AMC Explains Movie Pricing Change

For years, students in my hospitality classes at Cornell have presented arguments for movie theaters to use demand pricing, which stadiums and arenas have done for years. Finally, AMC Theatres announced what it’s calling Sightline, a clever program name for seat selection based on visibility. The announcement is a good example of trying to explain information in an understandable way.

The statement is written as a press release and is hard-to-read, with white text on a black background and a long headline: “AMC Theatres® Presents Sightline at AMC, the Next Evolution of Value Pricing at the Movies With Multiple Options to Meet the Viewing Preferences of AMC Moviegoers – Including a Lower Ticket Price for Select Seats.” The three tiers—value, standard, and preferred—are clearly explained with obvious color coding when you buy tickets online. At first, I was surprised to see so few value options (blue) for $2 off, but of course, that makes sense.

Students can analyze AMC’s decision, the website interface, and this executive quote:

“Sightline at AMC more closely aligns AMC’s seat pricing approach to that of many other entertainment venues, offering experience-based pricing and another way for moviegoers to find value at the movies,” Eliot Hamlisch, executive VP and CMO at AMC Theatres, said in a press statement. “While every seat at AMC delivers an amazing moviegoing experience, we know there are some moviegoers who prioritize their specific seat and others who prioritize value moviegoing. 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.”

One skeptic wrote, “AMC Theatres calls it ‘experience-based pricing.’ Some might call it another reason to wait for a good seat at home.”