2020 hasn’t been the best year for most people or companies, largely thanks to the ongoing COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic that seems adamant about sticking around for the foreseeable future. The outbreak has now infected at least 20 million people worldwide and resulted in nearly 750,000 deaths. Meanwhile, many businesses have either been forced to remained closed or deal with extremely strict cleaning policies and safety precautions to help mitigate the spread of the novel virus.
One such type of business that’s struggled to reopen are theater chains, with nearly every theater in the United States – which is still the epicenter of the pandemic – remaining closed to the public. This has resulted in some analysts predicting that AMC Theatres will be incapable of surviving the lengthy shutdown. Although, recent comments from the top of the company’s chain of command indicate that they have a lot of confidence in their future.
During an earnings call with investors last week, AMC Theatres CEO Adam Aron said that he feels they’ve survived the pandemic. He even believes that their theaters in Europe should be open in time for Christopher Nolan’s Tenet to debut later this month.
But it’s not all good news, as according to Aron, the continued survival of the business will come at a cost to consumers. AMC Theatres will now have to follow extremely intensive cleaning practices alongside implementing reduced theater capacity so as to avoid transmission of the virus from close contact with others. And as you may very well have guessed, the company intends to recoup much of the money they’re losing from you.
During the earnings call, Aron made it clear that these additional costs will be passed down to the consumer, meaning you’re likely to encounter higher ticket prices and an increase in the cost of food and drinks. It’s not optimal for moviegoers, but it may be worth it for many who are eager to return to seeing films on the big screen.
What do you think about all this, though? Would you pay increased prices to see upcoming blockbusters like Tenet or Black Widow at AMC Theatres? Let us know in the comments section below.