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As far as movie ticket prices go, line only go up. Over the last two decades, the average ticket price has increased from approximately $6.41 in 2005 to $11.31 in 2025, according to The Numbers. But that’s just the average. In Los Angeles, the price of a regular ticket in one of AMC’s Laser auditoriums, the company’s least expensive option, is $20.49. For Dolby Cinema, the company’s second-most premium offering, a regular ticket is $26.49. If one wanted to go IMAX for F1, it’s $29.18. So yeah, at least in the movie capital of the U.S., seeing a movie is about twice as expensive as the average. But with AMC’s new discount days, movie-starved Angelenos can finally pay the average price.
Adding to its matinee discounts, which range from 15-20% off, and half-priced Wednesdays, AMC will introduce half-priced Tuesdays, starting July 8, further increasing the opportunities for people to see movies without breaking the bank. The company will also offer discounts on small popcorn and soda combos on its discount days, but online ticketing fees and premium format charges remain in effect. However, it should be noted that this offer is exclusive to AMC Stubs members, the company’s free loyalty program.
Recent surveys, as well as common sense, conclude that cost does affect whether people will go to the movies or not. According to Statista, 42% prefer to watch newly released movies at home, while 40% prefer to watch them in the theater. 18% have no preference, which is simply ludicrous. These freaks need to get off the fence and see a good movie in a theater. As a study by JMS Reports found, the rising costs of movie tickets have been a detriment to theaters, which have seen declines in attendance since 2019, even before the pandemic. Yet the demise of cinema has been greatly exaggerated. In 2024, the box office was down 38% compared to 2019. This year, it’s 25% down. In 2024, 760 million tickets were sold. By mid-2025, we will have reached 745 million. Just for fun, we’ll remind everyone that 2023 sold 819 million tickets, revealing, again, the power of a Barbenheimer event in which studios release two movies people want to see in a single weekend. 2023, what a time to be alive.
