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Tag: Bookmyshow

  • Vamsi Murthy wraps up his Disney+ Hotstar journey

    Vamsi Murthy wraps up his Disney+ Hotstar journey

    MUMBAI: Call it a season finale worth bingeing. After an unforgettable four-season run, Vamsi Murthy has announced his exit from Disney+ Hotstar, wrapping up a chapter that reads like a streaming hit, complete with plot twists, high stakes and creative cliffhangers.

    As executive director and marketing head, Murthy helped script some of Hotstar’s most successful campaigns, cementing its reputation as India’s home of entertainment and sport. From building massive originals like Aarya, Criminal Justice, Special Ops and Taaza Khabar, to steering cricket fever through World Cups, his marketing playbook turned content into cultural conversations.

    Under his leadership, the platform revamped its entertainment marketing model, driving growth across brand love, viewership and subscriptions. The results showed improved ROI, award wins at Promax Asia, Kyoorius and Indian Telly Streaming Awards, and a brand that consistently set the tone for pop culture moments.

    Before Hotstar, Murthy’s career reel rolled through BookMyShow, ZEE5, Myntra, MakeMyTrip and Reliance Communications, marking a two-decade journey across India’s biggest consumer brands.

    Signing off, Murthy called his time at Hotstar “nothing short of a blockbuster,” thanking colleagues and mentors who made the ride special. As for what’s next, he’s keeping the suspense alive, promising a new chapter soon. Because in true entertainment style, every great show deserves a thrilling sequel.

  • Golden hour for BTS fans as Jung Kook’s world lights up Mumbai

    Golden hour for BTS fans as Jung Kook’s world lights up Mumbai

    MUMBAI: It’s finally golden hour for Indian BTS fans. The world of Jung Kook, the youngest member and “Golden Maknae” of the global pop phenomenon BTS, is set to shimmer in Mumbai as GOLDEN: The Moments, a global exhibition celebrating his first solo album makes its India debut.

    Presented by Bookmyshow Live in partnership with Hybe, the exhibition opens its doors at Mehboob Studios from 12 December 2025 to 11 January 2026, inviting fans to step inside Jung Kook’s creative universe. Tickets go live on 6 November at 12 pm, exclusively on Bookmyshow, with early buyers gaining special access to a preview night that promises a first-hand glimpse into the artist’s golden world.

    A tribute to Jung Kook’s evolution from prodigious performer to global pop icon, GOLDEN: The Moments celebrates his artistry across immersive zones that blend sound, visuals, and emotion. From the cinematic spectacle of Standing Next to You in GOLDEN: THEATER to behind-the-scenes glimpses in SOLID CINEMA, the exhibition offers fans a rare chance to see how inspiration becomes music, and how music becomes magic.

    The journey begins with THE RECORD OF “GOLDEN MOMENTS”, tracing Jung Kook’s rise from his debut to superstardom, and continues through GOLDEN: RECORDS, a shrine to his global achievements with awards, performance gear, and rare photos. Fans can experience remixed tracks in GOLDEN: PHOTOS, tune into the layers of his song Hate You in GOLDEN: SOUNDS, and relive hits like Seven (feat. Latto), 3D (feat. Jack Harlow), and Standing Next to You in Shine Cinema.

    For Jung Kook’s Indian fans, this isn’t just an exhibition, it’s a pilgrimage. “Our partnership with Hybe marks an exciting new chapter in bringing transformative global experiences to India,” said Bookmyshow chief business officer for live events Naman Pugalia. “With one of the world’s most passionate BTS communities here, GOLDEN: The Moments connects fans more deeply to Jung Kook’s artistry and the universal power of music.”

    HYBE echoed this sentiment, calling India “one of the most dynamic and fast-evolving music markets in the world.” The company added, “Through GOLDEN: The Moments, we’re glad to open this new chapter with Bookmyshow Live, connecting Jung Kook’s heart to the voices of Indian fans.”

    Every element of the exhibition from his glittering stage costumes and concert visuals to unseen rehearsal footage has been curated to highlight Jung Kook’s duality: the superstar who commands global stages and the artist quietly perfecting his craft behind the scenes. Visitors can even leave personal notes, becoming part of Jung Kook’s continuing golden story.

