Plex now helps sell movie theater tickets

Plex, meanwhile, is aiming to be “the place where people can discover what to watch, regardless of where that content lives,” Scott Olechowski, Plex’s co-founder and chief product officer, said in a statement.

Content discovery is a frequently cited challenge in the streaming industry, with various players, including smart TV OS operators, streaming service providers, and generative AI chatbots, trying to crack it. If Plex could use its user data to drive worthwhile recommendations, monetizing its content discovery could prove lucrative.

“For studios and advertisers, we’re also creating a more measurable path from discovery to purchase, helping marketers understand which campaigns are converting,” Olechowski said.

Plex’s Fandango partnership contrasts with its media server business, which lets users share movies they own with friends and family without paying Hollywood licensing fees.

The foray into movie ticket sales comes over two-and-a-half years after Plex launched its streaming service, where people can rent movies. Plex also launched a free ad-supported television (FAST) streaming service and has added social media capabilities to its platform.

These ventures give Plex additional revenue streams beyond its media server software. As it stands, the businesses coexist peacefully: Someone who only wants to use Plex for media hosting doesn’t have to use Plex’s on-demand streaming services. They can also opt out of some of Plex’s data sharing. (Notably, Plex says it collects data from media server users “searching on Plex.”)

On the media-hosting side, Plex has discussed challenges in making lifetime passes financially sustainable. Its new businesses may help fund advancements and/or maintenance to Plex’s media software. At the same time, the company appears largely focused on building out the non-server-software aspects of its business.