MoviePass Sets September Relaunch, But How It Works Is Confusing
After failing spectacularly by even the most conservative measures, beleaguered subscription-based movie ticketing service MoviePass is coming back. The newly announced launch date is September 5.
According to a release, a waitlist will open on August 25 and become «the only way to be able to sign up for the service for the foreseeable future.» Engagement from the waitlist will help the company determine which markets they will roll out into first in September. Despite what the release indicates, MoviePass' website says the September 5 launch date is a general target--plans are to relaunch «on or around» Labor Day. Three pricing tiers «depending on each market» will be rolling out, at $10, $20, and $30, and «each level will get a certain amount of credits to be able to use towards movies each month.»
To co-founder and CEO Stacy Spikes' credit, the release acknowledges how mismanagement forced the company to previously close. The company was driven out of business after offering customers a too-good-to-be-true subscription model, and collapsed in 2019 after selling discounted theater tickets for less than $10 a month. In 2021, the Federal Trade Commission ruled that MoviePass deliberately misled its customers and failed to protect its users' data.
In February, Spikes hosted a press event that offered initial details on how MoviePass will be different this time around. Spikes promised a more sustainable model and outlined proposed features the revived service can include--such as the ability to watch ads, via eye-ball tracking (really) tech, to earn credits that can be redeemed for free movies. It's not clear if that feature will be part of the 2.0 service, or how else MoviePass will demonstrate it is trying to learn from
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