Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE: Cineplex to sell combined movie ticket and digital download

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Posted by Frank Cox (Member # 6258) on 06-23-2013, 01:04 AM:

Cineplex beefs up movie tickets

quote:
Canadians who would like to own the films they've just seen at the theatre will soon have a chance to double-up at the box-office, as part of an agreement between Cineplex Inc. and several major Hollywood studios.

The country's largest theatre chain is about the launch SuperTicket, a hybrid of both a movie admission and a digital download of the same film.

Here's how it works:

When movie watchers buy their Cineplex ticket either online or at the box office, they'll also have the option to pre-order a digital copy of the same film. The online version will become available to them around the time it's headed to DVD.

The digital copies will be in UltraViolet, which allows sharing of the digital downloads on multiple devices like desktop, laptop and tablet computers or smartphones.
Movie industry first

Cineplex says it's a first for the movie industry, which has been looking for new ways to boost sales of home entertainment, as the popularity of physical media begins to fade.

"The world is changing, the technology is changing," says Cineplex president and chief executive Ellis Jacob in an interview with The Canadian Press.

"People want things instantly and they want to be able to watch them on different devices. This provides them with all of those options."

Cineplex says it will launch SuperTicket at box-offices over the next month, right in the middle of the busy summer movie season.

Film distributors Warner Bros., Sony Pictures, Universal Pictures and Paramount Pictures have already signed on. The studios are behind some of the summer's most hyped films, including Pacific Rim, The Smurfs 2 and Matt Damon sci-fi action film Elysium.

'I'm convinced that by the end of the summer we will have at least, if not all of them, 95 per cent of them.'—Cineplex president Ellis Jacob

Cineplex expects that other major studios will sign on for SuperTicket in the coming months.

"I'm convinced that by the end of the summer, we will have at least, if not all of them, 95 per cent of them," Jacob says.

SuperTicket includes both a movie ticket and a voucher for a pre-order of the digital download that can be redeemed on Cineplex's online store.

Once the voucher code is entered online, the company says it will store a record of the purchase in their database so that customers can access it at a later date.

Jacob says that if a customer purchases SuperTicket at the box-office and decides afterwards that the movie wasn't good, they can refund the digital download purchase.

Cineplex will announce the first SuperTicket movie at a later date.

The company's shares fell 15 cents to close at $33.72 on the Toronto Stock Exchange.

Posted by Terry Lynn-Stevens (Member # 7349) on 06-23-2013, 01:25 AM:

An interesting idea that could very well work for Cineplex. Cineplex Odeon is doing very well and pretty much own most of the market in Canada, they have even bought up the competition in some areas such as AMC and opened in those locations. It is now even possible to go less than five miles and you will see another Cineplex location. In North York, they recently bought up the now closed Empire Theatres Empress Walk and closed up their Sheppard Centre, they basically moved down the street.

Within one and half miles in Downtown Toronto, Cineplex owns a former Famous Player 16 plex with IMAX and a former AMC 24 with IMAX. They did not build either of these cinemas but they now operate them.

Even more disturbing is a segment of the QEW from Mississauga to Burlington, Cineplex now operates 60 screens in four location on a 15 mile strip of expressway. It is just amazing how huge they have become.

When you go inside a Cineplex, their media advertising is incredible. Digital tvs advertising everywhere, pre show advertising as well as pre trailer advertising.

And finally, their loyalty program is the fastest growing loyalty program in Canada.

If SuperTicket works, it will work because people now trust Cinepex as the only really chain in the marketplace.

Posted by Mike Blakesley (Member # 26) on 06-23-2013, 12:34 PM:

quote:
"People want things instantly and they want to be able to watch them on different devices. This provides them with all of those options."

Hm, well no it doesn't. It provides you with a way to download a movie at the time it's headed to DVD. So it's not going to provide that "instant gratification" at all.

Posted by Scott Jentsch (Member # 1681) on 06-24-2013, 02:18 PM:

I don't see these "SuperTickets" taking off in a big way. They are expensive (at least the one for World War Z here in the US was $50), and it requires the person to commit to buying the online version of the movie before they've even seen the movie for the first time.

