MitchLowe
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MoviePass will begin surge pricing next month
Business Insider reports today that MoviePass will start charging surge prices for certain movies during particular times. When the app deems a showing to be exceptionally popular, MoviePass will charge its subscribers an additional $2, according to CEO Mitch Lowe. "At certain times for certain films -- on opening weekend -- there could be an additional charge for films," he told Business Insider. The new pricing is set to take effect in July, but Lowe says subscribers to the annual plan will be exempt.
MoviePass brings back its movie-per-day plan
Last month, MoviePass began offering a $30, three-month plan that came with an iHeartRadio premium subscription trial but limited users to just four movies per month. And when asked if the popular movie-per-day plan would be returning, MoviePass CEO Mitch Lowe told The Hollywood Reporter last week that he didn't know. But the movie-per-day plan is back and Lowe says he just didn't want people to ignore the iHeartRadio promotion. "It's marketing 101," he told Variety. "We wanted to focus everybody on this partnership promotion. If people knew the [movie-a-day] plan was coming back, they might not be interested in the iHeartRadio deal." He added that the company never planned to abandon "the flagship product that everybody loves."
Now MoviePass' CEO says the app never tracked customers
A week after MoviePass CEO Mitch Lowe's comments that "we watch how you drive home" came to light, the exec is walking back those words. In an interview with Variety, Lowe said "I said something completely inaccurate as far as what we are doing...We only locate customers when they use the app." Now, the way Lowe describes the app matches its privacy policy, and the way its technology is explained in the company's patent that he referenced during his original statement. So, all good? Maybe, maybe not. While the service's iOS app has been updated to remove an "unused" permission to access location all the time, the title of Lowe's infamous presentation was "Data is the New Oil: How Will MoviePass Monetize It?" Even if it's not tracking user's location over an extended period of time yet, that's certainly a possibility for the future, not to mention what's possible when you combine that data with information from other clearinghouses. Remember, for many of the companies providing free or low-cost services, data greed is good.
MoviePass can't answer important location tracking questions
Yesterday it surfaced that MoviePass CEO Mitch Lowe said -- during a presentation called "Data is the New Oil: How Will MoviePass Monetize It?" -- that his company could watch how subscribers drive home from the movie and see where they went. The setup sounds a lot like the post-ride tracking Uber added and then pulled last year. Media Play News included the quotes in the middle of an article about MoviePass projecting that it will pass 5 million subscribers, and the outlet has since posted a full quote showing exactly what the CEO said.
MoviePass unveils new prices, starting at $15 a month
MoviePass's new CEO, Mitch Lowe, has made good on his promise to reach a $20 plan. The cinema subscription service now starts at $15 a month for two films in markets where tickets are relatively cheap (read: far away from large cities). In slightly more expensive areas it'll start at $18 a month for two films, and in the most expensive markets like NYC and LA, it starts at $21 a month. Sure, that's far more limiting than MoviePass's original all-you-can-eat plans, but Lowe says he's hoping to attract subscribers who only have time to hit the theater a few times monthly.
MoviePass tests new prices, aims to reach a $20 plan
MoviePass, the subscription service that lets you see one theatrical film every 24 hours, has come under fire after testing out new pricing options with some customers, which are significantly more expensive and restrictive than existing plans. The complaints also come on the heels of this week's announcement of a new CEO: Mitch Lowe, a Netflix co-founder who later moved over to RedBox.
Redbox CEO suggests $1.50 rate for Blu-ray rentals
Along with the repeated indications Redbox would expand its Blu-ray rentals this year, there's been hints that it would have to raise prices beyond its standard $1 / night DVD rate. Home Media Magazine reports President Mitch Lowe mentioned during his keynote address at the Entertainment Supply Chain Academy Edge conference that the likely price is $1.50, which seems low enough to keep customers happy and -- judging by the recent slew of deals -- will apparently keep Hollywood studios happy also. to that end, his speech also cited NPD data indicating customers said they wouldn't rent or purchase many of the movies they obtain at the kiosks any other way, while 41% of customers rent before making a decision to buy. Also on deck for Redbox are sales of catalog titles for $5 / $7 / $9 -- so let us know, would you appreciate the option to buy, not just rent, from your nearest vending machine?
