Next time you head down to your local AMC Theatre, you might find yourself paying slightly more than you first anticipated. The biggest cinema chain in the United States has today announced a new ticket pricing initiative called Sightline at AMC, where guests will pay differing prices based on the seat location within the auditorium. Customers will be given the option to pay more or less depending on the location of their seat within the screening room itself. Theoretically, this means a front row seat will cost less than seats midway up, where a better view may be available.
This new initiative will begin on Friday, February 10 at select AMC locations in New York City, Chicago and Kansas City, before expanding to all domestic AMC locations by the end of 2023. AMC will offer three different seat price options for guests. The first is Standard Sightline, described as the “seats that are the most common in auditoriums and are available for the traditional cost of a ticket.” Then there’s Value Sightline, referred to as “seats in the front row of the auditorium, as well as select ADA seats in each auditorium, and are available at a lower price than standard sightline seats.” It should be noted that Value Sightline will only be made available to AMC Stubs members, including those in the free tier membership.
The third option is Preferred Sightline, which are the “seats in the middle of the auditorium and are priced at a premium to standard sightline seats.” AMC Stubs A-List members will be able to reserve seats in the Preferred Sightline Section at no additional cost.
Cinemas that will offer Sightline at AMC are expected to offer moviegoers a detailed seat map that will outline each seating option during the process of purchasing tickets online, via the AMC app, or in person at the box office. Sightline at AMC is applied to all showtimes that begin after 4 p.m. at participating locations. It will not be applicable on Discount Tuesdays, when all movie tickets are discounted to $5.
“Sightline at AMC more closely aligns AMC’s seat pricing approach to that of many other entertainment venues, offering experienced-based pricing and another way for moviegoers to find value at the movies,” said Eliot Hamlisch, executive VP and CMO at AMC Theatres. “While every seat at AMC delivers an amazing moviegoing experience, we know there are some moviegoers who prioritize their specific seat and others who prioritize value moviegoing. Sightline at AMC accommodates both sentiments to help ensure that our guests have more control over their experience, so that every trip to an AMC is a great one.”