AMC Takes Aim at Raising Prices with Sightline

The Best Seat in Town Will Soon Cost You More.

Photo credit: Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures

LEAWOOD, Kan. — AMC is making seating arrangements more expensive at your local movie theaters. Do you want a good seat in the auditorium? Do you want a decent view of the movie screen? Well, you're going to pay for it! Yes, AMC's new Sightline initiative has already launched in select markets, and it's expected to make its debut at all AMC locations by the end of the year.

“Sightline at AMC more closely aligns AMC’s seat pricing approach to that of many other entertainment venues, offering experienced-based pricing and another way for moviegoers to find value at the movies,” AMC's Executive Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer, Eliot Hamlisch, told Deadline.

“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," Hamlisch continued. "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.”

AMC Stubs A-List members are immune to the Sightline fees, so this could be another way for Hamlisch to try and sway moviegoers to join the A-List. And, in AMC's defense, it is one of the best programs to be a part of. The plan starts at $19.95 a month, and that gives you access to three movies a week — any formats, including IMAX and IMAX 3D. *Pricing varies by location.

The new Sightline program will affect all films that screen after 4 p.m. Even though a specific price bracket hasn't been released, customers will be able to choose from three different viewing options: Value Sightline (the cheapest), Standard Sightline and Preferred Sightline (most costly).

Deadline also reports that Discount Tuesdays will not be affected by the new Sightline program. Currently, AMC's stock price sits at $6.80 a share, and the company's next quarterly report will be released at the end of February or early March. Will Sightline help the theater chain, or could this be an eerie omen for AMC's future earnings?