    For India’s rapidly growing K-pop community, this marks a milestone moment. What began as a digital fandom thriving on live streams, fan edits, and global hashtags now steps into the real world as GOLDEN: The Moments transforms virtual admiration into a shared, tangible celebration.

    As the exhibition opens, it shines not just on Jung Kook’s luminous career but on India’s rising place in global pop culture. For millions of fans ready to walk through the golden doors, Mumbai’s Mehboob Studios is about to turn into the brightest stage of them all.

  • Scara Live turns the spotlight on culture and connection in real time

    Scara Live turns the spotlight on culture and connection in real time

    MUMBAI: In a world where everything’s streamed, Scara Live wants you to feel it live. The new vertical from Scara Gaming is reimagining India’s entertainment landscape by bringing brands, creators, and audiences together in the real world where emotion meets experience.

    At the intersection of entertainment, sports, and culture, Scara Live isn’t just about events, it’s about cultural engineering. It crafts immersive, insight-led experiences that move beyond screens and algorithms to build real-world communities that pulse with creativity, connection, and conversation.

    Helmed by a powerhouse leadership team, Scara Live draws on a collective experience of over 60 years across gaming, tech, live events, and media. Manoj George, with 20-plus years in the gaming and cultural sectors, previously drove business and revenue at Nodwin Gaming, Cornerstone, and UTV Disney. Mazher Ramzanali, who has shaped brand narratives for Budweiser, MTV, OML, and Vice Media, brings his 15 years of expertise in sponsorship and culture programming. Santosh P, former marketing leader at Bookmyshow and OML, adds 16 years of live entertainment strategy, while Vikas Chand brings his operational prowess from marquee sports entities such as BCCI, IMG Reliance, and Delhi Capitals.

    Together, they aim to rewrite the live playbook turning brand engagement into shared memory. “Scara Live represents our belief that live experiences are where culture truly happens,” said Manoj George. “We’re combining the power of creativity with the discipline of data and delivery to help brands engage audiences in meaningful, lasting ways.”

    Mazher Ramzanali added, “The lines between digital and physical engagement are fading fast. Scara Live is built to help brands bridge that space, transforming entertainment, sport, and culture into living experiences that drive connection and community.”

    The company’s flagship properties, Pixel Pulse and Beyond the Game, anchor this philosophy. Pixel Pulse blends music, comedy, fashion, and gaming to create large-scale cultural moments, while Beyond the Game functions as a B2B thought-leadership and networking platform for sports, gaming, and innovation professionals.

    The first project under Scara Live’s belt, iPopstar, is already tuning in audiences. A weekly music reality series featuring King, Astha Gill, Aditya Rikhari, and Parmish Verma, it brings together 12 contestants battling it out over six weeks. The series streams on Amazon MX Player, with Spotify and Warner Music as music partners. Scara Live acts as the culture partner for the IP, owned by Rusk Media.

    As Santosh P put it, “India’s creator and live entertainment economy is on the rise. Scara Live is designed to meet the craving for authenticity and interaction, helping brands not just participate in culture but shape it.”

    With a bold vision and a multi-disciplinary team, Scara Live is poised to redefine how India experiences live entertainment not as an event, but as a living, breathing story. For those tired of watching from behind the screen, Scara Live promises to make life itself the stage.

  • Government to launch centralised digital music licensing registry within two months

    Government to launch centralised digital music licensing registry within two months

    NEW DELHI:  India’s information and broadcasting ministry will roll out a centralised digital music licensing registry by October 2025, in partnership with rights societies, as part of a wider push to unlock the country’s live entertainment sector.

    The decision was sealed at the inaugural meeting of the joint working group (JWG) on promoting live events, chaired on 26 August at the National Media Centre by Sanjay Jaju, secretary in the information and broadcasting ministry.

    Officials from the ministries of culture, youth affairs and sports, skill development, finance and DPIIT joined, alongside the Sports Authority of India and state governments from Maharashtra, Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Telangana and Karnataka. Industry bodies Ficci, CII, Eema and Ilea sat across the table from companies including BookMyShow, Wizcraft, Saregama, District by Zomato and Touchwood Entertainment. Rights societies IPRS, PPL, RMPL and IMI Trust were also present.

