Ready Theatre Systems

What Ready Theatre Systems does

Ready Theatre Systems (RTS) is a privately-held software development company founded in the early 1990s by Rob Chabot, an experienced theatre operator who built cinema-specific point-of-sale software to address the gap left by generic POS systems. Headquartered in Knoxville, Tennessee, RTS serves over 900 cinemas across the United States — including independent cinemas, large chains, drive-ins, family entertainment centers, and live venues — and has processed over one billion tickets and one billion transactions cumulatively. The company is founder-controlled with no disclosed external investors or parent organization, and operates with 11–50 employees organized across Sales, Development, Media, and Tech Support functions.

The RTS platform is a unified, Windows-based cinema management suite built around the core Point of Sale system and extended through interconnected modules. The Customer Experience Suite covers digital signage (with Chromecast integration), loyalty & memberships, online ticketing, branded iOS/Android customer apps, a browser-based usher app for ticket scanning, gift cards, and self-service kiosks; the Operations Suite covers film & schedule management, inventory tracking, web reporting, remote access, and multi-location chain management. The platform integrates with preferred payment processors (WorldPay, Heartland, Stripe), accounting (QuickBooks Online), analytics (Yellow Dog), remote support (FixMe.IT), and a range of hardware (Partner Tech Grace G4 terminals and kiosks, Touch Dynamic Quest VIII Ultra tablets, Epson thermal printers). An RTS API2 layer exposes endpoints for third-party integrations including upcoming-film retrieval, membership auto-renewal, partial refunds, and expiration updates.

RTS generates revenue primarily through annual software subscriptions ($2,140/year base license including one station, 24/7/365 support, and upgrades; $440/year per additional selling station), with incremental license fees of $1,200–$1,800 annually for non-integrated payment processors. Hardware (POS terminals at $1,675, kiosks, customer displays at $695, thermal printers at $295, cash drawers at $190) is sold as one-time purchases, and professional services — including training, new account setup, app setup, change-of-ownership transitions, and remote support — provide additional revenue. Go-to-market combines a demo-driven enterprise field sales motion, direct website inbound, hardware quote-based procurement, and active participation in regional cinema industry trade shows across the U.S. market.

Name

Ready Theatre Systems

Legal name

Ready Theatre Systems

Website

https://rts-solutions.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1990

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Ready Theatre Systems (RTS) is a privately-held, founder-controlled software company that builds Windows-based point-of-sale and cinema management software for over 900 independent cinemas, large chains, drive-ins, family entertainment centers, and live venues across the United States, generating revenue through annual software subscriptions, hardware sales, and integrated payment processing.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Cinema Point-of-Sale Software

NAICS

Motion Picture and Video Exhibition (51213), Motion Picture Theaters (except Drive-Ins) (512131), Amusement Parks and Arcades (7131), Promoters of Performing Arts, Sports, and Similar Events with Facilities (71131), Performing Arts Companies (7111)

SIC

Services-Motion Picture Theaters (7830), Services-Miscellaneous Amusement & Recreation (7990)

akta.pro primary industry

Ticketing & Admissions Platforms (Cinema/Festival) (MPADAKAM)

akta.pro secondary industries

Cinema Concessions & On-site F&B Operations (MPADAKAN), Venue Food, Beverage & Hospitality Operations (Concessions, Catering, Premium Seating) (MPAGALAN), Theater & Performing Arts Ticketing (HSACALAC), Venue Guest Services & Front-of-House Operations (Ushers, Box Office, Accessibility) (MPAGALAK), Nightclub & Small Live Venue Operations (Clubs, Bars with Stages) (MPAGALAF)

Keywords

• Cinema point of sale
• Ticketing management software
• Concession POS systems
• Theater management platform
• Kiosk hardware solutions

Headquarters

HQ city

Hartford

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Software

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain, Others

Revenue model

1. Software Licensing: Annual subscription-based licensing for RTS software platform. Base license includes one station with 24/7/365 support and software upgrades. Additional selling stations available at per-station pricing.
2. Hardware Sales: Sale of POS terminals, kiosks, tablets, receipt printers, customer displays, cash drawers, and accessories. One-time purchase model with per-unit pricing.
3. Integrated Credit Card Processing: Integrated payment processing through preferred partners (WorldPay, Heartland, Stripe). Credit card processing included with integrated processor; additional fees for non-integrated processors.
4. Professional Services: Training sessions, new account setup, app setup, change of ownership services, and remote support sessions.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Ready Theatre Systems provides a unified cinema-specific point-of-sale and management software platform that sells tickets, concessions, and food & beverage through POS terminals, web, mobile apps, and kiosks; its platform also includes digital signage, loyalty and memberships, online ticketing, inventory management, web reporting, and multi-location enterprise tools for independent cinemas, large chains, drive-ins, family entertainment centers, and live venues. Hardware (POS terminals, kiosks, tablets) and an API2 developer platform are offered alongside the software.

