AMC Theatres to Offer ‘50% Off Wednesdays’ to Loyalty Members Starting in July

Have you held off on going to movie theaters because tickets are too pricey? AMC Theatres hopes they can bring you back with its new “50% Off Wednesdays” program for members of its AMC Stubs loyalty program, which will launch on July 9.

AMC already offers heavily discounted tickets on Tuesdays to Stubs members and will now add a 50% discount to the base price of adult tickets. Additional charges for Imax, Dolby and other premium formats will still apply, but the 50% discount will still apply to the base price as well for Wednesday screenings.

“While certain movies and holiday time periods may be excluded from the
‘50% Off Wednesdays’ program, it is envisioned that if successful, this new AMC pricing initiative will be almost universally available at all AMC Theatres in the United States going forward,” the company said in its announcement.

CEO Adam Aron said that AMC feels confident that it can now offer two days of discounted tickets following the strong box office performance of the past month, driven by a trio of hit films in “A Minecraft Movie,” “Sinners” and “Thunderbolts*.” With major films coming out almost every weekend this summer, Aron believes there will be enough sustained audience turnout to allow them to increase its midweek discount offerings.

“The introduction of Discount Tuesdays several years ago has turned Tuesday into
one of the best attended days of the week, in part because there is a segment of the moviegoing audience who looks first for a great value in their moviegoing,” he said. “With the introduction by AMC of 50% off Wednesdays, we’re looking to turn Wednesday into a similarly strong-attendance day for moviegoers at our theatres.”

The addition of Discount Wednesdays to the nation’s largest theater chain is the latest example of movie theaters pushing to answer the biggest complaints leveled by the public at their business in an effort to bring them back not just for the biggest blockbusters but for lower-budget films that have largely struggled at the box office since the pandemic, which led to major changes in the public’s viewing habits when it comes to home platforms vs. theaters.

While AMC and other chains have committed more than $2 billion to renovating theaters across the nation, ticket pricing has been an issue that has largely been discussed behind closed doors. Aron has repeatedly said on earnings calls that he would not answer questions about ticket prices as he did not want other chains to be aware of AMC’s plans regarding prices until they were ready to implement them.

But at CinemaCon this past year, Paramount domestic distribution chief Chris Aronson called on all theater chains to offer more midweek discount days to help improve attendance and to encourage infrequent moviegoers to take a chance on films they might otherwise wait until streaming for because of the price point.

“We have to offer a premium moviegoing experience, not just charge premium prices,” he said. “Discount Tuesdays. Everybody does them. But why not Discount Wednesdays? Unless you’re already at full capacity.”

While AMC has not disclosed whether special rules will apply for in-demand new releases, the Wednesday discounts will be introduced ahead of several major summer titles, including Warner Bros.’ “Superman,” Disney/Marvel Studios’ “The Fantastic 4: First Steps,” and Universal/DreamWorks’ “The Bad Guys 2.”

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