    Key outcomes included integrating live-event approvals into the India Cine Hub portal to cut red tape, drafting a model policy for multi-use of stadiums and public spaces, and embedding live-entertainment skills in the national skills framework. Financial incentives—from GST rebates and blended finance to subsidies and MSME recognition—were also discussed.

    Prime minister Narendra Modi has recently described live entertainment as an engine for jobs, tourism and cultural influence. The sector was worth Rs 20,861 crore in 2024 and is growing at 15 per cent annually, buoyed by demand in tier-one and tier-two cities and a rising appetite for music tourism.

    Jaju said the government’s target is to place India among the world’s top five live-entertainment destinations by 2030, with potential to create 15–20m jobs. “The JWG will work to harness the concert economy as a driver of infrastructure growth, employment, tourism and soft power,” he said.

    The JWG was formed in July on the orders of union I&B minister Ashwini Vaishnaw. It will meet regularly to review progress and feed policy recommendations, building on the white paper India’s Live Events Economy: A Strategic Growth Imperative unveiled at the Waves 2025 summit.

  • Media veteran Sudhir Syal swaps storytelling for cheque-writing at Orios Venture Partners

    Media veteran Sudhir Syal swaps storytelling for cheque-writing at Orios Venture Partners

    DUBAI: Sudhir Syal, the creator of arguably India’s first startup television programme, has crossed to the other side of the table. The media entrepreneur has joined Orios Venture Partners as president, where he will spearhead the fund’s expansion across the UAE-India corridor whilst hunting for consumer and media investment opportunities.

    Syal’s appointment marks a neat full circle. Over a decade ago, he chronicled India’s fledgling venture capital story as host of Starting Up, profiling more than 500 startups across 150 episodes—many of which later achieved unicorn status. Now he joins the very ecosystem he helped popularise, partnering with Orios’s team including Rehan Yar Khan, Madhav Tandan and Sukhmani Bedi.

    The move caps a peripatetic career that has seen  Syal launch and scale businesses across three continents. Most recently, he founded Startify, a Dubai-based growth consultancy that helped scale five brands across beauty, fashion and fintech, building revenues to over $200,000 with a lean five-person team.

    Before that, he served as chief business officer for Lenskart’s Middle East operations, scaling the eyewear giant from zero to over $500,000 in monthly recurring revenue within 18 months. He opened 13 retail stores across major UAE malls and built a 100-member team, earning the company “New Market Entrant of the Year” honours in 2022.

    His entertainment industry credentials run deep. As chief executive of BookMyShow’s UAE operations, he established the platform as the region’s leading Indian-origin live entertainment promoter, brokering deals with Coca-Cola Arena and promoting acts including Westlife and Alan Walker. The business achieved over $7 million in gross merchandise value (GMV) within 18 months.

    Earlier still, Syal led BookMyShow’s first international expansion into Indonesia, building a 60-person team and establishing the platform as the country’s second-largest ticketing service with over $10 million in GMV.

    The trajectory reflects India’s startup ecosystem maturation—from a cottage industry requiring television evangelism to a sophisticated market generating billion-dollar exits. Syal’s transition from storyteller to capital allocator suggests the Indian venture landscape has finally come of age.

    At Orios, he will focus on three mandates: building strategic capital partnerships with family offices and institutions, identifying high-growth consumer and media opportunities, and amplifying the fund’s thought leadership across both markets.

    “After years as an ecosystem builder, operator, and entrepreneur, it’s energising to be on the other side of the table,”  Syal posted on LinkedIn, announcing his appointment.

    The hire signals Orios’s ambitions to capture cross-border investment flows between India’s mature startup ecosystem and the Gulf’s expanding venture appetite. With Dubai positioning itself as a bridge between East and West, funds are increasingly seeking operators who understand both markets intimately.

    For Syal, who holds an MBA from Insead and has worked across 10 countries, the role represents a homecoming of sorts—returning to the venture capital story he first helped narrate, but now with the power to write its next chapter.

