Online ticketing brand BookMyShow (BMS) today said it has partnered with PVR Pictures for ’Vkaao’, a web-platform that allows individuals to choose films they want to watch at their local PVR cinemas.
Using Vkaao, customers can select their preferred movie along with location, date, and time of the screening. Once a threshold demand is reached, the screening is finalised and customers are informed of the same.
In case a screening isn’t confirmed, the ticket fee is refunded.
Speaking about the partnership, BMS VP-Marketing and Business Intelligence Marzdi Kalianiwala said the partnership will help PVR choose from a curated selection of niche and exclusive films.
“We have over 25 million customers. Our analytical capabilities will allow us to help curate movies across genres and take them to viewers,” he told PTI.
There is also an ongoing integration process that will allow BMS customers to choose films they want to see through Vkaao from BMS’ platform itself, he said.
PVR -- which launched the offering in February this year -- has already screened about 200-250 shows through Vkaao. It started engaging with BMS in August.
The plan is to take the number to about 1,000 in the next 5-6 months, PVR Chief of Strategy and PVR Pictures CEO Kamal Gianchandani said.
Revenue
“Its early days to talk of revenues. Vkaao will help us increase footfall and revenues definitely follow. In the first few months, we have already done 200-250 shows and we are looking at more than 1,000 screenings in next 5-6 months,” he added.
Vkaao currently has a library of over 400 studio and independent titles and plans to grow this collection manifold over the next 12 months.
It has also emerged as an alternate distribution platform for Indian film makers, becoming a direct link between them and the cinemas.