Would You Buy A Movie "Superticket?"
Movie theaters are always looking for an edge. A way to draw people into their establishment and away from their laptops, streaming services and big screen televisions. They've tried almost everything. Now, a cinema in the UK is trying something that mixes media. It's an idea that's been tried on a small scale in North America, but this is the first time in the UK. It's an idea that begs the question, is this the answer?
The idea is a Superticket. It's a ticket that not only gives you admission to a movie, but a future download to a digital copy of the film. We'll discuss more below.
The first UK SuperTicket happens April 3 with the film Kidnapping Freddy Heineken (via Engadget.) If you go to Empire Theaters to see it, you have the option of an upgraded ticket that will give you a digital download of the film a few months down the road. The US has tried varied but similar ideas for Pacific Rim, The Amazing Spider-Man 2, Interstellar and Anchorman 2 among others.
On paper, the idea seems pretty sound. Offer something exclusive to fans who come to the theater. If they wanted to see a movie enough to come to the theater to see it, they have an obvious interest. But beyond that, this idea is hugely flawed.
What if the person doesn't like the movie? Do you really want to invest double or triple the ticket price into a film you aren't sure you are going to like before you see it? For some movies, that answer is yes (maybe it's your favorite director or franchise or whatever) but it's rare.
Second, in what format would you get the digital download? In this UK instance, it's a company called Wuaki.tv. I'm not familiar with it but even if it's incredibly user friendly and simple, it's still limiting. So what if all your digital films are in one format? Being forced into one particular format makes sense for that company and the distributor, but not the user.
There are a lot of questions about this Superticket. Maybe similar ideas - where they provide digital downloads to other films in a particular franchise or the ability to see a movie multiple times – are better. But never the less, it's still a work in progress. Would you buy a superticket?