Comments on: Video Blog: Pre-Selected Seats At The Movies

By: Matt Gamble

Matt Gamble — Sat, 30 May 2009 04:33:32 +0000

@Calviin, most theaters are around 200 seats in multiplexes. If you take a 16 screen multiplex, on average you will have 2 theaters that are 350-400 seats. 2 theaters that are 200-300, 8 theaters that are ~125-175, and 4 that are 100 or less. This is primarily because stadium seating drasticly limits the amounts of seats you can have, as you are essentially reducing your row count in half. The theaters may look huge, but the amount of seats is surprisingly small.

Plus with how big the dropoffs are after the initial week, those movies that play in the big houses on their opening weekend need theaters half the size each successive weekend. By week 4, any theater over 100 seats is a waste of space and potential revenue for the theater.

By: Jopo

Jopo — Wed, 27 May 2009 17:42:52 +0000

That is just unbeliveable. I think there are only few singular theaters in Finland that don’t have pre-selected seats. But on the other hand, we also have to virtually endure monopoly of one theater-chain…

Pre-selected seats are cool, though :)

By: kevin [ jonathancranehiscameo]

kevin [ jonathancranehiscameo] — Wed, 27 May 2009 07:55:49 +0000

What if your theater seat has the cupholder on the ground and you got back problems ? So also when a big man is sitting in front of you and you dont see anything, this also counts for annoying children with there parents ?

By: Calviin

Calviin — Tue, 26 May 2009 18:30:47 +0000

200 seats? What US theatre have you gone to that only has 200 seats? Those are some small theatres.

By: Calviin

Calviin — Tue, 26 May 2009 18:28:34 +0000

This could be nice, but also a pain. I think I prefer things the way they are now. I rarely have trouble with finding a seat. The only times I do are when I arrive late and I think I can handle taking the blame for that one. That’s not a case where I would blame the theatre for my bad seat. Additionally, my friends and I often do not plan our movie ahead of time and rarely get tickets much earlier than 15 mins before seating (except when we are going to early pre-screenings, of course, but I don’t think they count here). I guess that also depends on when you are going though. I can’t remember the last time I saw a movie on a Friday or Saturday.

By: Mahesh

Mahesh — Tue, 26 May 2009 16:43:30 +0000

Almost 98% of multiplexes (theater chains) in India have pre-selected seat options. Dont know why U.S doesnt practice it.

By: Elvis

Elvis — Tue, 26 May 2009 05:56:08 +0000

stan the man!

By: Steve

Steve — Tue, 26 May 2009 04:41:16 +0000

Same thing at the Megaplex’s in Salt Lake City.

By: terminals

terminals — Tue, 26 May 2009 02:52:29 +0000

they do this in village cinemas in australia and i didn’t really rate it to be honest.

most screens in a multiplex are different, sometimes choosing a certain row will get you where you want and sometimes it wont. i prefer getting in and then gauging where i want to sit.

compulsory pre-purchase online for optimal seating creates a class divide in a cinema going experience. those without access to a computer or to the internet will be left with worse seats.

if someone is sitting in your seat and refuses to move, won’t some form of security need to be implemented to avoid altercations?

there’s your disadvantages. whether they are disadvantages to you is another thing entirely.

By: Edvin

Edvin — Tue, 26 May 2009 01:24:56 +0000

In Soviet Russia seats pre-select you.