Industry News

BookMyShow expands into entertainment production

India’s BookMyShow has linked up with Disney as it explores new projects and expands into the entertainment production sector.

As players such as Paytm, Flipkart and Amazon have pushed their way into the ticketing market in India, BookMyShow is exploring different segments.

The event and entertainment ticketing platform is to produce Broadway-style live musical stage shows in India, starting with Aladdin.

Under the agreement, BookMyShow will be the producer of the stage show, and will undertake tasks like sets, lights, costumes, special effects, cast, crew, and execution among others of the musical, besides listing its tickets on its platform.

According to various media reports, BookMyShow has opted for the licensee model to replicate a global show in a localised manner.

Ashish Hemrajani, chief executive and founder of BookMyShow said in an interview with Adgully news website that the company has produced shows in recent years, and that this is a logical transition.

Last month, BookMyShow announced it would discontinue its MyWallet service. The move came shortly after it was reported that BookMyShow.com was in advanced talks with TPG Growth to raise up to $60m in funding.

BookMyShow’s decision is likely caused by the Reserve Bank of India’s (RBI) recent introduction of stricter guidelines on the issuance and operation of Prepaid Payment Instruments (PPIs), including mobile wallets.

BookMyShow has a presence in over 650 towns and cities in India, serving the entertainment demands of over 25 million customers, with over 10 million tickets booked every month on its platform.

The company has also started operations in countries such as Sri Lanka, Indonesia, New Zealand and the UAE.

BookMyShow’s Head of Service Delivery, Operations & New Technology Deployment, Anil Makjija, is confirmed as a keynote speaker at TheTicketingBusiness Forum in Manchester on 17-18 April.

Image: BookMyShow