We have been buying and printing movie tickets from Fandango for years, but how we buy they has been subtly shifting over the years. According to Fandango, 20 percent of the tickets it sold this summer were bought from a mobile device. The sales were generated from its mobile apps and newly redesigned mobile website.
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 just broke records with its opening weekend, and that was due in large part to Fandango. Of the record-breaking $169 million dollar opening, 19 percent of those tickets were bought through Fandango. The company knows that the future of movie ticket sales is mobile, which is why it has focused on improving its mobile website.
Smartphones aren’t just for Web browsing anymore, as mobile movie ticket sales continue to rise. One of the main reasons so many tickets were able to be purchased from mobile devices is due to the new paperless ticket option. Moviegoers are now able to purchase tickets from their phone, and display a barcode to participating movie theaters instead of printing out the tickets at home. Without this option, buying tickets from your mobile device would almost be pointless, since you would have to find a printer before heading to the theater.
One feature that has been available on the iPhone app (which is one of our favorite iPhone apps) has also migrated to the mobile site recently. The “Go Now” button will show nearby movies starting within the hour. With it becoming easier for people to search movies, and buy tickets on their mobile devices we are sure the percent of mobile Fandango purchases will only increase.