AMC Tries To Diversify Movie Experience

Source: Rolling Stones

Text messaging became popular in the early 2000’s and ever since then movie theaters across America have had a firm stance against texting during the movies. For the past few years however there seems to be news stories ever so often about the idea of allowing texting while in the theater and they all meet major resistance (Workman, 2016). One of the biggest conversations on this topic recently happened last month; when Adam Aron, the CEO of AMC theaters, tweeted that AMC would begin limited test screenings of movies with texting allowed. The public responded rather quickly with a resounding “no thank you”. The backlash was so apparent that AMC found it necessary to release an official statement along with a follow up tweet. AMC heard their customers loud and clear and is taking their suggestions to heart. It seems AMC will have to find another way to attract the millennial crowd they are looking for.

NO TEXTING AT AMC. Won't happen. You spoke. We listened. Quickly, that idea has been sent to the cutting room floor. pic.twitter.com/JR0fo5megR

— AMC Theatres (@AMCTheatres) April 15, 2016

When I first saw AMC's proposal in my Facebook feed I thought it was a fake article meant to stir up commotion. The idea that a movie theater would allow texting in a theater after preaching “please turn off your phones” before every movie for over the past decade seems a bit ironic. One alternative to texting in theaters that has been proposed is offering movie premiers in customer’s houses via set-top boxes. The idea of a set-top box that streams new releases seems slightly more plausible to me than allowing texting in movie theaters. However companies are finding it difficult to persuade distributing studios to play along (Lang, 2016). I would be surprised if either of these ideas find their way to the masses anytime soon with the major sticking points they are currently facing.

References: 

Lang, Brent. (2016, March 9). Studios, Exhibitors Consider Revolutionary Plan for Day-and-Date Movies at Home (EXCLUSIVE). Variety. Retrieved from: http://variety.com/2016/film/news/studios-exhibitors-consider-revolutionary-plan-for-day-and-date-movies-at-home-exclusive-1201725168/

Susman, Gary. (2013, October 15). Should Movie Theaters Allow Texting?. Rolling Stones. Retrieved from: http://www.rollingstone.com/movies/news/should-movie-theaters-allow-texting-20131015 

Workman, Karen. (2016, April 14). Texting in Movie Theaters? AMC Backs Off After Criticism. The New York Times. Retrieved from: http://www.nytimes.com/2016/04/15/movies/texting-in-movie-theaters-the-internet-does-not-approve.html?_r=0