MoviePass

Product brand

A U.S. movie-ticket subscription service that became known for its low-cost unlimited-ticket plan and subsequent financial collapse.

Last updated October 14, 2026

AI crawler reads

No AI crawler has read this profile since Oct 28, 2026.

Overview

MoviePass is an American movie-ticket subscription brand founded in 2011 by technology and entertainment entrepreneurs Stacy Spikes and Hamet Watt. Its central proposition was to let members pay a recurring monthly fee in exchange for access to participating cinema screenings. The service initially used printed vouchers, but later shifted to a mobile-app model supported by a branded prepaid debit card. A subscriber checked in through the app at a participating cinema, selected an eligible film and showtime, and used the loaded card to purchase a ticket directly from the theater. Some participating cinemas also supported electronic ticketing. The company began as a beta service in San Francisco in 2011 and encountered resistance from major theater operators. Its first voucher-based model was considered cumbersome by customers, so MoviePass adopted a mobile application and prepaid-card system in 2012. Over the following years it tested several subscription structures, including plans covering two or three films per month and higher-priced unlimited options. Mitch Lowe, a former Netflix and Redbox executive, became chief executive in 2016 and oversaw much of this experimentation. MoviePass changed direction sharply in 2017 after analytics company Helios and Matheson Analytics acquired a majority stake. The brand introduced an unlimited plan priced at $9.95 per month, allowing subscribers to see approximately one film per day, subject to service limitations. The extremely low price generated substantial publicity and rapid membership growth. The company reported approximately 400,000 subscribers in September 2017, one million by December, two million by February 2018, and more than three million by June 2018. Helios and Matheson presented the service partly as a data and audience-acquisition business, arguing that a large user base could generate valuable information about moviegoing behavior and support targeted advertising. The economics of the model proved difficult to sustain. MoviePass generally paid for tickets while charging subscribers a relatively small recurring fee, and its cash expenses substantially exceeded revenue. During 2018 it introduced peak-demand surcharges, limited the number and selection of available films, restricted some major releases, changed the number of included tickets, and repeatedly modified or reinstated unlimited plans. These changes generated customer criticism and intensified scrutiny from investors, regulators, journalists, and competitors. More than one million subscribers reportedly cancelled by late 2018, and the paying customer base had fallen to roughly 225,000 by April 2019. MoviePass ceased operations in September 2019 after efforts to recapitalize the business failed. Its parent, Helios and Matheson Analytics, filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy in January 2020 and announced that it had stopped all business operations. In November 2021, a bankruptcy court approved the transfer of MoviePass to co-founder Stacy Spikes, who had been removed from the company after the Helios and Matheson acquisition. Spikes announced plans to revive the service with a new tiered model rather than the earlier unlimited offer. The relaunch began as a limited beta in 2022, with proposed monthly tiers of approximately $10, $20, and $30, varying by market and availability. The beta was initially associated with markets including Chicago, Dallas, and Kansas City, and the company reported a waitlist exceeding 775,000 people. In January 2023, MoviePass announced seed financing led by Animoca Brands for an undisclosed amount. The company said the funding would support its subscription relaunch and exploration of Web3, virtual-reality cinema experiences, and technology intended to increase theater attendance. MoviePass therefore remains a notable case in subscription entertainment: its first large-scale model demonstrated the demand for inexpensive cinema access, while its collapse illustrated the risks of subsidizing high-frequency consumption without a sustainable revenue structure.

History

MoviePass was founded in 2011 by Stacy Spikes and Hamet Watt and began beta testing in San Francisco that June. Early operations relied on printed vouchers redeemed through participating cinemas. Theater-chain resistance and customer complaints about the voucher process led the company to work with Hollywood Movie Money and later adopt a mobile application connected to a prepaid debit card. The app-based service, introduced after a national beta test in 2012, allowed a subscriber to check in at a participating theater, select an eligible film and showtime, and use a MoviePass card loaded with the ticket amount. The service generally supported one ticket per day under its unlimited plans, while excluding or limiting advance purchases, premium formats, multiple tickets, and repeat viewing of the same film. MoviePass claimed broad availability across U.S. cinemas, although major theater operators periodically expressed opposition or declined to endorse it. Mitch Lowe became chief executive in 2016 and tested several regional pricing structures. In August 2017, Helios and Matheson Analytics acquired a majority interest and reduced the price of an unlimited plan to $9.95 per month. Helios and Matheson promoted the enlarged subscriber base as a source of viewing data and potential advertising value. The offer generated exceptional growth, with the company reporting more than three million subscribers by June 2018. The model produced severe financial pressure because ticket costs rose with usage while subscription revenue remained low. MoviePass changed its terms repeatedly in 2018. It introduced peak-demand surcharges, temporarily removed and then restored unlimited plans, limited some customers to three tickets per month, narrowed daily film selections, excluded or restricted certain major releases, and ended the earlier annual unlimited plan. The changes prompted widespread criticism and legal complaints. Subscriber numbers subsequently declined sharply. MoviePass closed in September 2019. Helios and Matheson filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy in January 2020. In November 2021, the bankruptcy court approved Stacy Spikes's acquisition of the company. The new owner announced a relaunch using tiered pricing, initially proposed at $10, $20, and $30 per month depending on market. A limited beta began in 2022, and in 2023 the company announced seed financing led by Animoca Brands to support the relaunch and experimentation with Web3 and virtual-reality cinema concepts.

