I guess it really was too good to be true.
Millions of MoviePass subscribers were at the theater on Friday, getting ready to see Avengers: Infinity War for the second time, when they got the unfortunate message that we’ve all been dreading: “THE SERVICE PROHIBITS REPEAT VIEWINGS OF THE SAME MOVIE.”
That’s not the worst of it either.
Along with taking away the ability to see the same movie in the theater more than once, MoviePass is also slowly chipping away everything that made it so good.
MoviePass is no longer allowing any of their new customers to see one movie per day. Instead, they’re only allowed to purchase four tickets every month.
Oh but don’t worry, MoviePass CEO Mitch Lowe is including a three-month trial of iHeart Radio’s All Access subscription instead. So, instead of going to see Avengers: Infinity War, you can listen to music instead. Because that somehow makes sense.
Yes, that feature is only for new subscribers, but now everyone who has a MoviePass is worried about what features are going to be taken away next. Not that it should be all that much of a surprise — the company has been losing money after all. A $9.95 business model doesn’t seem like the most sustainable thing, even though Lowe has always been optimistic about the company eventually turning a profit.
Now, Lowe is saying that he doesn’t know if the unlimited MoviePass plan will ever return. In response to taking away the ability to see the same movie more than once, his response, via The Verge, was “We hope this will encourage you to see new movies and enjoy something different!”
You’ve got to be kidding me.
That’s not what actually makes me mad though. As a MoviePass subscriber for two years, we weren’t given the ability for repeat viewings until the last six months. What makes me mad is how they just dropped this out of the blue.
There was no warning indication that the changes were coming. I got a notification from MoviePass on Friday morning telling me to update the app so that I would get a new video service, only then to find out the real reason was the prevent me from seeing repeat viewings. I get that the company has to make changes and all that. Maybe just show your subscribers some respect and be upfront about them while doing it.
What do you think about the news? Is MoviePass still worth it? Or do you think they’re headed for bankruptcy? Let us know in the comments below!