A revolution of incalculable effects reaches the movie theaters. The Cinesa chain launches what has been called 'the Netflix of cinemas', that is, a monthly flat rate that will allow you to see all the movies you want in the company's establishments. It is the first cinema subscription program in Spain and its objective is to stand up to streaming and get the public back to theaters.
The new model will be presented in April and will be gradually activated from that month on in all the company's rooms.
The Unlimited Card – this is the name of the new card – will be available in two formats: the Standard (15.90 euros) and the Luxe (18.90, which will include the De Luxe rooms of the chain, of higher quality, for example with seats reclining). There will also be annual subscriptions of 149 euros (Standard) and 189 euros (Luxe). It can be purchased online (www.cinesa.es) or at theater kiosks and ticket offices, as well as, as up to now, individual tickets. It will also give the right to discounts on purchases of popcorn and other products and to invitations for special passes.
According to the company, it is about "offering viewers new formulas for cinematographic consumption that adapt to their new needs and that respond to the transformation of a constantly changing sector", in the words of Ramon Biarnés, managing director of the Odeon group. .
The sector is now waiting for the reaction of the other film exhibition groups, such as Balañá, Yelmo, Ocine, Kinepolis or Renoir.
The latest Survey of Cultural Habits and Practices, made public by the Ministry of Culture in September, indicated that subscriptions to audiovisual content payment platforms (Netflix, Amazon Prime, HBO, Filmin...) had increased 13.9%, being used by 52.8% of the population. Only 27.7% of those who went to the movies before the pandemic were still doing so in 2021.
Cinesa is the leading film exhibition company in Spain, with some 450 theaters, distributed among the 37 cinemas it has in various Spanish cities, especially in Madrid (where it has 14 cinemas) and Barcelona, with 8. Its Catalan theaters are the de Diagonal, Diagonal Mar, La Maquinista, Barnasud, , Som Multiespai, La Farga (L'Hospitalet), Parc Vallès (Terrassa) and Mataró Parc. It belongs to the Odeon group, the largest exhibitor in Europe, owned since 2016 by AMC Theatres, the largest cinematographic exhibition chain in the world.
