AMC is riding pretty high right now with its biggest competitor, Regal, in the midst of bankruptcy and a rapid closing of theaters across the US. As such, AMC is, of course, looking for ways to make even more money, and it appears it’s landed on the next thing: charging you higher prices for better seats. The company announced Sightline at AMC, a new ticketing strategy that will see moviegoers paying more for prime seats and less for those seats that make you leave the theater with a crick in your neck.
The move puts AMC theaters in line with other non-movie venues, where you pay a premium to sit closer to the stage for shows like concerts, theater, and sporting events. It will kick off this Friday in select theaters in New York, Chicago, and (randomly) Kansas City but will eventually movie to all AMC locations by the end of the year. It works exactly how you think it would. “Standard Sightline” seats will see no change in pricing and include the most common seats in the auditorium, which means anything that’s not in the front or dead-center rows. Then you’ll have “Preferred Sightline” seating, which will cost more and are those prime seats in the middle of the auditorium. Finally, you’ve got “Value Sightline,” which will cost less than a normal ticket and consist of front-row seats and specific ADA seating.
There are also some caveats to the pricing. Only AMC Stubs members can get the Value Sightline pricing, meaning if you aren’t signed up for their free membership, you’d pay the regular price for those seats. Paying members of the AMC Stubs A-List membership will get the benefit of being able to book Preferred Sightline seats without the upcharge, allowing you the immense privilege of paying extra to not pay extra.
It’s nice that some tickets are now cheaper, of course, but the only real way to read this is cynical. AMC sees a way to make more money off of ticket sales for seats that it knows people prefer to sit in. While those of us who don’t have problems sitting far too close to a movie screen may benefit from this change, most people are just going to book side seats in the middle rows and avoid the center altogether. Even more fun will be when you’re forced to pay more because the normally priced seats are all sold out.
