fandango.com
Since the rise of streaming services, the landscape of the film industry has changed substantially. With streaming services such as Netflix, Hulu, and Amazon Prime Video becoming increasingly popular, many different ways of releasing films and viewership habits have emerged.
At one time, going to the movie theater was a physical necessity in order to see new films. This is largely due to the fact that the cinema was mainly used as a cultural fixture in countries such as the United States, where it was comparatively rare for people to have access to films. People would often dress up and spend their weekend going to the movies in order to see their favorite stars.
From the 1950s through to the 1990s, movie theaters changed as time went on. In earlier years, going to the movies was seen more as an extravagant night out on town. However, by the end of the century, it had become more commonplace for people to visit theaters.
Teenagers and young adults often flocked to movie theaters during these years for dates. And it's not hard to see why. The atmosphere is much more romantic than at a restaurant, where physical touch would be less likely and conversation would be more difficult. Plus, going to a movie is always enjoyable, no matter what. Afterward, you can talk about what you saw and how it made you feel
Despite being a common activity in the past, today's movie theaters have lost a lot of their popularity due to their sporadic use. They are commonly used for special occasions like birthdays or holidays, but are not as frequented as they once were.
Interestingly, the number of people going to the theater has decreased by an alarming sixty-five percent since 2000. The reasoning being that one can now watch any movie they want for a fraction of the price by just turning on their computer or watching it on Netflix. Is this really what we want? Some people feel as if this trend is taking away the joy and excitement that comes with going to see a movie in theaters.
Not everybody agrees that going to the movie theater is a unique and unrivaled experience. And, sure enough, if you only occasionally find yourself wanting to go to the movies, then your home entertainment center probably pales in comparison to the top-notch projectors and speakers that they'll have at your local movie theater.
Despite its declining popularity, the cinema remains very popular today. Especially thanks to sites and apps like Fandango that make purchasing tickets easier and quicker than ever before.
History
Fandango was founded on April 27th, 2000. The service was immediately successful, and revenue streams grew steadily for several years. However, in the 21st century, movie theater chains caught on more and more to the internet age, offering their own ticket selling services through their websites. Alongside this came a new generation of moviegoers who began simply printing their own tickets at home. This caused a pretty big blow to Fandango - however, it was not enough to sink the company.
In April of 2007, Fandango was acquired by Comcast. In 2012, the company announced a partnership with Yahoo! Movies, which would place Fandango in the position of the official online movie ticketer for registered Yahoo! users. Fandango has managed to continue to thrive against all factors of adversity through smart acquisitions and corporate partnering strategies such as being acquired by Comcast in 2007 and announcing a partnership with Yahoo! Movies in 2012.
FROM THERE, FANDANGO HAD THE FUNDS TO BEGIN ACQUIRING SMALLER COMPANIES FOR THEMSELVES. BETWEEN 2012 AND TODAY, FANDANGO HAS ACQUIRED BRASILIAN TICKETING COMPANY, INGRESSO; M-GO (WHICH WOULD LATER BECOME FANDANGO NOW); FLIXSTER; AND ROTTENTOMATOS. IT APPEARS AS IF FANDANGO'S REFUSAL TO GIVE UP HAS PAID OFF FOR THEM IN THE LONG RUN.
Design
The Fandango website is designed to be flashy and attention-grabbing without overwhelming the viewer. The website uses bright orange and blue colors against a white background, which catches the viewer's eye. However, this design does not overpower the viewer and quickly presents slides of featured content, including movie recommendations, exclusive interviews, and inside scoops on Hollywood.
The scrollable horizontal window at the top of the page reveals all of the movies currently in theaters. This is a great feature, as you can access it right from the home page on Fandango.com. Down the page, you will find offers from Fandango partner companies. I don't think ads are necessary on this site, but they are useful in relation to new and upcoming movies.
Content
Additionally, Fandango offers a variety of ticket deals and discounts, so it is definitely worth checking out their site if you are looking to buy tickets.
So evidently, you can purchase movie tickets on Fandango. That's kind of a given for a movie ticketing site. But what else does Fandango offer? Well for one thing, it's a great resource for keeping up to date with all the new and upcoming movies in theaters. So if you desired, you could easily use Fandango as a resource to be informed about new and upcoming films. Additionally, Fandango offers a variety of ticket deals and discounts which makes it definitely worth checking out their site if you're looking to buy tickets.
However, that is not all that Fandango does. There are also sections on the site dedicated to new streaming services, the top box office lists, trailers of upcoming films to get excited about, as well as tons of movie news and reviews. Plus, for consumers of film and media entertainment news, there are plenty of individual specialized sections for your reading pleasure.
Stay up-to-date on what's happening with the films and actors nominated for awards with Fandango's Awards Watch or Indie Movie Guide. For fans of horror, there is also news coverage dedicated to the genre. Additionally, Fandango offers a news section specifically tailored to families looking to find out what movies and shows are coming their way.
Desktop and Mobile Experience
As I have said before, I quite enjoy the site's overall design. It is just as optimized whether you are viewing it through your desktop web browser or the one on your phone. Fandango also has a sleek and useful app that is definitely worth checking out.
The Fandango app received 4.8 stars on the Apple App Store and boasts over one million 5-star reviews. It is sleek and intuitive, allowing users to buy tickets and pick seats in a matter of just a few taps of the thumb.
Pricing and Plans
Fandango does not offer any paid subscriptions or plans. Everything on the site is 100% free to use, including the tickets themselves. They even offer a service called Fandango VIP. This also comes with no extra fee and allows users to save money through rewards points, gain access to additional cross-promotional perks, receive no-stress refunds and ticket exchanges, and write movie reviews on the site. If you want to get the most out of Fandango, I don't see why you wouldn't take advantage of this free rewards program.
Suggestions that I have for Fandango
I suppose if I had to suggest anything to Fandango, seeing as the original content is still king these days, it would probably be a good idea for them to try their hand at producing some original content of their own, allowing users to stream it from their site. Even if they just did a short film or two, Fandango could generate exponentially more visitors (and, thus, potentially more ticket purchases) with some larger draw for people to visit the site.
Conclusion
Overall, Fandango is the best site when it comes to movie ticketing. One visit to Fandango.com and you will be excited for your next trip to the movie theater. Have fun!