if the argument is “this drives loyalty to AMC A-List,” how many loyalty programs are going to be propagated by other theater chains? Instead of the streaming wars, will we have the theater wars?…And what’s to keep AMC, or any theatre chain with a loyalty program, from nerfing said program so that it no longer has its’ same appeal/value?

[@AlkalineInsides]

A List is awesome. Because I love going to the movies and am pretty open to watching most genres. It’s worth it. I don’t have to pay those high DOLBY and IMAX prices

[@nicholasdruce5346]

I have AMC A-List.

[@nicholasdruce5346]

It's like as if The Simpsons predicted this.

[@dietdrphilm8473]

Next thing is they do premium pricing based on opening weekend like you pay more to see it when it opens up then it will go down to normal after three weeks then a few dollars cheaper after five weeks.

[@soumentalukder4750]

I avoid AMC now.. I have a Regal Unlimited pass and in Atlanta they have 3 theaters that are within reasonable drive time ,hopefully will remain open for a while

[@legendaryTMNICO]

Some regal locations are going out of business.

[@jessiewood8676]

IF John hates this so much publicly. I hope he decides to stop supporting AMC until they make better decisions. It's not up to him or the fans to change anything, but to complain about it but continue to support them is ridiculous.

[@curtislopez8682]

The only thing is that the closet movie theater to his home is an AMC

[@gordonvshumway]

So are they going to be patroling emptier theaters to make sure you do not skip to premium seating?

[@ourfamilyaccount]

I want every seat ideal for viewing. Redesign the front row, so folks wont hurt their necks. Airlines have made their seats closer, just mimick that. I'm okay with paying more for that redesign for a few months if they lower the price when they've finished the product. I don't like what they've came up with.. it's not like this is a live concert

[@usarocks34]

I think charging for seating preference is a bad idea. If they are looking to increase revenue, maybe create a ads/trailer free screening, and charge more for that, similar to the way streaming model work. By doing so they can create more showtime, and making more money.

[@lifeofevan]

There was a time when I would go to AMC every weekend, sometimes twice a week. The theater I went to had these leather reclining chairs and had Dolby vision and IMAX. After covid something changed, I just felt less motivated to go, only really going to see the big blockbusters. When I see this news, it’s definitely not helping me “get back into the theaters more.”

[@JordanNMovies]

It’s so funny…I had a talk w/my family about how I don’t like going to the movies (my local AMC that is) like I used to cause of annoying moviegoers…now I have another reason unless it doesn’t affect AMC Stubs

[@DaveLikesMovies]

Post-Covid movie theater behavior has been atrocious. I just about walked out of M3GAN. 🤷‍♂️🤦‍♂️

[@JordanNMovies]

@@DaveLikesMovies yea there’s been a few times I thought about doing that or going to customer service to complain. I knew the pandemic would change the movie going experience, just not this way. I’d rather stay home. I miss out on the big screen experience, but I’m much better off watching movies at home when no one knows how to be quiet anymore during a movie. Seeing No Time to Die, Shang-Chi, Top Gun 2, Avatar 2 in theaters you’d think would be great experiences but they weren’t. At least when I saw The Batman this group of teens got kicked out.

[@tone7471]

I don't know what's wrong with these people. I try to go on a Monday afternoon while the adults are at work and the kids are at school. I never go on Friday or Saturday.

[@JordanNMovies]

@@tone7471 yea me seeing Ant-Man 3 next Thursday will be the test for if I should start going to the movies on a weekday or not. I can’t keep dealing with annoying crowds.

[@brotherhoodoflightshowcurr3318]

I am AMC customer who loves to sit in the middle lower section of the theater about a third of the way down. to get the audio visual effect. and if I go to AMC I will be charged for this. How are they gonna treat the handicapped so they have to pay more because they’re handicapped sitting in the center of the theater (lawsuit). I should just probably raise the price a dollar for the whole experience for all the tickets. How will this affect buying tickets in advance?

[@nicholasdruce5346]

My prediction for Sightline at AMC, if it fails, we will fire Adam Aron, get a new CEO, cancel Sightline, and everything will go back to normal.

[@ChildishGambeaner]

Nope it's already working in other countries with no problem. Horrible prediction

[@nicholasdruce5346]

@@ChildishGambeaner Jeremy Renner Damar Hamlin Regal Cinemas closes Velma (2023) Chris Schaffer and Patrick Phryllas die Justin Roiland Spokescandies leave M&M's

[@roderickcortez138]

I don't care I'll pay it. I'll pay ANYTHING to sit a dirty theater with sticky floors so I can watch a paint by number movie. I can't be without my toys. I'm an American.

