Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE: AMC Theatres launches an iTunes-style streaming service for movies

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Posted by Harold Hallikainen (Member # 5405) on 10-16-2019, 01:27 AM:

https://www.fastcompany.com/90417508/amc-theatres-launches-an-itunes-style-streaming-service-for-movies

10.15.19
AMC Theatres launches an iTunes-style streaming service for movies
AMC Theatres launches an iTunes-style streaming service for movies
[Photo: Flickr user Paul Sableman]
BY JARED NEWMAN
1 MINUTE READ
AMC Theatres is okay with you not going to the movies—provided you rent from its own streaming service instead. The new AMC Theatres On Demand service is yet another store for renting and buying movies on streaming devices, with a similar catalog to existing stores such as iTunes, Amazon Video, and Walmart’s Vudu.

Yes, that means you’ll still have to wait for movies to leave theaters before you can watch them at home.

[Image: courtesy of AMC Theatres]
The difference-maker, according to the theater chain, is its AMC Stubs loyalty program, which has 20 million members. The company told the New York Times that it will email those members to promote new streaming releases, and those who rent from AMC Theaters Video On Demand will get reward points that they can use toward theater snacks or membership upgrades.
Overall, the strategy sounds similar to that of Redbox, which has tried to offset the DVD’s decline by streaming movies on demand and tying them to its existing loyalty program. But AMC may also run into the same problem: Streaming devices such as Amazon Fire TV and Apple TV already have their own rental stores built in. Convincing users to download another app for essentially the same content—let alone rent them in the first place in the age of subscription services such as Netflix—could be an uphill battle.

Posted by Jesse Skeen (Member # 586) on 10-16-2019, 05:03 PM:

This showed up on my TV yesterday- made an account but don't really see any reason to use it over Vudu or FandangoNow. New release rentals are still $5.99 which is usually too much, and it doesn't look like it supports 4k resolution or Atmos. Watching trailers through it, a time bar and movie cover art stayed onscreen the first 5 seconds with no way to turn them off earlier (on Vudu you can hit the Back button to make it go away) if it does that during movies then I'll definitely never use it.

Posted by Bobby Henderson (Member # 840) on 10-16-2019, 07:45 PM:

Ugh, as if we needed yet another streaming service! It looks like there could be a lot of upheaval in that market over the next year with the pending arrival of Disney+, Apple's new streaming service, HBO Max and others. The situation will go well beyond a market saturation point. What is AMC going to be offering in the movie rentals at home streaming market that isn't already duplicated by half a dozen or more other providers?

Y'know what could make AMC's new home movie rental/streaming service intersting? Tie it into the Stubs A-List program somehow.

Depending on where you live, Stubs A-List costs around $20-$30 per month, which gets you 3 first run movie tickets per week (premium houses like IMAX and Dolby Cinema included). What if they combined the service with a certain number of free new movie rentals to stream at home? I still make an effort to see movies at commercial theaters, but even with a Stubs A-List membership I'd have a hard time seeing 3 movies at the theater each week. Having an option for so and such many free movie rentals at home could be a useful alternative (especially during certain off peak times of the year, like early January, when studios are clearing their shit-quality titles off the shelves).

AMC is already hinting at rewards points for home rentals to be redeemed at theaters. An angle with A-List could make the proposition more simple and straight-forward for frequent movie-goers to understand.

Posted by Jarod Reddig (Member # 6363) on 10-17-2019, 05:02 PM:

Said they have about 2,000 movies. I have more DVD and Blurays then that.

Posted by Mike Spaeth (Member # 524) on 10-17-2019, 07:51 PM:

If it works, then this is brilliant. If you have a significant position in exhibition AND streaming, then you control the window, since you control both ends of the revenue stream.