Fandango Launches Comprehensive Theater Reopening Program

Photo Credit: Fandango

This morning, Fandango unveiled its plan to welcome consumers back to movie theaters as the reopening process prepares to hit full stride in the coming weeks.

The company’s initial offerings will include a comprehensive directory of items important to patrons such as detailed health and cleaning policies of more than 100 movie chains, seating maps broken down by social distancing requirements, and filter-based searches to help moviegoers locate which theaters near them are currently open, among other features.

As one of the world’s leading online movie ticketing sites, Fandango’s initiative here is a significant milestone in the broader recovery process of the domestic and international theatrical markets.

At present, the first major tentpole releases are currently planned for July 24 (Disney’s Mulan) and July 31 (Christopher Nolan and Warner Bros.’ Tenet), while a handful of other titles are also on the slate for mid-to-early July.

Photo Credit: Fandango

Fandango’s official press release:

FANDANGO LAUNCHES COMPREHENSIVE THEATER REOPENING PROGRAM TO HELP FANS GO BACK TO MOVIE THEATERS WITH CONFIDENCE

Fandango to Introduce New Product Features and Resources, Including Health and Safety Policies Provided by More Than 100 Theater Chains, Social Distance Seating Maps, Reopened Theaters Search Filtering, and Much More

LOS ANGELES (June 23, 2020) – To support the reopening of movie theaters across the country, Fandango announced today the launch of a multi-dimensional program to help moviegoers go back to theaters with confidence and peace of mind. Starting today, Fandango.com and Fandango mobile apps will begin rolling out new resources and product functionality, including social distance seating maps, a one-stop guide to safety policies provided by more than one hundred theater chains, a special search filter to find reopened theaters by location, instructional videos and more.

“At Fandango, our mission has always been super-serving fans with their entertainment needs, and we cannot wait to help fans get back to the big screen safely and at the right time,” said Fandango President Paul Yanover. “It’s a complicated rollout, with various states, cities and counties opening their venues in different phases.  We hope Fandango will serve as a helpful one-stop resource for fans to find all the information and services they need for a comfortable return to their local theaters.”

In Fandango’s one-stop guide to health and safety policies provided by theaters across the country, moviegoers can expect to find information that theaters have provided about auditorium occupancy and social distance seating, mask and protective equipment policies, enhanced cleaning measures, special concession services, and more.

“We are working closely with our friends in exhibition to help get their ticketing back online and film fans back in seats with peace of mind,” said Melissa Heller, Fandango’s vice president of domestic ticketing. “In addition to our new product features, Fandango’s mobile ticketing will be an added benefit, helping moviegoers and cinema employees reduce the number of contact points at the box office and throughout the theater.”

When theaters begin to reopen, Fandango plans to mobilize many of its other digital properties, including Rotten Tomatoes, Movieclips on YouTube,  and its far-reaching social media and performance marketing platforms to help moviegoers get the resources and information they need. The company is also planning to support the reopening of theaters and new films scheduled to release this summer with a steady stream of original video, editorial and social content, celebrating the moviegoing experience.

For members of Fandango’s free-to-join VIP+ loyalty program, Fandango is extending expired rewards for an additional 60 days so that Fandango customers will have more time to use the rewards they’ve earned. Understanding that moviegoing plans can change, especially during uncertain times, Fandango offers the ability to refund and exchange ticket purchases up to the posted showtime.  In addition, Fandango customers now have the added convenience of self-processing refunds as a guest user, with no account required.

About Fandango

Fandango is the ultimate digital network for all things movies and TV, serving more than 60 million unique visitors per month, according to comScore, with best-in-class movie and TV information, movie ticketing to 33,000 U.S. screens, trailers and original video and home entertainment. Its portfolio features leading online ticketers Fandango, MovieTickets.com and Flixster; world-renowned movie review site Rotten Tomatoes; and Movieclips, the #1 movie trailers and content channel on YouTube. Fandango’s movie discovery and ticketing innovations can also be found on mobile, social, AI and voice platforms. Fandango’s video on-demand service, FandangoNOW, offers new release and catalog movies and next-day TV shows to more than 200 million connected, over-the-top (OTT) and mobile devices. In Latin America, the company operates leading online ticketers Ingresso.com and Fandango Latin America.

Photo Credit: Fandango