Moviegoers heading out for opening night may want to brace for sticker shock. While standard tickets at chains like Regal Cinemas typically fall in the $12 to $18 range, prices for high-demand “premiere night” showings — especially in premium formats like IMAX or RPX — have surged in some cases to as much as $50 per ticket.
These higher prices aren’t the norm across all screenings, but they reflect a growing trend in the industry: charging more for upgraded experiences and peak demand showtimes.
Those who watch a movie on a normal day have been paying around $12.75, others at $18 a ticket, with some cities reporting that the cost is upwards of $25-30 dollars a ticket. Its “premium theaters’ with “premium seating.”
Now, companies like Regal Cinemas are charging $50 for tickets for movies coming out that day.
Those who watch a movie on a normal day have been paying around $12.75, others at $18 a ticket, with some cities reporting that the cost is upwards of $25-30 dollars a ticket.
However, the hefty price increase from Regal doesn’t include popcorn or candy.
Industry analysts say the typical moviegoer will spend around $9 on concessions. That number before COVID was $5.
Over the past 20 years, the amount a movie customer has spent on candy, popcorn, merchandise, and drinks has increased by 220%, far above inflation.
The movie-to-premium-seating ratio has been on the increase over the last several years.
The premium seating and auditoriums with larger screens accounted for about 13% of the movie audience in 2021. Today that number is up at 17%.
Theater owners say there are pros and cons to going down the route of premium seating and a price increase.
The plus is that theaters are bringing in more cash today than pre-COVID. The bad, audiences attending more theaters are down quite a bit.
This story originally appeared on FloridaDaily.com and has been republished with permission from the author.