Product overview

Ready Theatre Systems (RTS) offers a unified cinema management platform built around its core RTS Point of Sale system, which provides ticket, concession, and food & beverage sales through terminal, web, app, and kiosk channels. The platform comprises interconnected modules including RTS Customer Experience Suite (digital signage, loyalty & memberships, online ticketing, branded apps, usher app, gift cards, and self-service kiosks) and RTS Operations (film & schedule management, inventory management, web reporting, and multi-location management). Hardware offerings include Partner Tech kiosk hardware, Grace G4 POS terminal, and Touch Dynamic Quest VIII Ultra tablet. The RTS API2 enables third-party integrations for film retrieval, membership management, refunds, and reporting. All components share a unified database and are designed for independent cinemas, large chains, drive-ins, family entertainment centers, and live venues.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• RTS Point of Sale Unified selling platform enabling ticket, concession, food and beverage sales through terminal, web, app, and kiosk channels with intuitive cinema-specific interfaces; targeted at cinema and entertainment venue operators.
• RTS Customer Experience Suite Customer engagement platform bundling digital signage, loyalty programs, memberships, online ticketing, branded mobile apps, usher app, gift cards, and self-service kiosks; for cinema operators looking to drive repeat visits.
• RTS Operations Enterprise-level management tools for cinema operators, including film and schedule management, inventory management, web reporting, remote connections, and multi-location chain management.
• RTS Digital Signage Digital signage platform for displaying movie showtimes, concession menus, promotional content, and directional information with custom designs by the RTS Media Team; targets cinema, family entertainment, and live venue operators.
• RTS Loyalty & Memberships Customer retention software offering customizable loyalty points programs with tiered membership levels, rewards redemption, and seamless enrollment across online and in-person channels; for cinema and entertainment venues.
• RTS Online Ticketing Web-based ticket sales platform with seamless secure checkout, seat reservations, and retention of all internet ticketing fees without additional RTS charges; for cinema operators' direct-to-consumer channels.
• RTS Customer App Branded mobile application for iOS and Android enabling cinema customers to browse showtimes, purchase tickets, earn loyalty points, order concessions, and receive notifications; offered to cinema operators as a white-label app.
• RTS Usher App Browser-based ticket validation application allowing theatre staff to quickly scan and redeem printed and digital tickets using any device with camera capabilities; for cinema and venue staff.
• RTS Kiosk Self-service kiosk solution for ticket purchases, ticket pickup, concession ordering, gift card reloading, and content rating verification with ADA-compliant design; deployed in cinema and entertainment venues.
• RTS Gift Cards Physical and virtual gift card program enabling online sales with instant email delivery for virtual cards and in-theatre fulfillment for physical cards; for cinema operators' consumer sales channels.
• RTS Inventory Management Integrated inventory tracking system with real-time stock adjustments from sales, detailed recipe tracking, automatic reporting, and granular ingredient monitoring down to the ounce; for cinema concession operations.
• RTS Web Reporting Remote access reporting platform enabling real-time sales data, inventory reports, employee performance, and labor cost analysis accessible from any device; for cinema owners and operators.
• Partner Tech Kiosk Hardware Floor stand and counter self-service kiosk hardware with 21.5-inch Full HD touchscreen, PCAP touch, Intel Kaby Lake i3/i5 processors, integrated thermal printer, 2D barcode scanner, and ADA-compliant design; for cinema and entertainment venue operators.
• Grace G4 POS Terminal Partner Tech all-in-one POS terminal featuring 15-inch touchscreen, Intel Celeron J6412 processor, IP54 spill and dust resistance, and support for up to 3 independent displays; for cinema and entertainment venue point-of-sale.
• Touch Dynamic Quest VIII Ultra Tablet Portable 8-inch POS tablet with Intel Elkhart Lake N6415 processor, 8GB RAM, 64GB storage, IP65 dust and waterproof rating, and hot-swappable dual battery system; designed for mobile theatre environments.
• RTS API2 Developer API enabling third-party platforms to pull upcoming films, process membership auto-renewals, execute partial refunds, update membership expiration dates, and integrate with Yellow Dog reporting; for integrator and partner developers.

