Is MoviePass Toast? After Multiple Service Disruptions–and Bailout Loans–Here’s What They Say

July 31, 2018
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You guys got MoviePass? I just jumped on the MoviePass bandwagon about 2 months ago, and it looks like my time with them might be short-lived…. actually, it looks like everyone’s time will be short-lived. In recent days, MoviePass users have experienced serious disruption to the service. Most notably, they couldn’t (and still can’t) get tickets to Mission: Impossible – Fallout. It was widely reported that they ran out of money and had to secure emergency loans to keep going. In other words, they didn’t have enough cash on hand to buy all the tickets that customers wanted. It’s a business model that many have doubted for some time. I’ve used my MoviePass a couple times, and I really have enjoyed the convenience…. but I’m not gonna lie — here in L.A. where most movies cost between $12 and $15 normally, I had to keep asking myself, “How the heck does MoviePass stay in business, much less make any money?”

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Well, most folks think that the writing is on the wall — especially since AMC theaters has just introduced a rival pass of its own that gives users three films per week, if they choose. And no restrictions. Niiiiiiice. All this while MoviePass raises its monthly fee to $15, and eliminates the ability to buy tickets for popular first-run movies.

Here’s the note that MoviePass just sent out to all its users:

Dear MoviePass Members,

First and foremost, I want to personally apologize to each of you for the inconsistencies and unreliability of our service over the past few days. Additionally, I regret our lack of proactive communication with you during this time; we are working hard to improve the communications to our community moving forward.

Over the last several days, we’ve begun making changes to our service that will help us continue to offer our members a high-value, low-cost, in-theater movie experience.

We believe that the company we have built — the fastest growing subscription company in history with more than 3 million members — has revolutionized the movie industry in the U.S. The first half of 2018 saw the total box office grow by almost 10 percent compared to last year, and we know MoviePass is responsible for a significant portion of that unprecedented growth.

In order to continue growing our service and maintaining a high level of financial discipline, we need to make some modifications:

  • We must reduce availability for big new-release titles, such as Mission: Impossible – Fallout and other popular new releases, at least for a while as we adjust the business model. We are working on making this more clear in the app so you know which titles are available.
  • Showtimes that are offered through our service will vary from day to day, and every showtime may not be available. We encourage you to check the MoviePass app for showtimes before you leave for the theater.
  • While our customer service team has made great strides of late, we still have a long way to go to provide the most responsive customer service experience for you. In the meantime, access to immediate support may become limited. However, we are working to prioritize the requests of members who are at the theater and introduce more self-help tools, as well as focus our resources on fixing glitches and bugs in the app.

Finally, we want to be as transparent as we can with these changes and any future changes. We are committed to giving you the best experience. We count on your support and loyalty while we implement these necessary steps for the company you’ve grown to love.

Thank you for your understanding and patience, and we’ll be in touch with more updates as we have them.

Mitch Lowe, CEO of MoviePass

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