AMC Theaters is now offering private theater rentals to moviegoers nationwide.
What We Know:
- After a pilot program that accumulated the interest of over 100,000 cinema lovers, AMC Entertainment officially launched exclusive private showings. Almost a year into COVID-19, businesses are finding creative ways to maintain the money flow. Customers can book private screens for up to 20 people on the AMC website or mobile app. Depending on the location private rentals are $99 plus tax. The cost of new movie releases like Freaky and Tenet range from $149 to $349 plus tax.
- In a statement, AMC chief content officer said, “The results and feedback from our guests about AMC Safe & Clean have been overwhelmingly positive, and Private Theatre Rentals at AMC provides an additional layer of safety and security to those moviegoers who are looking to see movies with just their family members and friends…”
- Guests must still stay socially distanced within the theater and are required to wear a mask. In addition, theaters will be cleaned in between screenings, hand sanitizing stations are available, air filtration systems have been upgraded, and there will be nightly disinfecting.
- With the coronavirus forcing many to change their normal ways of life, usual moviegoers were forced to enjoy cinema from the safety of their homes. Movie ticket sales were the lowest they had been in over 20 years leading to the shut down of many theaters. A Security and Exchange filing in June revealed the theater chain’s revenue dropped to $941.5 million in its first quarter compared to $1.2 billion earned in the first quarter of 2019 – a 22% decrease. At the time, the filing showed AMC was effectively generating no revenue. In a most recent report the company suffered a severe 90.9% drop in revenue with sales now calculating to be $119.5 million.
- A lot of movies originally meant for the big screen were released on streaming services such as Disney+, Netflix and HBO. The pandemic completely altered the way audiences viewed and engaged with films. Studios had no choice but to delay the release of some of the most anticipated movies of 2020. Trolls World Tour, Mulan, and most recently The Witches remake are among the many that had digital premieres. Universal Studios along with other studios bypassed theatrical releases for digital release. Yet, Universal’s decision to do so with Trolls World Tour led to AMC banning their films from its theaters, according to CNN.
Due to the growth in digital release and massive loss of income, AMC Theaters has found a way to keep its head above water amidst the pandemic. The private rental screenings are available across the nation except in New York, Hawaii, and Alaska.