Named customers1 record

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

Yes

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration11 records

Feature16 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• WorldPaycoreTechnology or IntegrationPreferred integrated credit card processor. RTS integrates with WorldPay to offer smooth and easy credit card experience with access to development, testing equipment, and better technical support. Processing included with base license.
• Heartland (Global Payments)coreTechnology or IntegrationPreferred integrated credit card processor. RTS integrates with Heartland to offer smooth and easy credit card experience with access to development, testing equipment, and better technical support. Supports PAX card readers including A35 and S300. Processing included with base license.
• StripecoreTechnology or IntegrationPreferred integrated credit card processor supporting online payments, refunds, and renewals. RTS integrates with Stripe for retail payment support and online payment integration. Processing included with base license.
• Partner TechcoreTechnology or IntegrationHardware partner for POS terminals (Grace G4) and self-service kiosks. Partner Tech kiosks are purpose-built for high-volume entertainment venues like cinemas and multiplexes.
• Touch DynamiccoreTechnology or IntegrationHardware partner for mobile tablet solutions. Quest VIII Ultra tablet is a rugged, high-performance POS tablet designed for busy theatre environments, fully compatible with RTS.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Vista Group (Vista Entertainment Solutions): Vista Entertainment Solutions is the dominant global cinema management software provider, offering POS, ticketing, loyalty, and back-office software to major cinema chains worldwide. It is RTS's most direct global competitor, with significantly greater scale and a cloud-native architecture serving enterprise cinema chains.
• CenterEdge Software: CenterEdge provides integrated POS and facility management software for family entertainment centers, amusement parks, and bowling venues. It overlaps with RTS in entertainment-venue POS, ticketing, and online sales, and competes directly for the FEC and live-venue segment RTS targets alongside its core cinema business.
• Theatre Manager (by Entertainment Business Systems): Theatre Manager is a long-standing cinema management software platform serving independent and small-chain cinemas with ticketing, concessions, gift cards, and online sales. It is one of RTS's closest direct competitors in the independent and mid-size cinema segment, with comparable feature breadth and pricing model.
• AudienceView: AudienceView is a ticketing and customer engagement platform for live entertainment venues including theaters, sports, and music. It overlaps directly with RTS's live-venue and theater segments where ticketing, memberships, and customer engagement are the primary value drivers rather than cinema-specific workflows.

Broad incumbents

• Comscore: Comscore (formerly including Box Office analytics and cinema software assets) is a broader incumbent in the cinema industry, providing exhibitor analytics, audience measurement, and enterprise software used by large cinema chains. It overlaps with RTS in serving large exhibitors but operates at much greater scale with a different primary value proposition.
• Toast: Toast is the leading cloud-native restaurant POS platform in the US, increasingly expanding into entertainment and live-event venues. While not cinema-specific, its modern cloud architecture, integrated payments, and aggressive pricing make it an emerging threat to RTS for FEC and live-venue customers whose primary need is F&B rather than ticketing.
• Cinedigm: Cinedigm operates in the cinema industry across content distribution, streaming, and exhibitor technology services. While not a direct POS competitor, it is a broad incumbent in the cinema technology ecosystem and competes indirectly for cinema operator software and technology budgets.

Emerging players

• Telas (Aisidi / Aisidi Technology): Telas is a newer cinema management software provider offering cloud-native POS and ticketing to cinema operators, including independent exhibitors. It represents the modern, cloud-first threat to legacy Windows-based cinema POS providers like RTS and is most relevant as an emerging direct competitor for the same indie cinema segment.
• PatronManager (by Salesforce): PatronManager is a CRM and ticketing platform built on Salesforce for performing arts organizations, theaters, and cultural venues. It overlaps with RTS in the live-venue and theater segment, offering a modern cloud CRM-led alternative to RTS's on-premises cinema-centric platform for ticketing and membership management.

Regional players

• Veezi (by Vista Group): Veezi is Vista Group's cinema management software targeted at independent and small-chain cinemas, with strong presence in the UK, Australia, New Zealand, and other international markets. It is comparable to RTS's indie-cinema offering in product scope and customer profile, and is the primary international competitor for independent exhibitors outside North America.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/RTS_Ticketing
• Facebookfacebook.com/profile.php
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/ready-theatre-systems

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Ready Theatre Systems