Cinemas are changing movie ticket prices based on seat location

AMC cinemas has put a new pricing system in place, in which movie goers will be charged a different price depending on where they sit.

The ticket pricing initiative, Sightline, is being rolled out in certain locations before hitting the whole of the US by the end of 2023.

This new approach would see cinemas priced more like a music concert, sporting event or theatre play, in which admission prices varies depending on where the buyer wants to sit.

AMC

Seats nearest to the cinema screen would be the cheapest, whilst viewers wanting a middle seat would have to fork out more cash for the experience.

AMC will have three different pricing options.

First, there is Standard Sightline, which will cost the same as a standard cinema ticket.

Then there's Value Sightline, giving customers the front row seats for a lower price, alongside any seats that have been set aside for disabled customers covered under the American with Disabilities Act.

And finally, AMC offers Preferred Sightline, which offers the coveted middle seat for the highest price.

Speaking of the Sightline system, Eliot Hamlisch, the executive VP at AMC, said: "Sightline at AMC more closely aligns AMC’s seat pricing approach to that of many other entertainment venues, offering experienced-based pricing and another way for moviegoers to find value at the movies.

"While every seat at AMC delivers an amazing movie going experience, we know there are some moviegoers who prioritize their specific seat and others who prioritize value movie going.

"Sightline at AMC accommodates both sentiments to help ensure that our guests have more control over their experience, so that every trip to an AMC is a great one."

Richard Levine / Alamy Stock Photo

The plan will be rolled out in New York, Chicago and Kansas City, before expanding to all US locations by the end of 2023.

It is expected that cinemas with the Sightline system will provide a detailed seat map that explains the seating process to customers as they purchase a ticket.

Sightline will be applied to all participating locations after 4pm, but won't be in effect on 'Discount Tuesdays' when ticket prices are cut to $5.

AMC's announcement drew a critical response online.

One Twitter user wrote: "In other words the seats in the front row no one wants or ever buys might be a little cheaper but everything else will go up in price. No thanks, I will just wait for the home release."

Another commented: "I love going to the movie theater and I’d absolutely hate for them to die off, but at this point, these companies aren’t doing themselves any favours."