Google is expanding the same technology that facilitates restaurant reservations on its platform to help boost digital ticket sales at over 70 movie theaters.
Android phone users are now able to use Google Assistant to find a showtime and buy tickets online through Google Assistant’s Duplex feature, an innovation first announced at this year’s Google I/O event.
After finding the right showtime, users can select a “Buy Tickets” option that leads them to an array of ticketing services, including Fandango, Atom Tickets, and participating exhibitor websites. Checkout is completed on a separate page where Google Assistant guides users through payment options. Integration with Google Chrome allows for a more expedited checkout experience, saving users the hassle of filling out payment fields by inserting saved payment information from the browser.
The feature is now live in the United States through circuits like AMC Theatres and MJR Digital Cinemas, and in the U.K. through Odeon, an AMC subsidiary.
Boxoffice Pro corporate parent The Boxoffice Company collaborated with Google to optimize the Duplex feature with four of its exhibitor clients earlier this year. According to Marine Suttle, Chief Product Officer of the Boxoffice Company, the feature produced increased conversion rates of 20 to 25% compared to Google’s regular One Box over a six month period. Duplex is now live for all of The Boxoffice Company’s exhibitor clients.
“At The Boxoffice Company, we’re constantly seeking new ways to innovate around smooth checkout,” said Suttle. “Through Google’s Duplex on the web technology, we will be able to streamline our customers’ movie ticketing purchase experience through the Google Assistant. We think this feature will be incredibly helpful for our users and we look forward to rolling it out.”
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