Sinemia is the latest player in the discounted movie ticket subscription business, launching in the U.S. after establishing a presence in the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia and Turkey, reports Film Journal. Subscribers to the private movie club choose a two-tickets-per-month or three-tickets-per-month package when they sign up. They’ll receive a Sinemia card in the mail, and then use that card to buy theater tickets using the Sinemia app, including tickets to 2D, 3D and IMAX movies, through the app, online, at the box office or at a box office kiosk.

Sinemia is available in major theatres across the U.S., and members can buy advance tickets and make seat reservations. Integrating with other apps like Uber, Sinemia also allows couples’ subscriptions with its ‘Sinemia for Two’ packages, ranging in price from $16.99 a month, billed annually to $30.99 a month. As part of a monthly membership, subscribers also get bonuses which include invitations to special events.

‘As a tech startup with a passion for movies, our goal is to create a more elevated moviegoing experience via offline and online integration,’ says Rifat Oguz, founder of Sinemia.

‘We offer prime memberships, including movie tickets and discounts to restaurants and cafés, that increase moviegoing frequency in a sustainable way. Already, we are successfully operating in five countries around the world and plan to open in four additional markets in the near future,’ Oguz added.’

Under the current promotional pricing (Oscar 2018 promo), two-tickets-per-month packages are $8.99 per month, billed annually, or $10.99 per month with no long-term commitment. Three-tickets-per-month packages are available for $13.99 per month, billed annually, or $15.99 per month with no long-term commitment.

According to Film Journal, Sinemia already has a strong international following with three million unique monthly visitors making more than 20 million visits to its app and its social media platforms. Much of that traffic is driven by Sinemia’s social page, a blog-style page with movie news, a list of the latest movies in theaters and the most anticipated movies. That is also part of Sinemia’s model, creating a more social moviegoing experience online and off.

Sinemia touts itself as the discounted movie ticket service with the least restrictions. Given MoviePass’s recent blackout of Red Sparrow in some markets, the timing of Sinemia’s launch is ideal. MoviePass essentially works the same way, though pricing and features are slightly different. According to NASDAQ, MoviePass has 1.5 million members already, creating a big stir in the discounted movie ticket marketplace.

Texas-based movie chain Cinemark launched its own membership program, Movie Club, last December, allowing members to buy discounted 2D movie tickets for $8.99 per ticket and get 20 percent off concessions and other perks. Compared to MoviePass and Sinemia, there doesn’t seem to be much incentive for moviegoers to subscribe to Cinemark’s Movie Club.

Insider Take:

The discounted movie ticket subscription market is relatively new, but it has caused quite a stir among movie theater chains in the U.S. This is interesting, particularly because each of these three subscription or membership programs – Sinemia, Movie Club and MoviePass – has a very different model and strategy.

Cinemark seems to be fostering loyalty among its moviegoers, while MoviePass is looking to amass subscribers so they can leverage them for other marketing opportunities. It isn’t clear what Sinemia’s goals or strategy are, but they seem to believe the American moviegoer market is ripe for such a service. So far, it looks like MoviePass is the clear winner in terms of subscribers, but it isn’t clear if their model is sustainable.