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That has no effect on MoviePass. As per the article, what’s “interesting” (for certain definitions of interesting) is that MoviePass pays the theatres for the f

That has no effect on MoviePass. As per the article, what’s “interesting” (for certain definitions of interesting) is that MoviePass pays the theatres for the full price of the tickets for each user.

throwaway287391 9y ago
And the theatre companies are complaining about this, which blows my mind. It’s a phenomenally good deal for them at the moment — tons of free revenue they otherwise wouldn’t see at all, courtesy of VC capital. What a bunch of whiners.
- schizoidboy 9y ago
  The article quotes AMC about why they're complaining: they worry that if MoviePass fails, people will sour even more on theaters and that could be their death knell (btw, love the use of harrumphed!): > The largest theater chain in the US instead described MoviePass as as an existential threat. “That price level is unsustainable and only sets up consumers for ultimate disappointment down the road if or when the product can no longer be fulfilled,” the company harrumphed. (emphasis added)
  - throwaway287391 9y ago
    I did read that and understand the potential downside for them in the long term. I still think publicly complaining about free money is a really bad look and just exposes them as the curmudgeonly dinosaurs they are.
    - schizoidboy 9y ago
      It's amazing how curmudgeony they've been. Their comment that MoviePass is an "existential threat" is fascinating as a window into the minds of people just trying to survive rather than thrive.
- jorams 9y ago
  > It’s a phenomenally good deal for them at the moment The problem here is in the at the moment. MoviePass trains consumers to see the experience of going to the movies as effectively worth nothing. That is very bad for theaters, because when MoviePass goes away they will be left with a product---with small margins---that consumers see as incredibly expensive.
  - RodgerTheGreat 9y ago
    And the insidious part of this is that MoviePass doesn't have to fail. If they achieve sufficient market dominance they can ruin any theater that refuses to play ball by removing their ticket "subsidies". "Heads I win, tails you lose."
- deleted 9y ago
  [deleted]

throwaway287391 9y ago

And the theatre companies are complaining about this, which blows my mind. It’s a phenomenally good deal for them at the moment — tons of free revenue they otherwise wouldn’t see at all, courtesy of VC capital. What a bunch of whiners.

schizoidboy 9y ago
The article quotes AMC about why they're complaining: they worry that if MoviePass fails, people will sour even more on theaters and that could be their death knell (btw, love the use of harrumphed!): > The largest theater chain in the US instead described MoviePass as as an existential threat. “That price level is unsustainable and only sets up consumers for ultimate disappointment down the road if or when the product can no longer be fulfilled,” the company harrumphed. (emphasis added)
- throwaway287391 9y ago
  I did read that and understand the potential downside for them in the long term. I still think publicly complaining about free money is a really bad look and just exposes them as the curmudgeonly dinosaurs they are.
  - schizoidboy 9y ago
    It's amazing how curmudgeony they've been. Their comment that MoviePass is an "existential threat" is fascinating as a window into the minds of people just trying to survive rather than thrive.
jorams 9y ago
> It’s a phenomenally good deal for them at the moment The problem here is in the at the moment. MoviePass trains consumers to see the experience of going to the movies as effectively worth nothing. That is very bad for theaters, because when MoviePass goes away they will be left with a product---with small margins---that consumers see as incredibly expensive.
- RodgerTheGreat 9y ago
  And the insidious part of this is that MoviePass doesn't have to fail. If they achieve sufficient market dominance they can ruin any theater that refuses to play ball by removing their ticket "subsidies". "Heads I win, tails you lose."
deleted 9y ago
[deleted]