MoviePass stops people seeing popular films and increases subscription price as problems continue

The service has run into a wide variety of issues as money seems to run out

Guests attend A Night At The Roxy with MoviePass in New York City (Craig Barritt/Getty Images for MoviePass)

MoviePass is going to stop people seeing popular films as it struggles to remain afloat.

Subscribers will have to pay more for their subscription and will be banned from using their free tickets to see some of the biggest movies when they are released, the company announced.

MoviePass has been struggling in recent weeks, as it has been hit by service outages, and complaints. At least some of those problems appear to have been caused by money problems at the company, amid suggestions that the cheap subscription price and free cinema tickets is failing to generate enough revenue.

Those issues were compounded this week as people found themselves unable to watch the new Mission: Impossible – Fallout using their tickets.

Now the company has confirmed that it will increase its much-loved but reportedly problematic $9.95 price point, which has been in operation for a year. That will go up to $14.95.

It also said that "First Run Movies opening on 1,000+ Screens to be limited in their availability during the first two weeks, unless made available on a promotional basis".

In practise, that means that the biggest films will not be available to MoviePass subscribers until two weeks after they are out.

It said that decision had been made "to enhance discovery, and to drive attendance to smaller films and bolster the independent film community". But it is probably an attempt to stop the cash burn that has hit the company as it struggles to pay for the expensive films its customers want to see.

MoviePass's parent company, Helios and Matheson Analytics, made the announcement in a press release that said the aim was to "accelerate the plan for profitability".