Cinemark Pulls in 1M Subscribers for its Movie Plan

 As the theatrical industry seeks to expand its market and draw back the pandemic-squashed audiences needed for full-scale recovery, the battle lines seem to be drawn in new, innovative experiences and offerings. We’ve seen a lot of talk- and action- from Cinemark about new developments in the theater space. One seems to be paying off for them. Entertainment attorney Brandon Blake of Blake & Wang P.A expands on this for us.

                                                               Brandon Blake

Movie Club Monthly Subscription Plan

Let’s be honest- the theatrical industry is one arena that the magic words ‘subscription plan’ hasn’t been seen in. Yet Cinemark, currently the third-largest movie chain in the US, took the risk of offering a paid subscription plan of its own. Their Movie Club plan has now netted them over 1M paid subscribers, a benchmark for such plans in the industry. 

 

Sean Gamble, President and Chief Executive for the chain, was quick to position the milestone as indicative of the wider industry recovery and a newfound enthusiasm for the movie-going experience, as well as their own efforts in building positive and forward-looking momentum.

December 2017 Launch

Cinemark Movie Plan costs $10 a month, offering discounts on multiple tickets as well as lower concessions prices and some other benefits. It was first launched in December 2017, weathering the battering the pandemic brought to the table too. 

 

While there’s been a strong theatrical recovery of late, year-to-date sales for the US and Canada are still running about 40% behind their 2019 benchmarks according to Comscore figures. With a slate of strong summer tentpoles both released and still to come, however, it’s hoped those figures will be looking up by the end of the year.

 

It’s a new era for cinemas, and initiatives like this could be the make-or-break incentive for audiences to re-explore the idea of the cinema as a ‘night out’ for fun, rather than simply a venue for big blockbusters and anticipated releases. Simplifying ticket buying into another monthly subscription, rather than a random once-off, could be an interesting move if this momentum continues for them.

 

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