AMC Theaters Announces Monthly Subscription Plan to Rival MoviePass. Which Plan Is Best for You?

AMC Theaters has announced that it will add a subscription service to its already existing rewards program that will allow people to go to the movies up to three times a week for $19.95 per month.

The service, called AMC Stubs A-List, is an extension to AMC’s Stubs rewards program and will kick off on June 26, AMC said in a press release. AMC Stubs A-List members can get discounts on food and drinks, earn rewards points for each dollar spent.

The move by AMC Theaters draws immediate comparisons to MoviePass, the startup that lets customers watch one movie per day for $9.95 a month. AMC Theaters and MoviePass have a contentious relationship — MoviePass at one point pulled out of some AMC theaters earlier this year and AMC threatened legal action against MoviePass after the service shifted its pricing model.

Under the subscription plan AMC offers, moviegoers can watch three movies a week at an AMC theater, and even see all three in the same day, with a two-hour buffer in between each showtime, the theater chain said. The rule differs from MoviePass, which only allows customers to see one movie per day. However, MoviePass holders have no limit on how many movies they can watch in a week.

Both services also differ in how people can access the movies they want to see. MoviePass customers can only book tickets through their mobile apps at specific movie theaters and are limited to tickets available on that day. AMC’s forthcoming program allows subscribers to reserve tickets in advance and select seating.

MoviePass said its aim is to make movies more accessible while claiming AMC Theaters wants to turn a profit in tweets responding to the chain’s announcement.