Surge ticket pricing…the new thing? For it, against…
 

I saw on my local news an AMC in NYC will test surge pricing for The Batman. Of course, to alleviate the devastation of Covid.
So The Batman will be $19 and change, while all other movies at same times will be normal $17.99 or something. It makes sense to do so, but will it be a deterrent? I doubt it, but makes you think if this will be new thing, but isn’t it also a little nefarious, like with what gas stations have done? I dunno man, almost $20 for 1 ticket, imagine a family wanting to see a certain huge movie with surge pricing. It’s getting ridiculous.

So, do you agree, dissent/oppose such practices or it is what it is?

Re: Surge ticket pricing…the new thing?
 

I thought it was AMC nation-wide showing The Batman.

Re: Surge ticket pricing…the new thing?
 

Been talking about for days over in the Movie Theater thread:


https://forum.dvdtalk.com/movie-talk...heaters-4.html

Re: Surge ticket pricing…the new thing?
 

could be. I thought it was just being tested in area, maybe the one movie.

Re: Surge ticket pricing…the new thing? For it, against…
 

Simple solution. If you're even remotely an avid movie-goer, get AMC A-List. $23 bucks per month for 12 movies per month. You see 3 to 4 movies in a month, you're already ahead. You won't be affected by this "surge" pricing talk.

I just saw The Batman tonight on a Dolby screen. Already part of my subscription and I can see 11 more, with no extra charges.

Re: Surge ticket pricing…the new thing? For it, against…
 

It seems strange to me. I suppose the idea is "This is a huge movie everyone wants to see, but those who extra hard want to see it will be willing to spend the extra buck." So, they're getting the people who were guarenteed to come at the regular price, and potentially drive off others who would also have gone had the price stayed the same. Not sure what is gained by doing this, especially if the price drops back to normal after the first week or two.

Re: Surge ticket pricing…the new thing? For it, against…
 

Aren't they already 'surge' pricing, with matinees being generally discounted?

Re: Surge ticket pricing…the new thing? For it, against…
 

AMC is 30% off ticket prices before 5pm and Regal has $5 Tuesdays.

Re: Surge ticket pricing…the new thing? For it, against…
 

I remember a long time ago reading an article in Premiere magazine (yes it was that long ago) talking about how it didn't make any sense that the ticket for a movie that cost more than $50 million to make cost the same as a ticket for a movie that cost less than $500,000 dollars to make.

Re: Surge ticket pricing…the new thing? For it, against…
 

I think surge pricing is the wrong term. That's already in effect with movies costing more depending on what time you see them. Maybe this is more demand pricing? Any increase in price like that I'm pretty much against. I can see the opposite being useful in discounting low budget movies to encourage more people to see them.

I think it's risky. I think you could still alienate fans by charging more just because it's a popular film. Maybe not alienate them but at least piss them off.

Re: Surge ticket pricing…the new thing? For it, against…
 

I mean why would anyone be for it? We might tolerate it, but nobody is going to be happy to pay even more.

Re: Surge ticket pricing…the new thing? For it, against…
 

Makes sense. Punish the people that are trying to return to the theater. As if same day streaming didn’t do enough to drive and keep people away, this isn’t going to help get them back. Might as well gouge the people the people for more.
Reminds me of the cable and dish services. When they started bleeding customers the raised their rates instead of making it more enticing to keep viewers around by giving long timers discounts.

Re: Surge ticket pricing…the new thing? For it, against…
 

Sucks for people with ONLY an AMC. Or just don't get concessions.

Re: Surge ticket pricing…the new thing? For it, against…
 

I'm a cheap bastard so this will definitely be offputting for me. I'm already somewhat reluctant to go back into theaters so this will be one more thing that gives me pause to see something when it first comes out. I know they need to make back some lost revenue from COVID closure but this is not the answer when inflation is on the rise and people are struggling to pay for groceries and gas.

Re: Surge ticket pricing…the new thing? For it, against…
 

AMC also has $5 Tuesdays if you're a stubs member, even at the free tier.

