The new original video series “Weekend Ticket” is hosted by Dave Karger, chief correspondent at Fandango. The movie recommendation show will feature celebrity interviews, fan interaction, film previews and advance ticketing opportunities.

“The goal of the show is to inform moviegoers about the weekend’s new releases in a fun and entertaining manner, and help them find the right movie that fits their mood and interests,” said Adam Rockmore, vice president of marketing at Fandango, Los Angeles.

“Weekend Ticket is an example of the new original content we’re delivering throughout our Web site and mobile apps that goes beyond show times and ticketing and covers the complete moviegoing experience – before, during and after the theater,” he said.

Mobile engagement
According to Fandango, Weekend Ticket will directly connect moviegoers to Fandango’s advance ticketing for that weekend’s top picks at one of its 20,000 screens nationwide.

The video series will also feature “Fanticipation,” a new movie buzz indicator that measures fan excitement based on advance sales, traffic and social media.

In the debut episode, Mr. Karger interviews Steve Carell from “The Incredible Burt Wonderstone,” which debuted on Friday.

Upcoming guests include Paul Rudd, Josh Duhamel and Paul Walker.

“We announced the show at SXSW through press activities and with a sneak preview video that was shown regularly at the Fandango Film Lounge,” Mr. Rockmore said.

“We will highlight Weekend Ticket in our weekly FanMail email newsletters and fan texts to millions of subscribers, through our social media channels, which includes nearly two million Facebook fans, within our YouTube channel and YouTube advertising and through blogger outreach programs,” he said.

“The show will also be highlighted each week throughout Fandango, which garners 41 million unique visitors per month.”

Past efforts
Fandango is no stranger to mobile.

Last year, Fandango reported that mobile ticket sales were up 107 percent year-over-year, showing how small purchases such as movie tickets are a hit with consumers (see story).

The company also partnered with AMC Theatres in February to expand the number of movie theaters that consumers can buy movie tickets via online and mobile (see story).

Most recently, Fandango’s mobile ticket sales increased 171pc year-over-year (see story).

“Mobile is hugely important to us, as more than 30 percent of our tickets are sold on mobile devices,” Mr. Rockmore said.

“Film fans on the go often make their movie-going decisions when they’re untethered from their home or office computers, and so it is critical for us to be able to debut this show online and on mobile at the same time,” he said.

“This is our first video series that we’ve made available on mobile, and the show’s format was designed for consumption on smartphones and on desktops.”

Final Take
Rimma Kats is associate editor on Mobile Commerce Daily, New York