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Tag: Shemaroo Box Office

  • Does TVoD model have a long run in India?

    Does TVoD model have a long run in India?

    KOLKATA: The recent shakeup in the media and entertainment industry due to the pandemic has given rise to more experiments. Recently, media giant The Walt Disney Company (Disney) decided to take live-action remake of Mulan to its streaming platform Disney+. While direct-to-digital debut has become a common phenomenon during the lockdown, Disney has opted for a premium transactional model rather than offering it as a part of its overall subscription. Naysayers have refuted the viability of pay-per-view or transactional video-on-demand (TVoD) in the Indian market but local players have started experimenting with the model.

    Shemaroo Entertainment’s digital arm ShemarooMe is trying the model through its ShemarooMe Box Office feature where movies will be available for Rs 80-100 for a three-day viewing. A new budding regional player, Planet Marathi, has also recently announced a ticket window for Marathi films. Although bigger players have not uttered any word on taking this route.

    “Traditionally, Indian OTT ecosystem has not experimented with the TVoD business model. But with the changing scenario, we are seeing OTT players have started trying the transaction per content model globally, especially as movies are getting direct digital premiere.

    The pay-per-view model or TVoD is an established concept in the west, and it coexists with the subscription model. Audiences and consumers have accepted it and it has been a window for viewing movies,” Shemaroo Entertainment CEO Hiren Gada says.

    SBICap Securities institutional equity research head Rajiv Sharma mentions that firstly the OTT pricing today is on a very affordable line except for Netflix. On the other hand, he thinks TVoD does not give a scale but only customers who may not stick around. He contends that an OTT business model means having the visibility of revenue and stickiness of the subscriber base which will allow the investment for the production of new content. 

    However, he also mentions that the model can work better if it is seasonal. He shares an interesting view that tvod will be like running a campaign for consumers to experiment and sample the content. If there is parallel pricing, the subscribers who use other platforms may come for very appealing content. Hence, it is good from sampling and penetration perspective and also to build a huge customer database for further promotion, Sharma opines. But he also shares on a cautionary note that having tvod for long-term may cannibalise existing SVoD or AVoD customers revenue.

    Elara Capital VP – research analyst (Media) Karan Taurani is not very optimistic about TVoD’s uptake in India. According to him, consumers in India don’t pay here easily and they will pay for a service that is long -term because that is reasonable and adds value. Moreover, he mentions that globally, the audience pays around $30-35 under this model (Disney has fixed Mulan’s price in the US at $30), whereas Indians won’t pay 10 per cent of that price. Taurani also speaks about the poor payment mechanism in many parts of the country.

    Deloitte India partner Jehil Thakkar does not subscribe to the view as many consumers are using different payment gateways for OTT, e-commerce, grocery shopping. Moreover, the pandemic has boosted the uptake of online payment mechanisms.

    “ShemarooMe Box Office has seen many critics and reviewers extend their support to the platform and if the entire ecosystem accepts this, then TVoD as a model in India can see success as desired. For now, this is a very experimental phase, where the audience discovers the platform and starts interacting with it. We have witnessed decent traction so far,” Shemaroo’s Gada comments on the uptake.

    Deloitte India's Thakkar also thinks it is a viable option but at this time the market may remain fairly small. He adds that it may be more successful for some exceptional events like a blockbuster movie or a cricket event. He emphasises that despite all the odds it is a good time to experiment, test the water, tweak the business model, and pricing. According to him, the experiments will make it clear if there is an appetite for this model.

    “Nothing can defeat the unsurpassable theatre viewing experience, since we are facing a difficult time, some experiments and changes can definitely fill the void. Nonetheless, platforms like ShemarooMe Box Office should always have an audience. The idea was to make movies accessible to a larger consumer base and inculcate the habit of TVoD viewing. It would help create a new monetisation window,” Gada states.

