AMC Theatres Ends Seat-Based Pricing After Pilot Program

AMC Theatres will wind down its seat-based pricing initiative after testing it in three markets.

The Sightline at AMC initiative, which charged higher or lower prices based on the location of the seat within the movie theater, will come to an end within weeks and will not be rolled out to other locations, the movie exhibition company said in a Thursday (July 20) press release.

During the pilot program, the firm learned that three out of four guests who previously sat in the best seats continued to do so when the price was raised; nine out of 10 such guests continued to visit the theater, sitting in the same section or another one; and there was little or no increase in the number of guests sitting in front-row seats, even after the price for those seats was lowered, according to the press release.

In addition, the company’s competitors did not follow AMC into charging less for front-row seats or more for the best seats, the release said. So, the company will end the program “t

o ensure AMC’s ticket prices remain competitive.”

AMC is now focusing on a new way to draw customers to front-row seats: enhanced seating with extensive seat recline, according to the press release.

“Beginning in late 2023, AMC will begin testing its newest seating concept,” the company said in the release. “Large, comfortable lounge style seating areas will allow guests to lay all the way back and relax. The angle of the seats will also make it more enjoyable to watch movies from these front row seats closest to the screen.”

AMC announced the launch of the Sightline at AMC plan in February, saying the pricing structure had been implemented in select markets and would expand to other locations by the end of the year.

The plan priced tickets based on the quality of the seats, with three tiers of pricing determined by the moviegoer’s line of sight to the movie screen.

“Sightline at AMC more closely aligns AMC’s seat pricing approach to that of many other entertainment venues, offering experience-based pricing and another way for moviegoers to find value at the movies,” AMC Theatres Executive Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer Eliot Hamlisch said at the time.