Movie Ticket Ordering Goes Mobile As Options Expand
By Edward Cardenas
SOUTHFIELD (CBS Detroit) - A night out at the movies is increasingly starting on a smart phone, and with the release this week of the new Amazon Fire Phone, that number could increase.
Movie ticketing service Fandango reports that more than 50 percent of the all of the tickets it sells are on smart phones, and this past weekend, the new release "Purge Anarchy" sold 70 percent of tickets sold were on mobile devices.
"We are seeing an enormous shift in movie going patterns where people used to just walk up to theater and buy their tickets ... now more and more people are buying them on their mobile devices," said Harry Medved, spokesman for Fandango.
Mobile sales may continue to increase as Fandango launches a new app to nearly coincide with the expected July 24 launch of the new phone from Amazon.
"It is very exciting to be a part of the #1 online retailer's entry into the mobile phone space, by bringing our #1 moviegoing destination to Amazon's Fire phone," said Paul Yanover, President of Fandango, in a release. "We are seeing an enormous shift in moviegoer behavior towards mobile, and look forward to working with Amazon to further grow mobile engagement and ticketing."
Fandango's new Amazon Fire app includes a feature with the top-10 movies on the home screen carousel with links to showtimes at nearby theaters along with a feature where users can tilt their phone to reveal Fandango user movie reviews, navigate moviegoing menus, and see custom video playlists of movie trailers and celebrity interviews.
Fire users will also be able to purchase tickets for new releases including Scarlett Johansson's "Lucy" and Dwayne Johnson's "Hercules," and advance tickets to Marvel's "Guardians of the Galaxy."
"Fandango is an innovative brand offering a seamless experience for moviegoers on the go," said Steve Rabuchin, Vice President, Amazon Appstore, in a release. "We're thrilled that Fandango has created an app for the Fire phone. We think customers are going to love the experience."
Fandango is also available on the mobile Web, Kindle Fire, iPhone and iPad (and via Siri), Android (and via Google Now), Windows Phone, Nook, Samsung Smart TV and Galaxy Note, Roku, and other platforms.