Discount movie-ticket seller Dealflicks expands with Carmike Cinemas alliance

By Ryan Faughnder Staff Writer Follow March 1, 2016 11 AM PT Share via Close extra sharing options Email Facebook X LinkedIn Threads Reddit WhatsApp Copy Link URL Copied! Print Dealflicks, an online seller of discount movie tickets and concessions, is getting a major boost from cinema chain Carmike Cinemas. Carmike, the fourth largest U.S. theater operator, has agreed to let consumers use Dealflicks’ website to buy tickets for all 274 of its locations. It’s the biggest agreement for Dealflicks, the Los Angeles-based start-up that launched in 2012, as it tries to expand its reach to more customers. Advertisement Carmike first began testing the Dealflicks system at 18 locations in November 2014, and expanded to 44 test locations six months later. With the Carmike deal, Dealflicks is now available for more than 750 locations nationwide. “This essentially gets us past the critical mass point,” Sean Wycliffe, chief executive and co-founder of Dealflicks, said in an interview. “We have to have the theaters there before the customers can use us.” Dealflicks’ app has been described as Priceline for the movie theater industry, offering discounts of up to 60% on tickets. The app lets theater owners pick which movies they want to discount and at what price, and offers are often combined with deals on popcorn, soda and other concessions. Advertisement For now, Carmike plans to use Dealflicks to offer discounted concessions bundled with their ticket purchases. In the future, the chain could experiment with discounts on the tickets themselves. Cinema operators, facing long-term stagnation in theater attendance, want to use the technology to fill more seats. While the U.S.-Canada box office topped $11 billion for the first time last year, the number of actual tickets sold was mostly in line with recent years and down significantly from its peak. Fred Van Noy, Carmike’s chief operating officer, said Dealflicks’ offers could help boost attendance for days and times that typically suffer low turnout, and less popular movies. “We think we’re just scratching the surface,” Van Noy said. “The lifts that we’re looking for are during the midweek, when things are a little slower, or for movies that don’t have the most appeal.” Some theater owners have experimented with ways to increase attendance, though many have balked at the idea of discounted tickets, even for screenings that fail to fill auditoriums. Hollywood studios have supported more flexible ticket pricing. In January, Lionsgate, 20th Century Fox and the Walt Disney Co. invested $50 million in the Santa Monica start-up Atom Tickets. The digital company makes an app that organizes groups of moviegoers and secures discount pricing. Advertisement Dealflicks has grown quickly. It is projected to hit roughly $7 million in revenue this year, more than double its 2015 sales. While most theaters are using the technology to entice theater-goers with discounted concessions, a “healthy minority” of locations, including B&B Theatres, has used the dynamic pricing option for tickets themselves, Wycliffe said. “It really depends on what the theater wants to do,” Wycliffe said. “The way our platform works is it’s very flexible for the exhibitor.” Dealflicks also is trying to expand internationally and has spoken with theater owners in Europe, Latin America and Canada. Follow Ryan Faughnder on Twitter for more entertainment business coverage: @rfaughnder MORE: Oscars 2016 updates: How #OscarsSoWhite advocates will continue to fight for change, and behind-the-scenes images A roughly $15-million debut is predicted for ‘Gods of Egypt’ -- a $140-million film Weekend Box Office: ‘Deadpool’ wins and ‘Gods of Egypt’ gets a less-than-mythical second Viacom exploring sale of minority stake in Paramount Pictures More to Read Carrie Preston reveals the Season 3 guest star to whom she sent a ‘stalker-level fan email’ May 28, 2026 The secret to Ashley Padilla’s ‘SNL’ success? Being a ‘quiet little freak’ May 28, 2026 Chalamet’s quest for greatness ‘is what every actor is thinking.’ ‘Beef’ stars included May 27, 2026 Awards Sign up for The Envelope Get exclusive awards season news, in-depth interviews and columnist Glenn Whipp’s must-read analysis straight to your inbox. By continuing, you agree to our Terms of Service , which include arbitration and a class action waiver. You agree that we and our third-party vendors may collect and use your information, including through cookies, pixels and similar technologies, for the purposes set forth in our Privacy Policy such as personalizing your experience and ads. Login or register with email Agree & Continue Ryan Faughnder Follow Us X Ryan Faughnder is a former senior editor with the Los Angeles Times’ Hollywood Inc. team, which covers the business of entertainment. He also launched and wrote the entertainment industry newsletter The Wide Shot . A San Diego native, he earned a master’s degree in journalism from USC and a bachelor’s in English from UC Santa Barbara. Before joining The Times in 2013, he wrote for the Los Angeles Business Journal and Bloomberg News. Faughnder was previously a film business reporter for Company Town and was part of the team that was a 2022 Pulitzer Prize finalist for coverage of the “Rust” set shooting. More From the Los Angeles Times Awards Jason Bateman’s 2026 Emmy chances, by the numbers May 28, 2026 Awards Netflix isn’t airing the World Cup. But it still has big World Cup programming plans May 28, 2026 Awards Two real-life priests inspired Brad Ingelsby’s latest crime drama ‘Task’ May 28, 2026 Awards 6 standout stand-up specials to keep an eye on in this year’s Emmy race May 27, 2026 Most Read in Awards Awards ‘Jury Duty’: ‘Company Retreat’ star Anthony Norman reveals his post-stardom plans May 26, 2026 Awards Oscars host Conan O’Brien says ‘we will find the right tone’ for ceremony amid Iran war March 11, 2026 Awards 2026 Emmy predictions: best drama actress May 21, 2026 Awards 2026 Emmy predictions: best drama series May 21, 2026