2022
Tiered beta relaunch begins
[1]MoviePassen.wikipedia.org
MoviePass announces a market-specific beta relaunch with three proposed price levels.
2021
Stacy Spikes regains ownership
[1]MoviePassen.wikipedia.org
A bankruptcy court approves the sale of the brand to its co-founder.
2019
Service shuts down
[1]MoviePassen.wikipedia.org
MoviePass ends operations after failing to secure sufficient recapitalization.
2018
MoviePass reaches more than three million subscribers
[1]MoviePassen.wikipedia.org
Rapid adoption makes the brand one of the most visible subscription experiments in theatrical exhibition.
2017
Helios and Matheson takes majority control
[1]MoviePassen.wikipedia.org
The analytics company acquires a majority stake and launches the $9.95-per-month daily-ticket plan.
2016
Mitch Lowe becomes chief executive
[1]MoviePassen.wikipedia.org
The former Netflix and Redbox executive takes over as CEO while the company experiments with regional subscription tiers.
2012
Mobile app and prepaid card replace vouchers
[1]MoviePassen.wikipedia.org
The service moves to app-based check-in and prepaid-card ticket purchases following customer dissatisfaction with printed vouchers.
2011
MoviePass is founded and begins beta testing
[1]MoviePassen.wikipedia.org
Stacy Spikes and Hamet Watt establish MoviePass, with an initial beta launch in San Francisco using a voucher-based process.

Products and positioning

Affordable, technology-enabled access to theatrical movies, with an emphasis on increasing cinema attendance and making frequent moviegoing less expensive.

Movie-ticket subscription · 2011
MoviePass subscription
The core product charged members a recurring fee for access to participating theatrical screenings. Its terms changed substantially over time, ranging from plans covering a fixed number of monthly tickets to an advertised one-ticket-per-day plan. Eligibility, film selection, premium-format access, advance booking, and demand surcharges varied by period.
Mobile ticketing technology · 2012
MoviePass mobile application
The app enabled members to locate eligible cinemas, check in near showtime, select a film, and initiate payment through the MoviePass prepaid-card system. It became the principal interface for managing the service after the original voucher model was retired.
Film distribution and co-acquisition · 2018
MoviePass Ventures
Announced in 2018, MoviePass Ventures was intended to co-acquire films with traditional distributors, extending the company beyond subscription ticketing into film financing, acquisition, and distribution.
Film production · 2018
MoviePass Films
This subsidiary was associated with the acquisition of assets from Emmett Furla Oasis Films and represented an effort to connect MoviePass with film production and distribution activities.

Controversies

2021
MoviePass reaches proposed settlement with FTC
The FTC announced a proposed settlement with MoviePass and its executives over allegations that the company blocked customers from using its service as advertised and failed to protect their data. The proposed terms bar specified misrepresentations and require comprehensive information security programs in future ventures.
Source
2018
Service restrictions and alleged bait-and-switch practices
Customers and commentators criticized MoviePass after the company changed advertised benefits, added peak pricing, narrowed film choice, restricted major releases, and altered the number of included tickets. Class-action complaints alleged misleading or bait-and-switch conduct.
Source

2022Relaunch waitlist and beta
United States
The revived company promoted a limited relaunch with three market-dependent pricing tiers and a waitlist before opening beta access in selected U.S. cities.
Outcome. The company reported more than 775,000 waitlist registrations and began a regional beta.
Source
2017The $9.95 unlimited plan
United States
MoviePass dramatically reduced the price of its daily-ticket subscription, positioning moviegoing as an inexpensive recurring membership and driving a major increase in sign-ups.
Outcome. Exceptional subscriber growth, followed by severe financial pressure and later service restrictions.
Source

Brand decisions

2022
Relaunch with tiered subscriptionsProduct launch
Background
After reacquiring the company, Stacy Spikes sought to revive MoviePass with a less aggressively subsidized structure.
Action taken
The company announced approximately $10, $20, and $30 monthly tiers, with availability and benefits varying by market.
Aftermath
A waitlist-based beta opened in selected U.S. markets.
Source
2019
Close the original serviceStrategy
Background
Efforts to recapitalize MoviePass were unsuccessful.
Action taken
MoviePass discontinued its subscription operations in September 2019.
Aftermath
The parent company later entered Chapter 7 bankruptcy, and the brand was eventually transferred to Stacy Spikes.
Source
2018
Restrict benefits to protect financial viabilityStrategy
Background
Cash expenses substantially exceeded subscription revenue, while competing services such as AMC Stubs A-List entered the market.
Action taken
The company introduced peak fees, reduced film choice, limited included tickets, and restricted access to selected releases.
Aftermath
Customer dissatisfaction and cancellations increased, contributing to a steep decline in the subscriber base.
Reported monthly cash deficit. (May-June 2018)
Source
2017
Introduce a radically discounted unlimited planPrice change
Background
After Helios and Matheson acquired majority control, the company sought rapid customer acquisition and greater behavioral data collection.
Action taken
MoviePass priced an unlimited, approximately one-ticket-per-day plan at $9.95 per month.
Aftermath
Membership grew rapidly, but ticket costs and cash requirements created significant financial strain.
Source

Recent events

2021-06-07
MoviePass reaches proposed settlement with FTC[2]MoviePass reaches proposed settlement with FTCtheverge.com
Reported: 2021-06-07
The FTC announced a proposed settlement with MoviePass and its executives over allegations that the company blocked customers from using its service as advertised and failed to protect their data. The proposed terms bar specified misrepresentations and require comprehensive information security programs in future ventures.
2020-01-29
MoviePass declares Chapter 7 bankruptcy[3]MoviePass 宣布申请第七章破产deadline.com
Reported: 2020-01-29
MoviePass announced its final demise by declaring Chapter 7 bankruptcy. Its parent company, Helios and Matheson Analytics, also declared bankruptcy, according to the report.

Sources9 sources

Cite this profile: Cite the canonical profile. /brand-wiki/moviepass · Editorial policy · How profiles are compiled