  • ShemarooMe launches Box Office, a platform to release new movies directly on Digital

    ShemarooMe launches Box Office, a platform to release new movies directly on Digital

    KOLKATA: With the unprecedented times and restrictions on movements especially across entertainment activities and with the unavailability of theatres has all led to the film circuit in India to look at newer ways to cater to the entertainment needs of movie enthusiasts. In line with this, ShemarooMe announced the launch of ‘ShemarooMe Box Office’, a platform that gives cinema curators/producers an opportunity to unlock the true value for their films by offering them access to digital avenues like never before.

    ShemarooMe Box Office is poised to create an ecosystem for small budget Bollywood and Regional movies that have an audience but limited avenues to reach out to the viewers. To widen the scope of relevant audience reach for such films, ShemarooMe has also inked a strategic partnership with BookMyShow, India’s leading entertainment destination to ensure more cine-goers have access to the rich content made available by ShemarooMe. 

    ShemarooMe Box Office is the right platform which gives an opportunity to the producers, to not only present their creations to a whole new set of audiences but also gives viewers a chance to enjoy small budget, critically acclaimed movies at the comfort of their homes. Viewers can book their tickets for these films by logging on www.bookmyshow.com or directly on the ShemarooMe App or www.ShemarooMe.com. Once booked, users can watch the film on ShemarooMe any number of times over three days from the booking period. 

    Under this business model, Shemaroo will market the films to a wider audience base and build awareness about the new releases. This will further assist film producers to unlock newer monetization opportunities for the films as well, and post the viewing window on ShemarooMe, these films can be offered to Satellite, SVoD and other syndication avenues as well. Thereby creating an opportunity for producers to extract value on the back of heightened visibility and content appreciation through this transparent model along with providing real time reporting of ticket sales to the producers. ShemarooMe Box Office hence is an ideal solution to the temporary challenges faced by the entertainment industry. On one hand viewers get access to some of the most critically acclaimed movies while on the other the producers get to unlock a new set of audience that matches the TG of these films.

    Commenting on the launch, Shemaroo Entertainment Limited CEO Hiren Gada said, "During these trying times when moviegoers are missing watching new releases in theatres, we are glad that we can bring home some great releases. With ShemarooMe Box Office, we are creating a model for the film industry and audiences. Our association with BookMyShow will further redefine the consumer movie-going experience and bridge the gap for cinemagoers across India. We are absolutely confident that when cinemas are able to reopen safely, the public will once again respond to the unsurpassable big-screen experience, meanwhile our platform will be bridging the gap by entertaining audiences thereby living by the traits of Shemaroo being the platform for movie lovers at all times.

    Adding to the launch, Shemaroo Entertainment digital COO Zubin Dubash said, “Covid 19 has made every organisation, innovate at the speed of light. ShemarooMe Box Office is an innovation that helps not only one organisation but the entire ecosystem – viewers get to watch new releases, producers get a transparent platform for release, ticketing partners get a model for the new normal. And ShemarooMe ensure it lives up to its promise of entertainment at all times.”

    BookMyShow Cinemas COO Ashish Saksena said, "We are glad to partner with ShemarooMe to bring cinematic entertainment to the comfort and safety of audiences' homes. We look forward to keep bringing newer options to experience entertainment for all our users.”

    My Client’s Wife will be the first movie to premiere on ShemarooMe Box Office on the 31 July 2020, featuring Sharib Hashmi, Anjali Patil and Abhimanyu Singh followed by award winning film – Scotland, Sharman Joshi’s drama entertainer – Graham Staines Ek Ankahi Sachhai The Least Of These based on true events and action thriller packed movie – The Hidden Strike are sure to keep audiences glued to their screens.

    The digital first release of movies as a concept has been accepted globally by patrons and will soon become a trend amongst Indian audiences as well. With the launch of ShemarooMe Box office, the company is all set to partner with producers and introduce new movies on the platform. The brand new initiative by ShemarooMe will have two legged benefits where they are sure to satiate the needs of all the Bollywood buffs with new releases and will also definitely give a boost to the entire film industry by opening newer avenues for unreleased movies to be showcased.