NEW YORK — AMC Theatres, the world’s largest movie theater chain, on Wednesday unveiled a $20-a-month subscription service to rival the flagging MoviePass.
The theater chain announced a new service to its loyalty program, AMC Stubs, allowing subscribers to see up to three movies a week for a monthly fee of $19.95. That’s more expensive than the $9.95 monthly fee for MoviePass, but AMC’s plan gives access to premium format screenings like IMAX and 3-D.
The new subscription service is the latest salvo in a heated battle for what the movie business most craves: frequent moviegoers. AMC has been a vocal opponent of MoviePass’ model, calling its price level “shaky and unsustainable.”
But subscription services are especially popular among millennials, who have proven difficult for theaters to attract. AMC’s leap into the subscription business suggests such services are only growing more vital to the movies business.
