Movie going might soon be a matter of choice – one between view and pricing. America’s largest exhibition chain is about to start Sightline at AMC, a pricing initiative based on where your seat is located in the movie theatre.
Like Broadway, music shows, sporting events, or concerts, AMC will now give options to pay more or less depending on where one chooses to sit. In short, the front-row seats will be available at a low price, while the middle seats will be priced higher. Then there will be Preferred Sightline tickets, which are priced at a premium.
AMC Stubs A-list members will be able to reserve seats in Preferred Sightline at no additional costs.
In India, this strategy has been followed for many decades. It is called the slab system, where the front-row seats are sold for as low as Rs. 50, and the balcony tickets are priced at Rs. 200.
The initiative will start off at AMC theatres in New York, Chicago, and Kansas City and will be expanded to other locations by the end of the year. But not everyone is happy with such a development. One netizen said that the new plan would penalize lower-income groups and reward higher-income groups.
Another one said that AMC cannot possibly upcharge for everything and added that he/ she was already spending $30 on a drink and candy. One other person said the move made her angry, and she said she went to the movies because it was fun and accessible. She made it clear through her social media post that she was not willing to pay more to sit in the middle of the theatre.
Some even made fun of AMC by pointing out that the theatre chain must be happy that people are still going to theatres to watch movies!
