In Châlons-en-Champagne (Marne), the cinema La Comète has just launched a partnership with the platform Ozzak which offers discounted cinema tickets for everyone. This art house cinema is aiming to reach a new audience. Other cinemas in Nancy and Sarrebourg (Moselle) are also using this service.
Reduced prices to avoid empty seats, that was the initial idea behind the Ozzak platform created in 2022 by three cinema enthusiasts from Nantes. This service, already used by nearly 90 cinemas in France and Belgium, has recently been implemented at the cinema La Comète in Châlons-en-Champagne. It is the fourth establishment in the Grand Est region to join in after the two Caméo cinemas in Nancy and the Cinésar in Sarrebourg (Moselle).
“The partner cinemas decide for themselves on the sessions concerned, the number of seats, and the prices offered,” explains Sylvain Mante, the co-founder of this platform. “Some cinemas, for example, target less crowded screenings.” La Comète has chosen to sell about ten tickets for each session through this platform, except for special events.
Usually, reduced prices are aimed at specific categories: students, seniors, under 14s. This time, they are accessible to everyone, without age restrictions, cards, or subscriptions. Prices range from 5 or 6 euros, depending on the sessions, plus 79 cents of management fees for the platform. In comparison, the full price for a La Comète ticket is 7.50 euros, which is not excessive compared to other cinemas.
“The idea is not to compete with ourselves, as we already offer many advantageous rates, especially on Thursdays or for those who buy 10-ticket cards,” says Mathilde Boureau, the cinema manager and programmer of La Comète. “The goal is primarily to reach a new audience that may not be aware of this cultural venue in the center of Châlons and to strengthen our online visibility.”
Since their partnership in early March, about twenty spectators have bought their tickets through this platform. “It’s starting slowly,” says the Châlons programmer, “but we have noticed that there were people coming for the first time to La Comète thanks to Ozzak. This is what we were looking for because our establishment can suffer from an outdated image with elitist and less accessible works, even though we strive to offer demanding and mainstream programming.”
In Nancy, the two art house cinemas Caméo (La Commanderie and Saint-Sébastien) have been using this system since September 2024. A few tickets are offered each day on Ozzak for 6 euros instead of almost 10 euros full price. Last year, around 500 spectators used this platform to buy tickets for these two Nancy cinemas. “It’s not huge, but it has brought us a younger audience,” says Bruno Brouté, the communication manager of Cameo in Nancy. “And it doesn’t cost the cinema anything, it’s just a bonus.”
Similarly in Sarrebourg, in Moselle, where the director of Cinésar, Lionel Chaffiol, is satisfied with this platform, which he was already working with in a previous cinema in Le Touquet. Every month, Ozzak brings him between 200 and 250 spectators since January. “Especially young people, who sometimes come with one of their parents.”
This service aims to overcome several barriers to cinema attendance: the price, but also the loss of habit or lack of information. According to Sylvain Mante, co-founder of the platform, “65% of users increase their cinema attendance thanks to these offers. It is a gateway to win them back and introduce them to new films that they might not have seen without this promotion.”
