MoviePass has entered into a new strategic partnership with the Independent Cinema Alliance (ICA). The agreement will enable ICA to offer an integrated subscription model to its theater network, which includes approximately 180 member companies and nearly 5,000 independently operated screens in the United States and Canada.
MoviePass founder Stacey Spikes said in an interview that the ICA union makes it the third-largest national exhibition group behind AMC and Regal and ahead of Cinemark. He also noted that theaters generate more than $1 billion in box office revenue annually, representing about 15% of the North American market. “This greatly expands our reach,” Spikes said.
The partnership connects MoviePass’ subscription infrastructure directly to ICA’s theater network, allowing users to select and reserve seats, for example. This could potentially increase attendance at participating theaters. Spikes said users are disproportionately more likely to buy tickets from theaters that have MoviePass fully integrated into their ticketing systems. He noted that MoviePass users tend to be younger and more tech-savvy, with the largest clusters being men aged 25-26 and women aged 24-25. In a release touting the agreement, MoviePass cited a study by exhibition trade group Cinema United and a study by Gen Z and Fandango that found Gen Z’s moviegoing frequency increased 25% year over year, the largest increase of any demographic. Millennials are increasingly driving the box office. “Our customer base aligns with the heaviest users in the industry,” Spikes says. “We think we can drive business to these theaters.”
MoviePass members can now use the app for premium format tickets and receive “discounts and theater-specific perks” at participating ICA locations starting this year.
“This partnership reflects ICA’s continued commitment to identifying practical and scalable opportunities that help independent exhibitors compete, increase attendance and strengthen customer loyalty,” ICA Executive Director Frank Rush said in a statement.
Rush went on to point out that many of its members don’t have the capital to build their own subscription platforms, calling it “not economically viable.”
Alongside the launch of the partnership, MoviePass will introduce “Summer Season Passes,” giving movie fans access to three months of movies starting at $30 ahead of the release of blockbusters like “The Odyssey” and “Toy Story 5.”
