Apart from increasing mobile and broadband penetration, what makes the online movie ticketing business a virtual sell-out?
Selling movie tickets online is passé but ticketing portals are increasingly embellishing the experience to hook more and more movie buffs to the virtual domain. So all but savouring the caramel popcorn and steaming samosas, you can pick your seats, read movie reviews (sometimes even write one), check out film merchandise and download film posters, soundtracks and videos too. The movie ticketing business is huge with an average 4 billion tickets sold every year. Of which online sales contribute a miniscule share. But industry experts feel the business has huge potential. Utpal Acharya, Vice-President, Programming and Distribution, INOX Leisure, says, “Multiplexes can sell blocks of inventories through online ticketing sites. There have been instances where we have had to shut down our website due to heavy due for popular films.” Online movie ticketing sites are also an effective tool to market films before their release. It’s a symbiotic process: while the website promotes a film, the
