Player two has entered the market.
The Wall Street Journal released an announcement this week that a movie ticket app called Atom Tickets is poised to shake up sales.
Previously, this market has been dominated by Fandango — a site and app which allows movie goers to purchase tickets online.
Although more competition is usually good for the consumer, this app is likely to benefit studios more than movie goers.
If successful, Atom Tickets will reward studios for producing bad movies, and will ultimately be a detriment for anyone who appreciates the art of filmmaking.
This app is backed by heavy hitters Disney, Lionsgate and Twenty-First Century Fox, and allows streamlining group movie outings. Atom Tickets enables customers to purchase tickets in groups.
Like your own personal assistant, the app allows friends to note which movies they’re interested in and what times they’re available to see the movie.
The app is also being touted as a way for the studios to improve slumping ticket sales.
One of the more controversial aspects of the app is that it allows customers to purchase discount tickets for films which are performing poorly or at non-peak times, according to a Hollywood Reporter article .
This type of flexible pricing has been tricky in the past due to the minimum prices studios set for any of their films.
This pricing structure benefits students who have a more flexible schedule.
However, by giving incentive for consumers to go to movies that perform poorly, movie goers are not motivating studios to continuously release innovative, interesting films.
It could result in a depletion of economic consequences for studios that release poor products.
Movies such as “Dirty Grandpa,” “The Last Airbender” and “Disaster Movie” flopped for clear reasons.
The plot was predictable, the actors were unoriginal and people spent more time looking at their watches than the screen.
Reducing ticket prices to movies such as these will only benefit the studios looking to make a bit more revenue from unsuspecting consumers.
The app could still be successful without adjusting ticket prices.
Organizing a large group is always difficult, and people will still use the app to help streamline that process.
Atom Tickets will also still benefit from multiple revenue streams even if it didn’t offer variable ticket prices.
The Wall Street Journal reported the app makes money from ads, ticket sales and takes a cut of popcorn and soda pre-orders.
By blocking the variable pricing, studios will continue to be challenged to make compelling films which will fill theaters on their own volition.
wkiepura@indiana.edu
@wkiepura
