AMC Theatres Rewards Change Allows Members to Earn Premiere GO! Tier

Although movie theaters are finally seeing increasing returns since the catastrophic pandemic, there are still improvements to be made to ensure audiences continue to flock to the cinemas. The end of 2024 saw record-breaking numbers across the holiday weekends, fueled by long-awaited movie sequels like Moana 2 and Gladiator II, as well as the critically-acclaimed musical adaptation Wicked. However, movie theater companies are still actively finding ways to bring more butts to theater seats, and AMC has decided to revamp their premium subscription system to encourage that.

As announced by the theater company, AMC Stubs Insider members who see eight movies in a calendar year or earn at least 5,000 AMC Stubs points will be able to upgrade to the Premiere GO! Tier starting Jan. 1, 2025. The initiative seems like a no-brainer for those who regularly go to the movie theaters, especially since most watch more than eight new movies a year. However, the new rewards system seems to be specifically geared towards those who rarely get out of the house to see a film. Of course, the potential membership upgrade also hinges on the availability of an AMC Theatre location. For the uninitiated, the benefits of Premiere GO! Tier includes:

• Free large popcorn & fountain drink birthday gift
• Free size upgrades on popcorn and fountain drinks
• Priority lane access
• No online ticketing fees for 4+ tickets purchased at the same time
• Earn points at 2x the rate of Insiders
• Points can be redeemed for rewards, which can be used to purchase tickets and concessions

The latest development in the movie theater rewards system from AMC Theatres comes soon after the company had to put an online queue for their ticket purchasing service due to the extreme amounts of traffic on their website. They are seemingly pouncing on the chance to ride the momentum of the 2024 holiday season into the typically quieter first quarter of the new year. However, it would not be shocking to learn that the rewards change is reverted to strictly a paid subscription tier after the 2025 movie season. From James Gunn’s Superman to Marvel Studios’ long-awaited Fantastic Four reboot, 2025 is projected to be one of the biggest in the past few years.

Movie Theaters Have Been Making Big Upgrades

AMC Theatres is not the only company to make upgrades to its theatrical offerings. It was reported in 2024 that major theater chains are investing $2.2 billion to improve and drastically change the moviegoing experience. However, some may be disappointed to learn that the proposed upgrades are not exactly focused on the movies themselves. Michael O’Leary, the president and CEO of the National Association of Theater Owners (NATO), spoke about the expensive initiative, which includes adding more restaurants, arcades, and, yes, pickball courts.

ever thought when I took this job I’d be talking about pickleball courts as much as I am. This is all part, frankly, of a larger effort on behalf of some of our members to provide moviegoing fans with a more expansive experience, which goes beyond just going to the movies. It’s all part of us responding to what consumers want when they go out for an evening.”

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As theater companies look to expand the theatrical experience beyond watching movies, it should not be ignored that people seem to be going to a diverse range of movies, perhaps the most since the boom of the superhero genre in the 2010s-2020s. Although 2025 will see several major blockbuster franchises hit the big screen, superheroes and villains no longer dominate box office returns. The movie theaters are not only alive and well, there are signs of life beyond what a pickleball court can offer the average moviegoer.