AMC Theatres' Rival MoviePass Service Boasts 175K Patrons After 5 Weeks

For $20 a month, subscribers can see three movies a week.


As embattled movie ticket subscription service MoviePass struggles to stay in business, AMC Theatres' rival program revealed Tuesday that it has signed up more than 175,000 members since launching AMC Stubs A-List five weeks ago.


AMC, the country's largest circuit, says that's ahead of expectations. Stubs A-List is targeting 500,000 subcribers by the end of June 2019 and 1 million by the end of June 2020. The exhibitor says the initial response makes those targets easily achievable.


A-List allows patrons to see up to three movies a week in any format, including Imax, for $19.95 a month. While that's far more expensive than MoviePass, AMC says A-List is a sustainable business, an indirect reference to MoviePass, which reportedly has 3 million customers.


"Because AMC Stubs A-List benefits our guests, our valued industry and studio partners, and our shareholders, we expect A-List will endure over the long haul," AMC CEO-president Adam Aron said in a statement.


AMC released the subscription numbers just as MoviePass instituted a price hike in an attempt to remain afloat. The monthly cost of $9.95 will increase to $14.95. In the past, MoviePass had allowed its patrons to see one movie a day, although major releases may now be off-limits.


Below are the highlights of AMC's subscription service:


Members can see their allotment of weekly movies all in one day, if they so choose. And members can also watch the same film multiple times.


If a member doesn't see all three possible movies in one week, unused "tickets" can't be carried over from week to week.


Members can see a film in any format, including Imax. Generally speaking, the upcharge for an Imax ticket is $4 to $5. And in cities like L.A. or NYC, an Imax ticket can cost upward of $21.