MoviePass has had a tough time recently, between literally running out of money, suffering an effective 99.999% loss in adjusted stock value from last year's peak, and trying to cut member benefits even as it increases prices. But the company is still taking its future quite seriously. In an unexpected move, it has decided not to increase subscription prices. Instead, it'll be switching to a three movie per month maximum, with a $5 discount for any tickets beyond that. Peak Pricing and Ticket Verification—two common customer complaints—will also be axed.

The near-unlimited movie binging days are over, but MoviePass doesn't think many of its customers will actually care too much. Apparently, only 15% of subscribers see four or more films with the pass per month, so most people with a MoviePass shouldn't even notice. Past that, the $5 discount is enough to typically cover between 1/2 to 1/4 of a standard ticket's price in most areas, so the price difference could still be worth it for those that spend a bit more time at the theater.

The new plan will also "include many major studio first-run films," and will suspend previous unpopular moves including Peak Pricing and Ticket Verification. Subscribers will transition to this new plan upon renewal, starting August 15th. Parts of MoviePass' associated press release make this sound like a mandatory move, but later the company also implies that customers will have a choice when the time comes. Annual subscribers will not be affected until their renewal dates land.

MoviePass and owners Helios and Matheson Analytics (Nasdaq: HMNY) believe that these changes, which only exclude a fraction of its most expensive customers, should benefit the company when it comes to long-term sustainability. Investors seem to agree at least in part, as prices are up 20% today, with an additional 8% in after-hours trading at the time of writing. Granted, 20% of $0.08 doesn't represent much of a change, and these gains don't make up for the company's incredible losses over the last week, month, or year.

If cutting that 15% fat doesn't balance the budget, MoviePass is in trouble once it finally burns through the .2 million in cash it borrowed.

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