Fandango’s Vudu will now serve as the official streaming platform for AMC Theatres on Demand. Current users of the AMC streaming platform can transfer their account to Vudu and immediately have access to their respective 200,000-plus film and television catalog.
Meanwhile, many titles previously purchases through AMC On Demand will be upgraded to the highest quality format available, including 4K Ultra HD. Consumers with applicable titles in their libraries will automatically receive those upgrades for free. Concurrently, existing AMC Theaters On Demand users will get 15% off Vudu purchases for their first month.
“AMC Theatres has been a valued exhibition partner of Fandango’s for more than two decades, and we’re thrilled to now offer our Vudu streaming service to AMC Theatres On Demand consumers,” said Fandango Vice President of Home Entertainment Cameron Douglas. “As consumers’ appetite for top-notch entertainment continues to grow, as well as their desire to watch the best movies both on the big screen and at home, this incredible collaboration with AMC Theatres will ensure that fans get seamless access to the premium content they love and crave.”
To migrate existing AMC content libraries to Vudu, AMC Theaters On Demand consumers can link their current Vudu account using the same email address, or create a new Vudu account.
“As the first theatrical exhibitor in the United States to bring first-rate films through the life cycle from theatres to home, we at AMC take pride in having served our guests through a multitude of platforms during the pandemic,” said Nikkole Denson-Randolph. The Senior Vice President, Content Strategy & Inclusive Programming continued, “As we continue to evolve our business and remain focused on Making Movies Better by enhancing the theatrical experience, we’re even more excited to expand our relationship with a trusted partner, who will ensure a continued preeminent experience for those consumers who are streaming their post-theatrical movies at home.”
This marks a change in the stream ecosystem, as AMC will go from having its own platform to being akin to a distributor in terms of supplying theatrical titles for eventual VOD availability. And since theatrical titles still dominate the various VOD platforms (Vudu, iTunes, Google, YouTube, Amazon, etc.), this is yet another secondary value for AMC to promote the theatrical offerings, be it through advertising or subscription services.
After all, the better a movie performs at AMC theaters, the more valuable it will be when it arrives on Vudu. The two films currently dominating every relevant platform are “John Wick: Chapter 4” and “The Super Mario Bros. Movie.” Once again, the biggest predictor of VOD or streaming success is a successful theatrical run. Meet the new status quo, same as the old status quo.
