You'll Soon We Able to Take a Zoom Call Inside an AMC Movie Theater The two companies announced a new partnership this week.
By Emily Rella
The pandemic and lockdown restrictions created new ways to utilize video conference software, from Zoom happy hours to real estate open houses via FaceTime.
But now that many of us are back to meeting IRL, it hasn't stopped Zoom from continuing to make innovative partnerships. Movie chain AMC theaters will offer virtual Zoom Rooms where moviegoers can discuss cinema — or take a work meeting — from the comfort of the movie theater.
The partnership is targeted toward companies with remote workers or businesses where workers are "decentralized" and will offer theater rooms (usually sized between 75-150 seats) to host virtual meetings and events in three-hour time blocks that businesses can sign up for online.
"AMC has an abundance of attractive theatres at centrally located venues in city after city after city, each with ample seating capacity, especially so during daytime hours on weekdays when most meetings take place," Chairman and CEO of AMC Theatres, Adam Aron, said in a release. "Our state-of-the-art sight and sound technology is widely renowned and has made gathering in movie theatres one of the most popular out-of-home entertainment options in the United States. Zoom Rooms at AMC broadens our scope, as we now can participate as well in the multi-billion market for corporate and other meetings."
The concept will roll out in 2023 though it was not specified when and will debut in 17 major U.S. markets. AMC will provide food and beverage and offer the potential of private movie viewings, as well as other concierge offerings for an additional cost. AMC did not specify exactly what the rental rate will be in each market.
It's the latest move by the once-thriving movie theater chain that nearly hit bankruptcy in 2021 but was saved by fans and Reddit-goers who turned it into a meme stock, driving valuation above and beyond. AMC remains the largest movie theater chain in the world.
The company also announced at the end of last year that it would begin accepting cryptocurrency as payment at its theaters.
AMC was down just under 88% in a one-year period as of Tuesday morning.
