Lionsgate Pacts With Groupon on 'Lincoln Lawyer'

TORONTO -- Lionsgate is pacting with Groupon to sell half-price $6.00 tickets for The Lincoln Lawyer, starring Matthew McConaughey, Marisa Tomei and Ryan Phillippe, and opening wide this Friday.

The tub-thumping exercise marks the first partnership between digital deal pioneer Groupon and its 60 million online subscribers and a major film studio.

The two-day online promotion set for March 16 and 17 will see cinema-goers potentially purchase tickets via Groupon and receive a special code to redeem tickets through Fandango.

"Groupon is one of the most dynamic young companies in the world today, and their emergence as a digital commerce pioneer made them the perfect online partner for Lionsgate and The Lincoln Lawyer,” Lionsgate vice chairman Michael Burns said in a statement.

Lionsgate’s partner on the thriller, Lakeshore Entertainment, also signed on to the half-price ticket promotion, which includes a revenue split between Groupon, the movie producers and theatres.

Besides a discount coupon offer to its online subscribers via email or social media, Groupon will target its 10,000 affiliates, including websites, blogs and print publications.

The deal was hammered out for Lionsgate by David Spitz, executive vp of domestic distribution, Mike Polydoros, executive vp of exhibitor relations & operations, and Danielle DePalma, vp of new media, and Sumir Meghani, director of business development for Groupon.