AMC Theatres announced Thursday that its Sightline tiered pricing plan that charged less for front row seats and more for seats farther back with better views will not be permanent after all.

The pilot test in the New York City, Chicago and Kansas City, Missouri, markets was launched Feb. 10 and is due to finish soon. 

The program showed that customers were willing to pay the upcharge for the Preferred Sightline seats, with more than three out of every four AMC moviegoers choosing that section. Yet charging less for front-row seats did little to increase the number of customers there. 

In addition, AMC’s competitors did not rush to match their tiered-pricing initiatives. To keep their prices competitive, AMC explained, the Sightline program will stop.

Instead, the theater chain will aim to incentivize sitting in the front row by making those seats more attractive. How? By letting customers lay back as they would on a couch at home.

“Beginning in late 2023, AMC will begin testing its newest seating concept. Large, comfortable lounge style seating areas will allow guests to lay all the way back and relax. The angle of the seats will also make it more enjoyable to watch movies from these front-row seats closest to the screen,” AMC explained in its announcement.

AMC did not mention whether new front-row seats will be subject to a pilot program or which U.S. markets would receive the new seating first.

• Brad Matthews can be reached at bmatthews@washingtontimes.com.