AMC Theatres has announced it will begin offering half-price tickets on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, Variety is reporting. The world’s largest movie exhibitor is incorporating the cheaper prices today, July 8. The company plans to continue the promotion throughout the summer.
AMC just added Tuesdays to the offer, after it previously announced that it would launch the deal on Wednesdays. The movie theaters chose the mid-week days for the promotion because they’re often the least profitable days.
The new discounted deal will only be available for subscribers of the AMC Stubs rewards program. The theater chain’s latest promotion is replacing its prior discount Tuesday deal that offered $5 tickets for Stubs members. The discounted ticket prices will be accompanied by a new concession deal for the company’s small popcorn and drink combo.
The ticketing discount does not include online ticketing fees and extra charges for premium large formats, including IMAX and 3D. Certain films and holidays may also be excluded from the promotion, the company announced.
AMC’s latest ticket price change comes after many theater chains began offering a deep discount on Tuesdays in the mid-2000s. As a result, Tuesday has become a popular day for audiences to watch movies in theaters.
AMC’s new ticket deal is aimed to keep auditoriums full all week, rather than just on the weekends. Movie audiences have expressed recently that they’re cost-conscious on ticket prices.
Box office revenue remains down 25% from 2019, the last year before the start of COVID-19. Besides ticket pricing, many audiences have also been hesitant to return to theaters in recent years, due to health concerns in the wake of the pandemic.
The dual Hollywood labor strikes have also caused a decrease in the number of films released in theaters in recent years. There has been a rise in popularity of watching movies on streaming services, as well.
As a way to increase revenue without raising ticket prices, AMC’s CEO Adam Aron recently announced the chain would show more advertisements before films begin. The ads will accompany traditional trailers.
To help maintain its business structure, AMC has also invested in a Nevada-based gold and silver mining company. The company has also began selling popcorn in shopping malls and launched its own branded credit card.
Aron described the new discount plan as part of the theater chain’s continued effort to offer a better value for budget-conscious moviegoers. “Following the overwhelmingly positive guest response to our announcement of 50% Off Wednesday ticket pricing, two things became clear,” he said.
“First, our Discount Tuesday program will benefit from clear, concise messaging that resonates with value-seeking moviegoers. So, we are changing our Tuesday prices and our Tuesday consumer communications such that Tuesdays and Wednesdays will both feature the same 50% off pricing offer,” Aron continued.
“And second — those moviegoers are also seeking value on concessions. While moviegoers are not required to purchase any food or drink to take advantage of the ticket price discounts, there is an opportunity to add incremental snack purchase revenues for AMC on Tuesdays and Wednesdays,” the theater chain’s CEO added.
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