Regal is tweaking its subscription pass in several important ways. The service, dubbed Regal Unlimited, was launched in 2019 as the exhibition chain’s answer to MoviePass. Initially, users who signed up for the service had to commit to a year of the subscription plan. Now, users can sign up with only a 90-day commitment.
The service has three tiers, ranging in price from $18 to $23.50. Those tiers differ in terms of the number of venues users have access to watch movies. Under the plan, users can watch an unlimited number of films monthly. In place of a card, users only have to access an app on their phone.
The theater chain is also throwing in 10% off of food and non-alcoholic drink purchases, as well as offering users a chance to earn credits for Regal Crown Club, its loyalty program, which gives people a chance to get additional discounts. There are no blackout dates for the service.
The move comes as movie theaters are trying to build back from the aftershocks of a devastating pandemic, one that left them closed for several months in 2020. The rest of that year was essentially a wash, as most major exhibitors opted not to release big movies until a vaccine was more widely available.
AMC and Cinemark, Regal’s two major competitors, also offer subscription services. MoviePass, which revolutionized the business with its $9.95 monthly subscription plan, was forced to file for bankruptcy in 2020 after operating at huge deficits. This week, the company’s founder, Stacy Spikes, acquired the assets of MoviePass in a bankruptcy proceeding and is looking to relaunch the service in 2022 with new financial backers.