  • RuPay enters strategic year-long partnership with BookMyShow

    RuPay enters strategic year-long partnership with BookMyShow

    MUMBAI: BookMyShow, one of India’s leading entertainment destinations and its parent company Bigtree Entertainment Pvt. Ltd. have entered into a strategic, year-long partnership with RuPay, a global card payment network from National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI). The collaboration spans both digital and on-ground channels, bringing a unified entertainment and payment experience to millions of consumers across India. As the live entertainment ecosystem continues to flourish, this partnership aims to strengthen the intersection of entertainment, access and seamless payment experiences for scores of young, digitally savvy consumers seeking leisure offerings made affordable and seamless.

    Through this alliance, RuPay card holders will enjoy special access to some of the most anticipated properties from the house of BookMyShow – Sunburn 2025, Lollapalooza India 2026, Bandland 2026 as well as a curated calendar of live event concerts featuring top Indian and international artists. These benefits include early pre-sale access, exclusive ticketing zones, curated food and beverage offerings, merchandise perks, fast-lane entry for top-ups and access to dedicated lounge areas at select venues. RuPay will also activate experiential spaces on-ground designed to elevate brand-consumer engagement in memorable, high-impact ways.

    Digitally, BookMyShow will integrate RuPay across key touchpoints including its homepage and post-transaction journey, directing users to discover exclusive RuPay-led benefits and access. This partnership not only unlocks tangible perks for users but also showcases how modern financial services can embed themselves within high-interest cultural moments through immersive offerings, deepening relevance among next-gen consumers looking for not only enriching experiences but also an ease in accessing and paying for them.

    NPCI spokesperson said, “Entertainment and cultural experiences are a growing area of interest, especially for younger, digital-first users. We are building deeper engagement with our users by connecting with what resonates to them. Through this partnership, we aim to offer meaningful value combining access, ease, and exclusive benefits to position RuPay not just as a payment option, but as an enabler to rewarding and relevant experiences.”

    A BookMyShow spokesperson commented on the partnership stating, “Live entertainment in India is undergoing a remarkable transformation as audiences increasingly seek experiences that are not only entertaining but also personalised, immersive and value-driven. At BookMyShow, we remain committed to innovating at the intersection of technology, culture and consumer expectations to meet this evolving demand for our partner brands. Our partnership with RuPay marks a significant step in re-imagining access and engagement for today’s culture-forward consumer ensuring that the joy of entertainment goes beyond mere attendance to becoming something truly experiential, memorable and valued.”

  • Wendy’s India turns 5 with roast battles, raves and burger cakes

    Wendy’s India turns 5 with roast battles, raves and burger cakes

    MUMBAI: She came. She served. She slayed. Wendy’s India has hit the five-year milestone, and she’s not marking it with a quiet cake-cutting behind the counter. Instead, the fast-food maverick is unleashing a month-long birthday blowout that’s part rave, part roast, and all-out rebellion against boring brand bashes. In just five years, Wendy’s India has grown to over 200 outlets and now it’s throwing a birthday party that’s stretching across four cities, filling timelines, and even setting the streets on fire (figuratively, of course).

    At the heart of the celebration is the Wendy’s Party Bus, rolling through Mumbai on 8 August. Think strobe-lit interiors, DJ decks, unlimited burgers, and Wendy herself riding shotgun. “The party doesn’t come to Wendy’s Wendy’s is the party,” says Rebel Foods CMO Nishant Kedia.

    For Bangalore, the bash takes a cheeky turn with ‘The Roast’ on August 14, an in-store comedy special hosted by firecracker comic Banti Banerjee. “No burger, no brand is safe. We’re serving punchlines with pickles,” jokes the campaign team. Tickets drop soon on Bookmyshow.

    Meanwhile, digital platforms are exploding with creator collabs that channel Wendy’s signature sass:

    ●   Darshan Magdum’s parody anthem is the earworm you didn’t know you needed.

    ●   Lakshita & Gurpreet attempt a GTA-style Wendy’s heist.

    ●   AI duo Manki x Dogesh Bhai spiral into a ketchup-fuelled crisis.

