As MoviePass Struggles, Competitor Takes A Not-So-Subtle Shot

The theater subscription service MoviePass has been struggling to find its footing, most recently announcing big changes to limit its cash burn. That has led to competitors capitalizing on the opportunity to raise awareness of their own services. The online ticket retailer Atom is offering a buy-one-get-one deal on movie tickets, with a not-so-subtle dig at MoviePass's troubles.

A promotion spotted by Wario64 offers the B1G1 deal through the Atom app with the promo code "WEGOTYOU" at checkout. That's a good deal, but it's the phrasing for the promotion that takes an obvious swipe at MoviePass. "Unexpected outages? No blockbusters? We'll pass," it reads. The word "pass" is even in the same font and color as the MoviePass logo.

The language refers to a few different high-profile headaches for MoviePass. The subscription service promised all-you-can-eat theater visits for a monthly rate. But subscribers apparently used it more than expected, leading to huge cash-flow problems and the tendency for the app to stop working at times. That led to an announcement of a price hike as well as the new policy of not covering new blockbusters within the first two weeks.

Under the new MoviePass policy, the monthly fee will be $15 instead of $10, and movies that open on more than 1,000 screens nationwide won't be available until two weeks after release. That means you can't see the newest blockbusters right away, but if you can wait a couple of weeks it's still a decent deal. If you just can't wait to see Mission Impossible: Fallout, though, Atom's offer can fill the gap.