cinema seats

On the eve of the CinemaCon convention in Las Vegas, Atom Tickets, the social movie ticketing platform backed by Lionsgate, Disney, and Fidelity Management & Research Company, has launched a theatrical subscription service for exhibitors.

Atom said on Thursday (28) that Atom Movie Access is designed for theatre operations “of all sizes” to customise their own plan. The move comes at a time when interest in the model is growing. National theatre giants AMC and Cinemark have reported encouraging progress in the early stages of their plans, and embattled MoviePass recently launched an uncapped plan as it tries to claw back consumer confidence following a tumultuous 19 months.

The new service offers a digital platform offering what Atom said was “easy booking” for its subscribers via the Atom Tickets app. Features of the plan include: reserved seating in advance of any film for subscribers and their guests; inviting friends via contacts; pre-ordering concessions for quick pick-up at enabled theatres; and quick check-in for films using a mobile device that eliminates the need for paper tickets.

On the back-end, Atom will manage payment process, customer service support, fraud detection, and anti-abuse measures for exhibitors.

“Atom Tickets is an innovative ticketing platform that enables exhibitors to reach and engage new and incremental audiences,” said Matthew Bakal, chairman and co-founder of Atom Tickets. “We’ve always believed in being a valuable partner to exhibitors, starting with the core functionality of our app, which allows for marketing promotions at specific locations, integrating exhibitor loyalty plans and giving customers the ability to pre-order concessions. Now with Atom Movie Access, we’re thrilled to provide the technology that will enhance the direct-to-consumer relationship of moviegoers with their favorite theaters.”

The Atom Tickets advisory board includes Steven Spielberg, J.J. Abrams, Tyler Perry, Dwayne Johnson and Dany Garcia