[@esoteric76]

I see an immediate problem with people buying the "value" seats and then just deciding to sit elsewhere. The theaters are so understaffed, there's no way AMC is going to be able to handle it. I don't even want to get into the ongoing complaint, that half the AMC's near me haven't been upgraded in decades but the company is still looking for ways to make more money. They need to increase the quality of their product before raising the prices. (at least they're giving people more reasons to go with the monthly subscription tier (A-List) to basically pay more to avoid this nonsense)

[@Phelie315]

This has been the norm in my country for many years so I don't think it's a big deal to have different price tiers, obviously the front row isn't as good as the middle or the back, and it's not a problem for the price to reflect that. But clearly it does suck that they're raising prices to begin with! (But let's be real, people will just buy front row and if the theatre isn't busy move to a different seat, so eh)

[@wehatekeith]

I used to live in South American for a bit & theaters were already doing this

[@dacripe]

I agree it is greed on AMC's part, but it won't effect me. This is for those people who go after 4pm, which I haven't done in over a decade. Cost less to go in the daytime and less people to cause issues. If you do want to go after 4pm, AMC is pushing you to sign up for their subscription service A-list. I agree with John on the analogy that this is not the same as a concert, etc. Closer is better with stadium venues, but not with movie screens.

[@benm5970]

Here’s the thing, I can understand this kind of stuff when it comes to things like concerts, because much like a big vacation those are more like an occasional treat sort of thing, and so you’re more comfortable with shelling out some extra money because you don’t do it as often, but if you regularly go to the movies it’s gonna suck because you’ll have to do it all the time, I really don’t understand why theaters seem to have this backwards way of thinking in which they think that the best way to get people to come back to the theater after the pandemic is by doing things that would actually *scare them away* from going, like if they want people to come back why aren’t they doing some more generous gestures first? Like isn’t that how you usually get a business rolling? You start out offering cheaper deals than your competitors and things like that first and once you’ve gained enough customers *THEN* you move on to making more profits out of it? This as I said seems very backwards, so I think that for a while theaters need to start being more generous with how they price costumers just to re increase peoples’ interest in going to the theaters again before they start going back to trying to make the same kind of profits they did pre pandemic

[@noaheast7600]

Another reason I stick with Alamo Drafthouse. Such a better experience in every way

[@shanetaylor761]

Psh who's ever chosen not to get drunk and see a movie when they had the option lol. I have only been once(to see inherent vice, which is definitely a good movie to lounge and watch) and would kill to have one near me. That's the thing about movies is you see them to relax, so once you've gotta drive over 45 minutes it defeats the purpose.

[@thatKONNORguy]

I find it fun listening to all my out of town friends complain about AMC, when I don’t have one near me. Guess I’ll continue to enjoy my Cinemark experience.

[@DJ118USMC]

AMC sucks, Their theatres are always sub par or messy, they have poor sound/sound proofing so you can hear movies from another theatre in your theatre. I stick with my local chain they have much better incentives, theatres, and prices.

[@quentinberkley9602]

That is a terrible idea.

[@juans8356]

i actually cancelled my membership with AMC.

[@theechosenone4471]

Fry about it

[@mikefarristhegamebunny]

Why is the head of AMC doing this? 2 words. Golden Parachute.

[@eBoard3R]

UK kinda has this in many cinemas in some form, nearer the front has a different price compared to the back. Vue do this but Cineworld don't. 100% agree, I just cancelled an unlimited membership after 10years so I'm one of those who loved goin but will be goin a lot less in future. They gotta entice customers back, Not charge those who still go because those numbers are dwindling.

[@bravexheart7]

They need new management.. I will not be going to any movie theatre who undergoes this type of business model.. this is just ridiculous

[@solomonmartinez1143]

I AM DONE WITH AMC

[@ChildishGambeaner]

Go to Regal then. Oh wait 🤣

[@ICONICPARIS]

@@ChildishGambeaner lol

[@thomaswholefillr5165]

Here is the hilarious thing about this. They are thinking in low occupancy theaters this will help their box office revenues, and to be clear they are doing this because occupancy is low, but guess what morons, in these low occupancy theaters people will just buy the cheap seats, wait for the movie to start and then move to the middle, so in this situation they will be losing money. Sure when occupancy is high for Top Gun, Avatar, Marvel whatever, they will make some more but will it be more than what they lost the other 9 months of the year when occupancy was low? Doubt it. Are they going to have ushers checking seats sold vs where people are sitting, which would actually cost wages? Doubt it. If ushers do have to do this will they even care? Doubt it. It would be different if these better seats offered something like a recliner or you were waited on but without an improved experience this is doomed.

[@joynul]

Interesting. So in the the US you guys been paying same price for all seats? Had no idea. In the UK we've for as long as I can remember had 2-tiers - Premium for centre/rear and Standard for all seats down the left, right and along the front. I now wonder what its like everywhere else in the world. I would say though, the Premiem seats are a bit better than the others.

[@waltzingaranel]

People saying they’ll buy the cheaper tickets and then sit wherever they want should ask you how this system is enforced. I haven’t been a full theater since before 2020. Currently, it doesn’t matter if I sit in the exact seat that I selected. Do you actual have ushers that come into the theater?

[@joynul]

@@waltzingaranel I go tue/wed rather than fri/sat, when 1) you get 2 for 1 prices, 2) less busy. So, you can buy cheaper seats then sit in the Premier seats. Problem though isn't that there's ushers, but that yiu buy allocated seats. If you sit in a Premier seat that looks empty then someone comes along and shows you their ticket/seat number, you gotta move. Trick is, go in as late as possible, then when you select your 'standard' seat on the screen, quickely to memorise the available Premier seats shown on the screen, then hope nobody buys those after you. Edit: Or so I've been told. Of course I myself would never do something like this...

