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The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

AMC will charge more for the best seats in its movie theaters

AMC, the world’s largest theater chain, is experimenting with a tiered-pricing structure based on seat location called Sightline.  (Amir Hamja/Bloomberg)
By Thomas Buckley Bloomberg

AMC Entertainment Holdings will increase the price of theater tickets for the seats filmgoers covet most: the middle of the middle row.

The world’s largest theater chain is experimenting with a tiered-pricing structure based on seat location called Sightline. The price of standard seats won’t change, while “value” seats – such as in the front row – will cost less than standard tickets. Preferred seats, including those in the middle rows, will cost more.

The initiative, which will only apply to movie screenings after 4 p.m., will be expanded to all AMC locations by the end of 2023, the company said in a statement Monday. Members of the company’s A-list loyalty program will have the premium fees waived.

With box-office sales still about a third below pre-pandemic levels, AMC chief executive Adam Aron has shown a willingness to break from industry conventions. Movie theater owners have long sold all their tickets for the same price, with some discounts for early shows and a customers’ age.

Last week AMC sold tickets to screenings of “80 for Brady,” a comedy from Paramount Pictures about four senior women attending the Super Bowl, for about half as much as other films playing in the same theaters at the same time.