Topline
More than 30,000 people tried to join the waitlist Thursday for the relaunch of MoviePass, temporarily crashing the site, CEO Stacy Spikes told Insider and a spokesperson confirmed to Forbes, suggesting renewed interest in the ticket subscription service that failed in 2019.
In this photo illustration, a MoviePass Inc. logo is seen on a smartphone and a pc screen.
Key Facts
MoviePass’s website was down for 2.5 hours because the company claimed it had high traffic, though service has since resumed, a spokesperson told Forbes.
Users were able to join the waitlist for the service starting at 9 a.m. ET on Thursday until Monday.
Some who tried to join the waitlist received an “error” message, according to screenshots posted to Twitter.
Spots on the waitlist are limited, though users who obtain a spot will receive 10 invites to give out to others.
MoviePass is relaunching in beta form on or around September 5.
Big Number
3 million. That’s how many users MoviePass once had in its heyday.
Key Background
MoviePass grew in 2017 when it began charging $9.99 a month for users to see one movie a day. Its number of users—and the number of movies—they were seeing skyrocketed. Struggling to keep cash on hand, Spikes, the founding CEO, was fired in 2018. Spikes re-acquired the once-bankrupt company last year, and announced its relaunch soon after. MoviePass announced its new pricing model on Monday. Instead of charging a flat monthly fee, users can choose between $10, $20 and $30 tiers, each that come with a certain number of credits that can be spent on movies. The company says the service will be rolled out in waves to markets across the country.
Further Reading
Beleaguered MoviePass Says It Will Relaunch Around Labor Day (Forbes)
MoviePass Is Coming Back This Summer—But Will Things Be Different This Time Around? (Forbes)
Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/marisadellatto/2022/08/25/moviepass-relaunch-30000-people-sign-up-for-waitlist-in-first-five-minutes-ceo-says/