The article does say that people can get a refund for the online copy if they don't like the movie, but that's a backwards way to handle it. I'm sure it looks good on paper, as they get the money up front, and then issue refunds for the number of people willing to go through the hassle of doing so (much like rebate offers, where only a percentage of those who buy the product actually submit the refund paperwork).

I applaud the industry for trying something new, because who knows, maybe I'm wrong and people will embrace it. However, how is someone who has only seen the trailer sure that they want to pay an extra $35-40?

An ardent fan that is willing to make a blind purchase is likely going to want something better than an UltraViolet download. Since you have to wait for the home video release anyway, why not just wait for the week of release when the Blu-ray combo pack is available for 50-60% off list price, and it includes a Blu-ray, DVD, and UV copy of the movie?

Now, if the online copy is $5, they may be onto something there, but my guess is that they're going to go for full retail value instead. I wish them good luck with that.

Posted by Terry Lynn-Stevens (Member # 7349) on 07-26-2013, 09:27 PM:

I saw what Cineplex is asking for Superticket, it will cost you $45 at the theatre I was at today for Pacific Rim.

Posted by Terry Lynn-Stevens (Member # 7349) on 10-26-2013, 01:38 PM:

I think it is safe to say that this idea was a big flop.

Posted by Patrick Patience (Member # 7721) on 11-25-2013, 03:55 AM:

It's actually being offered now with Hobbit: DoS, following what I'm sure was a fair bit of feedback following the initial launch. An extra $20 to get you a digital copy of The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey and then Desolation of Smaug when it releases already blows away the would-be price of ~$20-something for it on DVD, plus with the added bonus of enough SCENE points to get you about halfway to a free film. And with Cineplex's SCENE loyalty being as big as it is, I'd think it's a fairly enticing bonus.

Posted by Terry Lynn-Stevens (Member # 7349) on 12-07-2013, 08:46 PM:

Regal Cinemas now offers the Super Ticket in the United States.

The Ultraviolet HD Digital copy will cost you $20 on top of the ticket price.

Posted by Joe Redifer (Member # 3) on 12-07-2013, 09:22 PM:

$20 extra? I could get the Blu-ray for $20. The Blu-rays usually come with UltraViolet which I have no clue what it is other than a way to watch it on your iPhone. I don't know how it differs from any other digital download product, nor do I care. I once gave the UltraViolet (I guess) copy of Rambo 4 to a friend so he could watch the movie on his phone without buying the Blu-ray. I give away the included DVD copies for free all the time. I should sell all of my UltraViolets online for $10 each, even if the Blu-ray only cost $6.

Also, how would I know I'd want to "preorder" the movie before I've even seen it? "Yeah two tickets to Clusterfuck 2 please and gimme a pre-order on that because I can tell just by standing here in line that it's gonna rock!"

The only way this would work (for customers) is if the digital download copy works right when you purchase it. Otherwise why bother with it at the theater level?

Posted by Terry Lynn-Stevens (Member # 7349) on 12-07-2013, 09:25 PM:

Joe, you are freaking hilarious.

Sadly, the Ultraviolet codes you have are not worth more than $2-$4. I buy them all the time online from home theatre forums and I pay by paypal.

Posted by Joe Redifer (Member # 3) on 12-07-2013, 09:27 PM:

OK $6 each. You drive a hard bargain.

Posted by Terry Lynn-Stevens (Member # 7349) on 12-07-2013, 09:40 PM:

LOL, well the motive behind Cineplex and the superticket is to drive customers to Cineplex.com where they rent and sell digital movies (aka iTunes). Cineplex even advertises before the coming attractions a trailer at the theatre about Cineplex.com $2.50 digital Tuesdays.

Also, they have promotion going that if you buy a $14.99 digital movie, you get a free movie ticket to one their cinemas.

Cineplex is trying to be all things movies in Canada, they will fall flat on their ass if they take the focus off their cinemas, they already have their own movie theatres that are too close together and no competition. It really sucks going to the movies in Canada as all you really have is Cineplex and that is really it.

I am not sure what the hell Regal is thinking.