We’ve seen a lot of movement in the theatrical industry of late, with chains trying various innovations to try to reshape and boost the industry without discouraging viewers. This week we see Cineplex bring another twist to the table. Blake & Wang P.A entertainment lawyer, Brandon Blake, unpacks the news.
Online Booking Fee
In an attempt to bolster the slow post-pandemic recovery, Cineplex will now charge a $1.50 booking fee for tickets purchased online, both through their website and the mobile app. This charge will not apply to on-site purchases at ticketing kiosks, box offices, or for any consumables added to your bill. Currently, they’re presenting it as a quality-of-life upgrade aiming to invest and evolve the chain’s digital infrastructure while keeping movie going affordable.
Echoing Ticketing Industries
The idea of an online booking fee is hardly novel at this point, although it’s a first for the theatrical industry specifically. Most ticketed fare, from live theater and concerts to sporting events, already use a similar system.
For regular theatergoers using the Scene+ loyalty program, the fee drops to $1, and members of CineClub will have it waived in full. This also brings Cineplex into line with AMC’s online surcharge. AMC are also currently using surge pricing in an experiment that’s been ongoing since the release of The Batman earlier this year.
These initiatives are, of course, subtly prodding regular theatergoers towards their subscription ticket programs, a model we’re likely to see echoed through other chains soon.
The cautious dance between trying to bolster the industry’s bottom lines without scaring off the returning movie going public is an interesting one. While this new introduction has a lot of backing in the wider ticked-event world, it will be interesting indeed to see how the theater-going public respond in turn.
Film and Television 