Cineplex says that movie trivia app TimePlay will no longer be available at its theatres as of 2021.
In a statement Thursday, the country’s largest theatre chain said that the move to cut their partnership with the tech company that operates the app came amid “really tough decisions” since the start of the novel coronavirus pandemic.
“As a result, I can confirm that after nearly 32 million games and over 330 million SCENE points awarded, the end of 2020 saw the final TimePlay game played at our theatres,” wrote Cineplex spokesperson Sarah Van Lange.
“We want to sincerely thank all of the dedicated fans for playing TimePlay on our screens over the years and appreciate their understanding.”
TimePlay allowed theatre guests to compete against others watching the same movie by testing their cinematic trivia, with the chance of earning points and other offers as the final reward.
Beta tests for the app were first launched in 2011, and had garnered enough buzz to even attract some U.S. movie chains.
Over time, support for the app was made available to 56 of the more than160 theatres owned by Cineplex.
Since the start of the pandemic, movie theatre chains like Cineplex took a major financial hit as provincially-ordered restrictions saw the closures of movie theatres alongside many other places of public gathering.
The company has since sold its head office in Toronto for $57 million in December in another effort to consolidate its debt amid the struggles caused by the pandemic.
Timeplay’s owners eventually began to look at other ways to get customers during the country’s periodical lockdowns, even launching an at-home trivia night on the phone app.
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