    ●   And Chordinary’s musical ode to Wendy will make you weirdly emotional about beef patties.

    If that’s not trippy enough, wait till you see The Burger Cake, a hyperrealistic confection that looks exactly like a Wendy’s meal. It’s a feast and a fakeout in one slice.

    To top it all off, a mockumentary is in the works, a behind-the-pigtails film that tells Wendy’s story in her own words: unfiltered, unapologetic, and slightly unhinged.

    The headline act? The Wendy Raves in Delhi, Pune, Hyderabad, and Bangalore from 22–24 August . These DJ-fuelled, burger-powered parties will feature bold bites, booming beats, and brand integrations with Coke and Veeba. “Our food raves harder than most people,” the team quips.

    On the digital front, Wendy’s Instagram is going full chaos mode savage roast replies, surprise drops, and enough Gen Z energy to crash the algorithm. “We’re not just selling food; we’re selling a vibe,” says Kedia. “Wendy’s has always been bold, irreverent, and in sync with the culture. This campaign is how we turn up the volume.”

    With flame-grilled formats, meme-ready madness, and zero chill, Wendy’s India is showing the QSR space how to age boldly. Five never looked this fierce.

  • Stand-up guy goes the distance as Zakir Khan hits the road with 60-city tour

    Stand-up guy goes the distance as Zakir Khan hits the road with 60-city tour

    MUMBAI: Knock-knock… who’s there? 60 cities, 160,000 fans, and a punchline for the history books. In a mic-drop moment for Indian live entertainment, comedian Zakir Khan is hitting the road for the country’s largest-ever stand-up comedy tour and it’s no joke. Spearheaded by a powerhouse partnership between Only Much Louder (OML) and Bookmyshow’s TribeVibe Entertainment, the tour will criss-cross more than 60 cities and play to over 160,000 fans making it the biggest deal ever signed by an Indian comedian.

    Dubbed a “comedy caravan”, the mega tour is poised to redefine the scale and seriousness with which homegrown stand-up is staged. From Delhi to Dibrugarh, Bengaluru to Bareilly, Zakir’s signature brand of heart-tugging humour and rustic storytelling will now reach audiences far beyond metro hotspots. And the numbers tell a story too 60 plus cities, lakhs of fans, and a deal that’s set a new benchmark in Indian comedy.

    “This isn’t just a personal milestone, it’s a statement,” said Zakir Khan, reflecting on the road ahead. “We’ve long hoped that Indian comedy would be treated like mainstream entertainment with scale, with respect, and with reach. This tour is proof that we’ve arrived.”

    The collaboration combines OML’s reputation for talent management with Bookmyshow’s data-backed audience intelligence and Tribevibe’s strong production footprint across India’s emerging markets. Together, they’re building a live comedy blueprint to rival the touring economies of the West.

    “This is about more than tickets and tours,” said Tribevibe CEO Shoven Shah. “It’s about rewriting how India consumes culture not just in big cities but across every corner of the country.”

    And it’s not just about one artist’s journey. As Rishabh Nahar, SVP at OML put it, “This is a blueprint for what’s possible. Artists building legacies. Audiences accessing quality entertainment regardless of location. Data and creativity working together. This is the future of Indian live entertainment.”

    With Khan at the helm, this isn’t just a road trip, it’s a movement on wheels. And as India’s laughter map gets redrawn city by city, one thing’s certain: this tour’s punchlines are poised to echo long after the curtains fall.

  • Show must go on for brand partnership maven as Sujith Kumar joins BookMyShow

    Show must go on for brand partnership maven as Sujith Kumar joins BookMyShow

    MUMBAI:  In a move that has more twists than a Hindi cinema blockbuster, Sujith Kumar has swapped his role as head of brand partnerships at Swiggy SteppinOut for a senior manager position at BookMyShow, India’s entertainment ticketing titan. The career hop, announced this month, sees the marketing maestro taking his knack for turning consumers into brand evangelists to fresh pastures.

