MovieTickets.com

MovieTickets.com is an online movie-ticketing and cinema-information service established in 2000 by AMC Theatres and Hollywood.com. Before its launch, CBS Corporation, Famous Players, and National Amusements joined the venture. The service was designed to aggregate showtimes across participating cinemas and let customers purchase tickets online, particularly for theater groups whose ticketing systems were connected to its platform. The brand developed during the early expansion of internet-based movie commerce, when theater operators and media companies were attempting to build direct digital channels for showtime discovery and advance ticket purchases. Its network included major and regional exhibitors. In addition to providing showtime information for theaters generally, MovieTickets.com sold tickets online for chains including Clearview Cinemas and National Amusements, as well as smaller exhibitors such as Mann Theatres in the Los Angeles area. Partnerships were central to the company’s growth. In 2001, MovieTickets.com and Moviefone established a cross-linking arrangement for their ticketing services. MovieTickets.com became Moviefone’s exclusive online ticketing provider in 2004. In 2005, a distribution relationship with PrintTixUSA added approximately 20 exhibition companies and expanded the number of screens served by the platform to more than 10,000 in the United States. The company later reported substantial scale: in 2010 it sold more than 16 million tickets for over 200 exhibitors representing about 14,000 screens, and in 2016 it said its advance-ticketing services covered 250 theater chains and more than half of the top 100-grossing theaters in North America on a typical weekend. MovieTickets.com operated in a highly competitive market, particularly against Fandango. Contracts, theater-chain mergers, and changes in ownership repeatedly altered which ticketing provider served particular cinemas. MovieTickets.com lost some business connected with AMC and Moviefone, while retaining or regaining access to other theater groups. A 2013 settlement with AMC made AMC ticket sales available through both MovieTickets.com and Fandango. Regal Entertainment Group subsequently made its tickets available on MovieTickets.com on a non-exclusive basis while continuing to use Fandango. In October 2017, Fandango Media acquired MovieTickets.com. The transaction combined two of the largest online movie-ticketing networks at the time. Fandango’s network covered more than 33,000 screens worldwide, while MovieTickets.com reported more than 29,000, although the two networks overlapped considerably. Fandango stated that the acquisition increased its global reach to more than 40,000 screens. MovieTickets.com therefore became part of Fandango’s broader digital entertainment and ticketing portfolio rather than remaining an independent rival. Publicly available reference material does not establish a separate current corporate headquarters, independent ownership structure, or current executive roster for the brand.

MovieTickets.com was created in 2000 as an internet ticketing venture backed by AMC Theatres and Hollywood.com. CBS Corporation, Famous Players, and National Amusements joined before the service launched, reflecting the theater industry's interest in controlling or participating in emerging online sales channels. The platform combined movie-showtime information with online ticket purchases and connected participating cinemas to a centralized consumer-facing service. The company’s early expansion relied on partnerships and exhibitor integrations. In 2001, it entered a relationship with Moviefone that cross-linked their ticketing services. Three years later, MovieTickets.com became Moviefone’s exclusive online ticketing provider. In 2005, it added a distribution relationship with PrintTixUSA, bringing approximately 20 additional exhibition companies onto the network and increasing its U.S. coverage to more than 10,000 screens. The competitive environment was shaped by overlapping contracts and consolidation among cinema operators. MovieTickets.com competed directly with Fandango and sometimes served the same theater groups. When theater chains merged or changed ownership, ticketing agreements could move between platforms. MovieTickets.com lost the Hoyts chain after its acquisition by Regal, although Consolidated Theatres retained its relationship with MovieTickets.com after being acquired by Regal. The platform also lost important portions of AMC and Moviefone-related business over time. AMC-related agreements became particularly significant. Before 2012, MovieTickets.com handled online ticketing for AMC locations other than cinemas inherited from Loews Cineplex Entertainment, which were subject to earlier contractual arrangements involving Fandango. In February 2012, Fandango began providing ticketing for additional non-Loews AMC theaters. MovieTickets.com’s fellow shareholders sued AMC over the change, and the dispute was settled in 2013. The settlement allowed AMC tickets to be sold through both Fandango and MovieTickets.com. Moviefone later formed a new partnership with Fandango in May 2012 after its MovieTickets.com relationship ended. Despite these losses, MovieTickets.com continued to report a substantial exhibitor network. It stated that it sold more than 16 million tickets in 2010 for over 200 exhibitors and approximately 14,000 screens. In 2015, Regal announced that its tickets would also be offered through MovieTickets.com on a non-exclusive basis, while remaining available through Fandango. In April 2016, MovieTickets.com said it served 250 theater chains and more than half of the top 100-grossing theaters in North America on a typical weekend. Fandango Media acquired MovieTickets.com in October 2017. The deal brought together Fandango’s network of more than 33,000 screens and MovieTickets.com’s reported network of over 29,000 screens, with significant overlap between them. Fandango described the acquisition as increasing its worldwide screen coverage to more than 40,000. The transaction ended MovieTickets.com’s role as an independent major competitor and placed the brand within Fandango’s ticketing portfolio. Available reference material does not provide a reliable current executive list, standalone headquarters, or separate public financial statements for MovieTickets.com.