[@waltzingaranel]

@@joynul thanks!

[@IsaiasMGPalafox]

My go to seats r right in the middle. If I have a big group w/ me, I look for a row starting at the end, that leads to the middle. Glad I got my Ant-Man tickets when I did. 😂👏🏼

[@MorbidGod391]

It makes little sense, but then again, my amc doesn’t let you choose any seats.

[@jacksonwan]

By your math, even if they made every seat a premium seat ($12), they could only get to $1200. So your estimate of $1200-$1400 is not possible.

[@robertwild9447]

Hold on, i'm gonna need to get popcorn ready for this inevitable John Campea rant 😁

[@janechoy2073]

this isn't live stage theater shows............ it's not that complicated.

[@ZachPopeReviews]

I will no longer be going to AMC

[@mingo675]

Looks like I'll be avoiding AMC in the future. A movie doesn't even compare to a live event. People pay big money for events that you can't get elsewhere, and then it ends with your memories of it. With movies, people can just wait to buy it or stream it. I predict this will eventually bomb one way or another

[@weeznaz8195]

I have never considered being in the middle to be optimal, due to a Keats interactions during bathroom trips. Sitting in the back on the edge has been my go to for 1.5 decades

[@esl4058]

This is gonna cause scalping. $1000 to see avengers secret wars. Awesome.

[@theechosenone4471]

It’s show biz not show friends

[@73richg]

I always sit in the last row. Right next to the steps. I can see the entire screen and if I need to go to the bathroom or go to the concession stand I don’t have to go across the row to get to the stairs… “okay what’s next?”

[@ImTheShrey]

I'm wondering how come this was not like so all along? Here in India seats are priced this way since my childhood.

[@lou-car-eo1146]

Harkins doesn't change do seating prices

[@ethancoentertainment]

Adam Aron is the Bob chapek of amc

[@lonwolf8245]

I SIT SUPER CLOSE SO THIS WILL NOT AFFECT ME. BUT I AM USUALLY ONLY ONE IN MY ROW SO I MAY NOW HAVE NEW NEIGHBORS AND I GO CRAZY WHEN PEOPLE LOOK AT CELL PHONE DURING MOVIE!!!!

[@jasonhoskinson5951]

I value the aisle so I would be ok. But I'm done with AMC.

[@MichaelCasey1988]

I’m glad I have my local cinema cafe to go to. Movie and a dinner with wine, beer or ,mix drinks will always be superior to popcorn, candy and soda. The only time I really go to AMC now is for the IMAX experience for certain movies

[@deltablueprint3186]

Well the problem with Option #1 is: AMC does not control the QUALITY of the movies, they don't even control the format of the movies, they can't put all the movies into IMAX 3D format to justify higher prices (And besides, IMAX is owned by a different company).

[@qhorton6743]

I really, really wish my local Regal had an Imax or screens with better picture and sound. Id be happy to sign up for their monthly service. Unfortunately the best local (IMAX) screen is located at an AMC

[@bobbybrown6646]

Like the teenage usher making $10 an hour is gonna give a crap…

[@b3rry_b0i]

I work at amc and make 25 cents less, can confirm I don’t care

[@bobbybrown6646]

@@b3rry_b0i well heck expect to get a raise, as now you will be bumped up to security 🤣

[@Ryan125y]

What stops anyone from buying the cheap seats and just moving 5-10 into the movie to an empty seat?

[@simonl2072]

......Batman........jokes aside maybe a guard if they ever pay them a good salary....so yeah nothing.

[@ReelPodcasts]

As a former AMC employee the company will probably expect them to do it which is hilarious because absolutely no employee gets paid enough for that not even the management.

[@qhorton6743]

This was my question as well

[@simonl2072]

@@ReelPodcasts as a former cinema worker dealing with an angry Karen ignoring her seat number.......never again!

[@jinxa1913]

I won't be going there anymore

[@WSK9002]

Also, I need to mention this because a lot of people don't realize this, most Cinemas, (especially AMC) has wheelchair seating in the center of the house, does that mean because one is in a wheelchair, they have to pay extra? 🙄

[@aidantibbins355]

They already do this in the UK

[@sebastiandeases1139]

Maybe they should atleast install recliner seats in all theaters before the do anything my local AMC 30 only has Dolby cinema with recliner seats and the rest of the 29 theaters have seats from the 90s

[@DyanBermeo]

I never going to a theatre again.

[@maptogoldfilms1202]

Regal Unlimited is still the best option. Saves me so much $ as long as you go at least twice a month

[@ninjapirate83]

Everyone Everywhere All At Once, cancel your A List in protest. Money talks. AMC is also my favorite theater even though I'm surrounded by Regal Cinemas.

[@berniepalafox6787]

Yeah I'm switching to Cinemark if they do this bullshit. A list is amazing but having to pay more versus first come first serve is stupid.