posted 03-08-2011 03:54 PM                

Alamo Drafthouse Partners With Fandango; Still Planning NY and LA Expansion

Source: slashfilm.com

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Often considered one of, if not the, best movie theater chains in the United States, the Alamo Drafthouse has just signed a deal to keep their empire expanding. They’ve partnered with the number one online ticket seller, Fandango, to sell tickets for all of their screenings both online and through mobile devices. The theater will also continue their current method of online sales, through their own site. In the press release for the announcement, which you can read in full below the jump, Alamo CEO Tim League (who was recently on the /Filmcast) mentioned that plans to expand to Los Angeles, New York and “other markets across the country” are still continuing.

Here’s what League had to say in the press release:

We’re ecstatic to partner with Fandango, the industry leader in online ticketing. Theatrical releases & our specialty programming can sell out days, even weeks in advance and sometimes after minutes of being available for purchase, so online and mobile ticketing is a huge part of our business. As we prepare to expand to Los Angeles, New York and other markets across the country, this Fandango partnership will be integral to reaching new moviegoers with easy access to advance ticketing.

The Drafthouse, which currently has several locations in the Austin area and across Texas, not only shows first run movies, but also a fantastic repertory slate. The Fandango ticket sales will include all of these including “Sing-Alongs, Quote-Alongs, Big Screen Classics, Terror Tuesdays, Weird Wednesdays, Films & Feasts, Live Score events and more.”

And while the Drafthouse already sold tickets online, as we said above, partnering with Fandango gives them a much bigger platform as well as the mobile access, which is becoming more and more important. To celebrate, they are planning a huge party at South by Southwest.

Here’s the original press release:

AUSTIN, Texas, March 8, 2011 /PRNewswire/ — The Alamo Drafthouse, “#1 theater in America” (Entertainment Weekly) and Fandango, the nation’s #1 moviegoer destination, have partnered to offer online and mobile ticketing on Fandango, in addition to current ticketing on Alamo Drafthouse sites. The online and mobile ticketing will cover first run films at all Alamo Drafthouse locations, as well as their special brand of signature programming, including Sing-Alongs, Quote-Alongs, Big Screen Classics, Terror Tuesdays, Weird Wednesdays, Films & Feasts, Live Score events and more. To celebrate the announcement Fandango & the Alamo Drafthouse will host a first-come, first-served party for festival badgeholders at the South By Southwest Film Festival in Austin, TX.

“We’re ecstatic to partner with Fandango, the industry leader in online ticketing. Theatrical releases & our specialty programming can sell out days, even weeks in advance and sometimes after minutes of being available for purchase, so online and mobile ticketing is a huge part of our business. As we prepare to expand to Los Angeles, New York and other markets across the country, this Fandango partnership will be integral to reaching new moviegoers with easy access to advance ticketing,” said Tim League, Alamo Drafthouse CEO & Founder.

“Alamo Drafthouse Cinema deserves its acclaim as one of the most innovative exhibitors in the country,” says Rick Butler, Chief Operating Officer and General Manager of Fandango. “We’re thrilled to work with Tim League and his Alamo team, as they’re constantly looking for new ways to redefine the cinema experience. They are all about providing showmanship for their customers, and we’re excited to help them make their screenings and events even more convenient, fun and memorable.”

In an effort to provide unique editorial & promote the Alamo Drafthouse experience to their users, Fandango will begin a weekly “Guide to the Alamo Drafthouse” highlighting special events and screenings so people will never miss out an opportunity to see “Robosaurus” before a TRANSFORMERS screening or paddle down a river in a canoe for an outdoor screening of DELIVERANCE.

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