AMC Theatres Pull Movie Listings From Washington Post; Post Hopes Movie Attendance Drops
from the we've-seen-this-movie-before dept
Remember back when you used to check the local newspaper for movie listings? To be honest, I can barely remember when that happened. These days, it's just easier to look up the info online. However, many newspapers apparently still print movie listings -- and apparently (I had no idea...), this is actually paid advertising by the theater chains. AMC Theatres, however, is realizing that most people now get movie times online and has pulled its listings from the Washington Post (via Romenesko), leading some readers to believe, incorrectly, that the Post had dropped the listings (similar to the way many newspapers have dropped stock listings). But, since this is ad revenue, the Post is actually quite upset about this, and worried that other chains might follow suit. So it's actually hoping that theater attendance will drop, and AMC will be convinced to pay for movie listings again. Of course, the data itself is factual information, and if the Washington Post really wanted to, it could print the times itself -- but, instead it clearly wants the advertising money (and to prove why it thinks AMC is making a mistake). It will be fascinating to see what happens, but I get the feeling that even if AMC is convinced to come back, it won't be long before movie theaters stop paying newspapers to print showtimes.Thank you for reading this Techdirt post. With so many things competing for everyone’s attention these days, we really appreciate you giving us your time. We work hard every day to put quality content out there for our community.
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Filed Under: ads, movie listings, newspapers
Companies: amc, washington post
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Re: Reverse the business...
Until the theaters threaten copy infringement on the postings and require the paper to pay them. I could see how that could happen in reverse now...
Interesting....
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Pirates!
Just like Youtube when it shamelessly stole that movie trailer advertising that dis-knee movie, that was put out for free, as advertising.
The internet won't kill papers, the RIAA will when they send over all those gaffers and painters out of work due to online and newspaper theft!
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Attendance will drop?
"Hey Midge, let's go see that new movie that just came out! Oh wait, there are no listings in the newspapers for the theater near us, so I guess it vaporized. Even if it didn't, I couldn't possibly trouble myself to call the theater to get the movie times or, heaven forbid, actually go to the theater, check the times, buy a ticket, and go shopping until the movie starts. Oh well."
I suppose they are anticipating that people will see the listings for AMC competitors and go there instead, but still...
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Re: Attendance will drop?
However, even those that I know that still do read one will reach for a computer to do movie searches. Or, heck, their cellphone (and I don't mean to call the theater).
This seems like a pretty logical move on AMC's part. And if things go sour, they can just go back to advertising again ... I suppose.
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Re: Re: Attendance will drop?
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Re: Attendance will drop?
That's precisely the point. Out of sight/out of mind. They seem to think that most people still get movie times from those ads, so when they go to the newspaper they'll go to a Regal or UA theater instead of an AMC one. If only AMC sees a decline in attendance, then they can spout off "see, if you don't pay us to put your times in the newspaper, people will forget you exist!"
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I don't see AMC having any issues with their decision.
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Re: Attendance will drop?
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Internet vs paper
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Attendance Dropping?
...it'll drop because while people are online looking up showtimes, they can just look to see if there's a torrent.
Whee!
Then, when the DVD rental comes out, they can pay an appropriate amount ($2 or $3) to see the film in high quality.
Since good movies are usually worth watching twice - unless the studio puts out shit that no one wants to rent once they've seen a lowrez version - everybody wins.
Well, except the theaters...I guess they don't win. But I'm still pissed at them about the sticky floor and the overpriced junior mints. Fuck, it takes a mint just to buy a box!
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You mean AMC didn't go bankrupt?
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I do read the movie listings in the newspapers
Simply because it's the best one in my area, great seats, large screens, large selection of movies because it has 25 theatres, great audio, and no breaks. (hope you don't mind this plug, no I'm not associated with it, just a happy customer, their concession stand is expensive though.)
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Ok, it's a joke.
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Re:
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Better Methods of Marketing.
Newspapers do not have very good demographic segmentation. You can advertise movies to a working mother until you are blue in the face, but the over-riding fact is that she _has_ to get to the daycare center to pick up little Jenny by a certain time. Most of the people who don't go to the movies very often have excellent and compelling reasons for not doing so, based on things like age, employment, and family status, and you cannot change those reasons by advertising. College students are of course the prime market for things like movies, because they have so much unsupervised free time, without responsibilities. You can arrange to put boxes of leaflets in the student unions and dormitories of local colleges.
An alternative market might be traveling salesmen. When the maids in a hotel clean a room, they leave behind a package of assorted leaflets, etc. If you target your leaflets to downtown hotels, you might be able to get an affluent audience which is comparatively free to go out on short notice. Of course, they are older, and more likely to be shagged out. Possibly, it would be better to sell them pay-per-view movies in their rooms. In either case, this is a deal to be made with the hotel, and you don't need a newspaper to do it.
Parenthetically, given falling computer prices, it ought to be possible to manufacture a TIVO-type device for fifty or a hundred dollars. Cable systems which have not gone TIVO will do so shortly, and that will make television schedules largely irrelevant.
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Re: Better Methods of Marketing.
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This is a good feature for a paper to have.
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Movies and TV treated differently
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Simple Really
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Re:
No other DC area paper charges a fee for the Ads. They call them a reader service.
They also raised the prices for senior citizens.
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They still print phone books.
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There will be no change in theatre revenue
Oh, and stay off my lawn...
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Fewer movie listing in San Antonio either
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movie ads
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the Article
Stock prices however, are news. Any newspaper electing to omit such news, won't ever gain my admiration, business or support.
VRP
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If it is even 10% of the people going to the movies, it is a big move. Remember, most major movies are released in more than one chain, which means there will still be listings for almost every movie out there.
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Washington Post Ad Rates
Assuming that AMC uses 6 column inches for one theater, that's $2406 per day per theater. Assuming movie tickets are $10 each, they would need to lose more than 240 people per day in EACH THEATER to consider advertising in the Post again. I just don't see that happening. Perhaps the Post should consider lowering their rates to keep with the digital times. :)
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