AMC Theatres offers its own subscription service to rival MoviePass

Andrew Sharp
The News Journal
AMC Theatres, the world's largest movie theater chain, has unveiled a $20-a-month subscription service to rival the flagging MoviePass.

AMC Theatres has announced it's about to launch its own movie subscription service, in what's widely seen as an attempt to compete with the MoviePass service

The AMC Theatres Stubs A-List subscription will cost $19.95 a month, plus tax, and allow people to watch three movies a week (only at AMC Theatres). At the maximum of 12 movies a month, that comes out to less than $2 a movie. 

MoviePass, by comparison, costs only $9.95 a month, and lets you see a movie every day at most theaters. 

The AMC plan does give participants quite a bit of freedom, good news for those who like to splurge. There are no blackout dates, and you can also watch all three of the week's movies in one day if you want, in IMAX, 3-D and more. In what looks like a shot at MoviePass, AMC also emphasizes that you can watch the same movie repeatedly if you want to. You can't use MoviePass to watch the same movie twice. 

"(MoviePass) has bumped heads with traditional theaters, including AMC, which at one point even pulled its program from certain locations," CNN noted. 

There are also changes coming to MoviePass' pricing. CEO Mitch Lowe told Business Insider it would implement "high demand" pricing, which will be an added charge, starting at $2, "for titles the app deems very popular with MoviePass subscribers." Those who sign up for the annual plan would be exempt, Business Insider reported. 

MoviePass took a shot at AMC on its Twitter page, noting the price difference between the two services and AMC's exclusivity. 

MoviePass can be used at more than 90 percent of theaters in the U.S., according to marketwatch.com. 

AMC says its subscription can be used at any AMC, AMC Dine-In, or AMC Classic location, nationwide. There's a three-month minimum commitment. 

The new service starts Tuesday, June 26, but you can sign up online ahead of time to get a reminder when it's available. 

There's one AMC theater in Delaware, the AMC Classic Dover 14 at the Dover Mall. The closest one to Wilmington is the AMC Dine-In Painters Crossing 9 at 112 Wilmington Pike in West Chester, a few miles north of the Delaware border. 

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