AMC Theatre is shown in Clinton Township, Mich in May 2020. Paul Sancya/Associated Press file
AMC Entertainment Holdings will increase the price of theater tickets for the seats filmgoers covet most: The middle of the middle row.
The world’s largest theater chain is experimenting with a tiered-pricing structure based on seat location called Sightline. The price of standard seats won’t change, while “value” seats – such as in the front row – will cost less than standard tickets. Preferred seats, including those in the middle rows, will cost more.
The initiative, which will only apply to movie screenings after 4 p.m., will be expanded to all AMC locations by the end of 2023, the company said in a statement Monday. Members of the company’s A-list loyalty program will have the premium fees waived.
With box-office sales still about a third below pre-pandemic levels, AMC chief executive Adam Aron has shown a willingness to break from industry conventions. Movie theater owners have long sold all their tickets for the same price, with some discounts for early shows and a customer’s age.
Last week AMC sold tickets to screenings of 80 for Brady, a comedy from Paramount Pictures about four senior women attending the Super Bowl, for about half as much as other films playing in the same theaters at the same time.
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