• 2017

  Acquired by Fandango Media

  [1]MovieTickets.comen.wikipedia.org

  Fandango Media purchases MovieTickets.com and combines the two ticketing networks.

• 2015

  Regal adds non-exclusive MovieTickets.com availability

  [1]MovieTickets.comen.wikipedia.org

  Regal announces that its tickets will be offered through MovieTickets.com on a non-exclusive basis while remaining available on Fandango.

• 2013

  AMC ticketing dispute settled

  [1]MovieTickets.comen.wikipedia.org

  Following a dispute over AMC ticketing access, an agreement makes AMC tickets available through both MovieTickets.com and Fandango.

• 2010

  More than 16 million tickets sold

  [1]MovieTickets.comen.wikipedia.org

  MovieTickets.com reports selling over 16 million tickets for more than 200 exhibitors representing about 14,000 screens.

• 2005

  PrintTixUSA distribution relationship

  [1]MovieTickets.comen.wikipedia.org

  The relationship adds approximately 20 exhibition companies and expands U.S. screen coverage beyond 10,000 screens.

• 2004

  Exclusive Moviefone online ticketing arrangement

  [1]MovieTickets.comen.wikipedia.org

  MovieTickets.com becomes Moviefone’s exclusive online ticketing provider.

• 2001

  Moviefone partnership begins

  [1]MovieTickets.comen.wikipedia.org

  MovieTickets.com and Moviefone begin cross-linking their online ticketing offerings.

• 2000

  MovieTickets.com is founded

  [1]MovieTickets.comen.wikipedia.org

  AMC Theatres and Hollywood.com establish the online movie-ticketing venture, with CBS Corporation, Famous Players, and National Amusements joining before launch.

A broad online discovery and advance-ticketing platform for movie theaters, positioned around aggregated showtimes, theater coverage, and digital ticket distribution rather than film production or cinema ownership.

• Online movie ticketing · 2000

  MovieTickets.com online ticket marketplace

  The core consumer service allows users to find movie showtimes and purchase advance tickets for participating cinemas. Its value comes from aggregating theater information and connecting exhibitors to a centralized online sales channel.

• Cinema information · 2000

  MovieTickets.com theater listings

  The platform provides movie times and theater information across a broad network of cinemas, including exhibitors that may not all use the service for direct ticket sales.

• Business-to-business ticketing technology · 2005

  Exhibitor ticketing distribution

  MovieTickets.com supplies online advance-ticketing distribution for theater chains and independent exhibitors. Partnerships such as those with PrintTixUSA helped extend the service to additional exhibition companies and screens.

• 2017

  Acquire MovieTickets.comM&A

  Background

  Fandango and MovieTickets.com were the two largest online movie-ticketing services, with overlapping theater and screen networks.

  Action taken

  Fandango Media purchased MovieTickets.com in the fourth quarter of 2017.

  Aftermath

  MovieTickets.com became a Fandango Media subsidiary, and Fandango’s reported global network expanded to more than 40,000 screens.

  Source

• 2013

  Settle the AMC ticketing access disputeOther

  Background

  AMC expanded its relationship with Fandango, prompting a lawsuit by MovieTickets.com’s fellow shareholders over alleged contractual breach.

  Action taken

  The parties reached a settlement under which AMC ticketing would be available through both Fandango and MovieTickets.com.

  Aftermath

  AMC remained accessible through both competing ticketing services rather than being exclusive to one platform.

  • Fandango — Fandango continued providing ticketing for AMC alongside MovieTickets.com.

  Source

• 2005

  Expand through PrintTixUSAStrategy

  Background

  MovieTickets.com sought to increase the number of exhibitors and screens connected to its ticketing network.

  Action taken

  The company established a ticket distribution relationship with PrintTixUSA.

  Aftermath

  Approximately 20 exhibition companies joined the network, which grew to more than 10,000 U.S. screens.

  Source

• 2004

  Make MovieTickets.com the exclusive online ticketing provider for MoviefoneStrategy

  Background

  Moviefone and MovieTickets.com had already established a cross-linking relationship as online movie services.

  Action taken

  MovieTickets.com assumed the exclusive online ticketing role for Moviefone.

  Aftermath

  The arrangement strengthened MovieTickets.com’s distribution reach before the relationship later ended.

  Source

1. 1MovieTickets.comen.wikipedia.org