Re: Surge ticket pricing…the new thing? For it, against…
 

FIve years ago, I could see it being accepted or at least tolerated/understood. First Friday night, prime time of a tentpole release? Sure, a buck or two more than the Wed or Sun matinee. Restaurants, bars, lots of places do it.
But now? Between inflation and the fact that most of the world has grown used to day/date or soon-after movie releases and watching from home, it's a very bad time.
It seems to be a double or nothing strategy - get the hardcore moviegoers (of whom there are fewer and fewer) to pay a little bit more. But even many of them have gotten out of the habit, and they're certainly affected by the economy.
I love going to the theater, at one time I might have gone as much as 3 or 4 times a week. But I've been maybe once this calendar year.
I'll still go to the theater, and probably pay the upcharge, but fewer and fewer movies will be 'theater-worthy'. Sadly, for me, I don't think Batman is.
And agreed, a-list is awesome (I basically break even on one prime time movie, considering online booking fees) but if this remains a thing, who's to say they won't increase A-list to help recoup that cost? Even though it might make more sense to discount it, to get more people going, and likely to buy the profitable snacks. Of course there's some stickiness to the membership since I think you can't renew for either 3 or 6 months after cancelling? So those members are pure profit for them.
It's a tough business and I think it's going to get even tougher.

Re: Surge ticket pricing…the new thing? For it, against…
 

As a consumer I'm against it.

But that's because I'm cheap.

Ultimately this gets filed under "it is what it is"

Re: Surge ticket pricing…the new thing? For it, against…
 

A front-row concert seat costs hundreds more than a nosebleed one. Attending a play at a Sunday matinee costs less than Saturday. Sitting at the 50 yard line is gonna take more money out of your pocket than grabbing a seat somewhere outside Schenectady.

Variable pricing exists pretty much everywhere else in leisure and entertainment. I see no problem with this.

Re: Surge ticket pricing…the new thing? For it, against…
 

The audience doesn't really care about how much you spent making your movie, though. I mean I guess they could try that, and then also have variable pricing on things like media and video games and other forms of entertainment, but at the end of the day they expect to make back that money on volume of tickets/sales/whatever.

And as far as AMC A list being the answer, how long until they start restricting or having a surcharge for more something like this?

Re: Surge ticket pricing…the new thing? For it, against…
 

And that's probably the next logical step, prices higher for center seating and lower for outlier seating in cinemas. I'm actually surprised I/we have not seen that already.

Re: Surge ticket pricing…the new thing? For it, against…
 

I guess to be honest I've always felt it was odd that I would pay the same ticket price for a G rated and 85 minute film as I would for a 3 hour, PG-13/R rated film.

I kinda think this could work, if the shorter films got discounts, but I don't see that happening.

Re: Surge ticket pricing…the new thing? For it, against…
 

I haven't been to the theater since pre-pandemic, but I always go matinee. In my area, matinee is around $7, so a small surge price won't affect me that much.

Re: Surge ticket pricing…the new thing? For it, against…
 

Meh. It's here to stay. The cool Social Experiment part will be watching people bitch and moan...then watching people go back to sleep as they accept it. :lol:

Re: Surge ticket pricing…the new thing? For it, against…
 

That's almost guaranteed to happen... just watch.

It's happening with the streaming platforms as well, but that I can somewhat tolerate to a point. Eventually, I'll start dropping them as well.

It's not just theaters, you have other industries reducing staff, hours just to get by. Hell, Best Buy closes at 7pm now and when the hell is 24 Hour Fitness going to be 24 hours again. :lol:

Re: Surge ticket pricing…the new thing? For it, against…
 

Disagree. I saw it last night and it's 100% theater worthy. The audio was amazing that had your seat shaking was awesome. It looked and sounded amazing.

Just use your A-List for this month. You see this and you're already ahead. But, I know you're not really a hardcore movie-goer like some here, so I get that you might not have the time to dedicate 3+ hours.