Movie Theater - Pricing and Admission

Pricing and Admission

In order to obtain admission to a movie theater, the prospective theater-goer must usually purchase a ticket, which may be for an arbitrary seat ("open" or "free" seating, first-come, first-served) or for a specific one (allocated seating). Movie theaters in North America generally have open seating. Cinemas in Europe can have free seating or numbered seating. Some theatres in Mexico offer numbered seating, in particular, Cinepolis VIP. In the case of numbered seating systems the attendee can often pick seats from a screen; sometimes the attendee cannot see the screen and has to make a choice based on still available seats. In the case of free seats, already seated customers may be forced by staff to move one or more places for the benefit of an arriving couple or group wanting to sit together.

In 2010, the average price for a movie ticket in the United States was $7.89.

The price of a ticket may be discounted during off-peak times e.g. for matinées, and higher at busy times, typically evenings and/or weekends. In Australia, Canada and New Zealand, when this practice is used, it is traditional to offer the lower prices for Tuesday for all showings, one of the slowest days of the week in the movie theatre business, which has led to the nickname "cheap Tuesday." Sometimes tickets are cheaper on Monday, or on Sunday morning. Almost all movie theaters employ economic price discrimination: tickets for youth, students, and seniors are typically cheaper. Large theater chains, such as AMC Theaters, also own smaller theaters that show "second runs" of popular films, at reduced ticket prices. Movie theaters in India and other developing countries employ price discrimination in seating arrangement: seats closer to the screen cost less, while the ones farthest from the screen cost more.

In the United States, many movie theater chains sell discounted passes, which can be exchanged for tickets to regular showings. These passes are traditionally sold in bulk to institutional customers and also to the general public at Bulktix.com. Some passes provide substantial discounts from the price of regular admission, especially if they carry restrictions. Common restrictions include a waiting period after a movie's release before the pass can be exchanged for a ticket or specific theaters where a pass is ineligible for admission.

Some movie theaters and chains sell monthly passes for unlimited entrance to regular showings. Even if the price is quoted per month the minimum duration may be several months, and when subscribing again after termination a one-time extra fee may be charged. Some examples:

• UGC Illimité passes for all UGC/MK2 movie theaters in France and Belgium (620 screens), for 19.80 euro/month or 35 euro/month for two people, and an entrance fee of 30 euro. (since 2000)
• Carte Le Pass for the chain of movie theatres of Pathé/Gaumont in 40 French cities (with a total of 800 screens), for 20.50 euro/month.
• UGC Unlimited passes for the four UGC movie theaters in Belgium (56 screens), for 16,90 euro/month.
• Pathé Unlimited Card (PUC) for the chain of 16 multi- and megaplex theatres of Pathé in the Netherlands (129 screens), for €19/month.
• Pathé Unlimited Gold for the same movie theaters, but including 3D and IMAX, for €26/month.
• Cineville Pass for 13 Amsterdam movie theaters (almost all movie theaters in Amsterdam except the four of Pathé and the adult movie theaters) for € 17.50 per month.
• Groninger Filmkaart for €20/month for the two movie theaters MustSee Euroborg (10 screens) and Images (3 screens) in Groningen.
• Must See All Card for €18/month for movie theater MustSee Euroborg only.
• Unlimited Card for the chain of movie theaters of Cineworld (formerly UGC) in the UK and Ireland, for £14.99/month, or £17.99 including those in London's West End (plus £1.50 per 3D film viewed) – tickets can only be purchased on the day of the showing.
• SF Movie Passport pass for all the movies shown in SF Group theaters in Thailand, valid for a month for one person and one showing per movie, at the price of 800 baht or eqv USD 20.
• Membresía Club Cinépolis $125 Pesos(10USD)/month for the regular membership grants access to all the facilities across México for unlimited viewing. 1 Year of forced membership is required. There are also VIP and double memberships.
• Hotlips adult movie theater The Hague, for 55 euro/month.

Note that in Thailand there is the restriction of one viewing per movie, while in the Netherlands one can see any movie as many times as one wants as is the case with the Cineworld UK pass.

The increasing number of 3D films, for which a fee is required, somewhat undermines the concept of unlimited entrance to regular showings, in particular if no 2D version is screened, except in the cases where 3D is included. Also, in one Pathé theater in the Netherlands on one day of the week buying a drink and a snack is compulsory.

Some adult theaters sell a day pass, either as standard ticket, or as an option that costs a little more than a single admission.

Also for some film festivals a pass is sold for unlimited entrance.