    Kumar’s track record reads like a greatest hits album of Indian entertainment marketing. At Swiggy SteppinOut, he orchestrated partnerships spanning food, music, comedy and lifestyle events, including the launch of “Supper Clubs of India”—intimate dining experiences showcasing regional cuisines that had Mumbai’s foodies queuing round the block.

    His previous stint at Paytm Insider proved particularly lucrative, where he built the brand partnerships team from scratch. The portfolio included managing Arijit Singh’s five-city tour and pioneering Van Heusen’s first metaverse concert—a digital-age spectacle that had traditionalists scratching their heads and millennials reaching for their wallets.

    The marketing maverick’s earlier adventures include a two-and-a-half-year spell at Sony Music Entertainment, where his mission statement “turn music fans into brand fans” became the stuff of industry legend. He juggled over 80 active brand strategies across south India, orchestrating collaborations with musical heavyweights including Badshah and Anirudh Ravichander.

    At ESPN, Kumar cut his teeth managing marketing for ESPNcricinfo during cricket’s golden television era, overseeing campaigns for the 2015 World Cup and IPL. His creation of CricIQ, billed as India’s largest cricket quiz platform, proved that sports and smartphones could be a winning combination long before fantasy leagues became the rage.

    Now at BookMyShow Live, Kumar faces the challenge of making brands feel rather than merely seen when “the lights dim and the fans roar.” Given his penchant for turning spectators into spenders, India’s entertainment industry may have found its most valuable player yet.

    The motorcycle enthusiast, who founded BrosonWheelsOfficial and treats riding as his “refresh button,” appears ready to take the brand partnerships game into top gear. For an industry where attention spans are shorter than TikTok videos, that could be music to corporate ears.

  • Startup Mahakumbh panel unravels growth of Indian gaming

    Startup Mahakumbh panel unravels growth of Indian gaming

    New Delhi: India’s gaming industry has hit the jackpot while the rest of the world seems to be playing on easy mode. At this week’s Startup Mahakumbh, the crème de la crème of India’s digital entertainment world gathered to spill the beans on what’s turning the country into a gaming colossus.

    The star-studded panel—featuring Bookmyshow fonder & CEO Ashish Hemrajani,  Games24/7,  founder & CEO Bhavin Pandya, Dream11 cofounder & CEO Harsh Jain and Bitkraft partner Anuj Tandon—didn’t mince words about the sector’s explosive trajectory. The discussion, masterfully refereed by JetSynthesys founder & CEO  Rajan Navani, revealed that while global gaming revenues have hit pause, India’s gaming scene is charging ahead at a blistering 20 per cent annual clip.

    “The gaming and digital entertainment industry in India is at an inflection point,” declared Navani. “With the right mix of innovation, investment, and responsible regulation, India can become a global powerhouse.” No small talk there.

    The once-questioned spending power of Indian gamers has been dramatically upended by UPI and one-click payment solutions. In-app purchases alone are projected to rake in a whopping $4.3 billion within four years—enough to make even the most hardened venture capitalist’s mouth water.

    The gold rush hasn’t gone unnoticed across borders. Executives from gaming giants Sega and Tencent were spotted prowling the event, eyeing up the burgeoning market with barely disguised avarice.

    A separate session on investment strategies laid bare the brutal realities facing founders. Investors confessed to maintaining watchlists of 200-300 promising entrepreneurs, tracking them well before products even see the light of day. Common pitfalls for startups include the seductive but dangerous trap of over-raising at sky-high valuations and the cardinal sin of delaying monetisation.

    “Early revenue generation isn’t just nice to have—it’s essential,” one panelist quipped, cutting through the typical startup waffle like a hot knife through butter.

    Government initiatives like Startup India are  hailed as crucial catalysts, while investors stressed that the days of chasing unicorn status at all costs are well and truly over. The new mantra? Sustainable business models that actually turn a profit—revolutionary concept, that.

    The second edition of Startup Mahakumbh follows last year’s blinding success, which saw over 48,581 visitors and 1,306 exhibitors descend upon the event like bees to honey.

    As India’s gaming ecosystem continues its meteoric rise, one thing is crystal clear: in the digital playground of entertainment, India is no longer merely a player—it’s becoming the house. And as any gambler worth their salt knows, the house always wins.