Differences in ticket pricing between features isn’t something that moviegoers normally have to worry about, but that’s become a real concern for Batman fans who are planning to watch the latest film at AMC.
Adam Aron, CEO of AMC Entertainment, revealed during a recent webcast following quarterly earnings that tickets for The Batman will cost more than other movies when it opens this Friday, March 4. It’s unclear whether AMC is planning to make variable pricing a wider thing for U.S. audiences, but Aron noted that the theater chain has already been doing something similar for years in the European market.
“Currently, our prices for The Batman are slightly higher than the prices we are charging for other movies playing in the same theaters at the same time,” Aron said.
“This is all quite novel in the United States, but actually AMC has been doing it for years in our European theaters. Indeed, in Europe we charge a premium for the best seats in the house — as do just about all sellers of tickets in other industries — take sports events, concerts and live theater, for example.”
The executive sees “considerable upside opportunity ahead if we continue to be imaginative” on pricing.
AMC Is Charging More For ‘Batman’ Tickets; CEO On Variable Pricing And “Transformational M&A” (Deadline)
- He said the move follows a few years after it successfully raised weekend pricing above midweek levels at some of its U.S. locations.
- He didn’t offer any specifics and he wasn’t asked. But a quick online search of the AMC Empire 25 in Times Square showed tickets for The Batman, at $18.99, were a dollar more than tickets for Uncharted and Dog.
- [AMC’s] recent initiatives include: four rounds of NFT giveaways, three linked to big films, with plans to start charging for them and taking commissions for sales on secondary markets; accepting payment in crypto; launching a retail popcorn selling blitz; and moving into merchandise.