If you were planning to hit up an AMC Theater to see The Batman this weekend, expect to pay a little more. 

Apparently, AMC will begin testing a “variable pricing” model with the release of the DC blockbuster. The model allows the theater to charge more for tickets to high-demand films. Currently, a ticket to see The Batman at an AMC theater in Los Angeles costs $1.50 more than another film at the same time.

AMC Theaters CEO Adam Aron said during a Tuesday earnings call tickets for The Batman would be “slightly higher than the prices… for other movies playing in the same theaters at the same time.” He also added that while this variable pricing model is new to US consumers, a similar structure has been in place for years elsewhere.

“This is all quite novel in the United States, but actually, AMC has been doing it for years in our European theaters,” Aron added. “Indeed, in Europe, we charge a premium for the best seats in the house, as do just about all other sellers of tickets in other industries — think sports events, concerts, and live theater, for example.”

Some price variation is already built into the theater model most Americans are familiar with; bigger, more popular venues tend to have higher ticket prices, and a mid-day ticket often costs less than one for a primetime night screening. 

The Batman Catwoman

Variable pricing based on individual films has been considered for several years now. As theater chains struggle to recover losses from pandemic shut-downs and reduced traffic, will this model prove the new standard moving forwards? Or will increased costs continue to dissuade viewers from heading to theaters? Will people be willing to spend more on a movie ticket just because the theater expects the movie will be popular? It seems AMC is willing to gamble the answer is “yes.”

So, what do you think – are you willing to pay an extra $1.50 to see The Batman? What do you think of the variable pricing model launched by AMC? Let us know in the comments below.

Source: Entertainment Weekly

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