Can a pass system work? (movie pass, etc.)

The typical gym is essentially a pass system. Planet Money did a good episode on it: https://www.npr.org/2019/06/12/731987365/episode-590-the-pla...

The goal (if you have an exclusive good, where someone using the good prevents someone else from doig so) is to get folks who will pay the pass rate ("it's a deal") but use it less than the value of the pass.

Moviepass failed because they lost money on every subscriber and didn't get the critical mass to get discounted tickets to cinemas. They took an antagonistic stance towards the major theaters and lost.

That said it could have worked if they took a different approach. Businesses like theaters want to fill their seats and will gladly reduce prices if they aren't able to sell at the full ticket price initially. Basically the problem to solve isn't filling up the theater for the midnight release of the next Marvel film, it's filling in those seats for the art house flick in its second week before leaving theaters or packing the house until it leaves.

A subscription service that can put butts in chairs could work if it addresses that real market inefficiency. I believe one exists for this purpose on Broadway but I don't think it's an app. The danger is the theater doesn't want to enable scalping.

The other giant whole in the live and recorded media landscape is discovery. Customer acquisition costs are enormous for media producers (particularly the poor, local ones that are beloved but teetering on bankruptcy).

Basically what I'm saying is the model should be partnership with the venues and not attempts to disrupt them.

Here's something I'd pay $20 a month for. Give me two tickets every other weekend to some random show the day before at a theater or cinema. My partner and I will see it. Use whatever tech or business relationship to pick the day before what that is and we'll do it.

Movie pass failed because different theaters charge different prices depending on what the locals will pay to see a movie. Trying to even the prices out geographically meant that people near cheaper movie theaters didn't buy the passes, and people who went to more expensive ones did. They were fighting against market segmentation, which was obviously a failing strategy and I'm surprised they got any investors at all.

Season passes for ski resorts are a similar concept. A one-time payment can get you unlimited access to multiple resorts. They've been doing this for decades, so they've proven the concept works.

If it requires zero extra thought and is perfectly reliable, pass systems work.

As soon as there's inconveniences or you have to think specifically about where and when you can use it, the advantage fades and you're back to buying individual movie tickets or whatever.

Moving customers into exclusive services for pass holders doesn't necessarily make it a benefit in my view. I don't want to reacclimatize to both a pass system and a new experience, just give unfettered access or customization.

It just needs the cost to service be below the revenue.

Moviepass failed because they never got the movie studios onboard.

They’re trying to start up again somehow lol (I bet lousy streaming service).

Isn't that how gyms usually work? From Planet Fitness you can buy a black card that gets you into all of the franchises for whatever time you are paid.