Author: Jenna Marotta / Source: IndieWire
In a move that seems to borrow business strategy from Mel Brooks’ protagonists in “The Producers,” who attempted to stage an intentional Broadway flop and oversell production shares for profit, recent changes to MoviePass policy suggest the service’s profitable subscribers are the ones who use it the least.
While MoviePass remains $9.95 per month for an annual subscription, there’s two significant changes to the terms of service, both designed to throttle the number of MoviePass users in theaters. Where subscribers could once see a movie every day, they’re now capped at four tickets per month. Instead, subscribers now receive a three-month trial to IHeartRadio All-Access — one that automatically converts to a $9.95 monthly subscription unless the subscriber contacts the radio service to cancel. And, as MoviePass TOS makes clear in all caps: “THE SERVICE PROHIBITS REPEAT VIEWINGS OF THE SAME MOVIE.”
MoviePass and iHeartRadio announced the bundled promotion April 13, when it was pitched as a new option for MoviePass subscribers. However, it is currently the only subscription offered on the site, and users must dig deep into the MoviePass FAQs to learn that they will become paying iHeartRadio subscribers after the trial period if they fail to cancel. iHeartRadio filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection March 15.
The MoviePass repeat policy comes into service just as Disney releases “Avengers: Infinity War,” a Marvel film that’s expected to inspire repeat viewings from a raft of passionate fans.
In a statement released late Friday, MoviePass said the move to block repeat viewings “falls within our continued effort to limit fraud on our app.”The MoviePass statement also suggested that swapping…
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