EXCLUSIVE: Multiplexes score a sixer by showing India vs Pakistan’s Asia Cup match live; record 80% occupancy, sell 20,000 tickets with collections amounting to Rs. 1.20 crores approx.

Over the past few years, several theatres and multiplexes have begun showing live matches on the big screen. The trend has picked up as instead of going to the stadiums and paying for expensive tickets, one can rather watch the match in the confines of an air-conditioned auditorium at cheaper rates. Also, if the occupancy is encouraging, the claps and hoots give viewers a near stadium-like experience.

Theatres have shown IPL and World Cup matches in the past. On Sunday, August 28, many centres across the country played the India vs Pakistan T20 Asia Cup match. And they hit a sixer as the response was better than expected. It also came at a great time when the exhibition sector has been struggling as big-ticket films like Laal Singh Chaddha, Raksha Bandhan and Liger bombed badly.

Puneet Gupta, AVP - Corporate Communications, Inox Leisure Limited, said, “We got decent footfalls, as compared to the previous cricket matches. We played it in 30 cities and 60 screens. The match next Sunday might also be that of India vs Pakistan. So we’d promote it well and hope we get better footfalls.”

Devang Sampat, CEO, Cinepolis India, stated, “The response was fantastic. Cinepolis was also the distributor of the India vs Pakistan match. We released it in 250 cinemas and it recorded 80% occupancy.”

Akshaye Rathi, a film exhibitor and distributor, revealed, “From the three national chains, almost 20,000 tickets were sold which led to collections of approx. Rs. 1.20 crores.” He continued, “We have won the first match and hence, there’s more anticipation and excitement. I am assuming more ticket sales will happen for it.”

So happy are theatres with the response to the India vs Pakistan match that they have decided to also screen India vs Hong Kong match, on Wednesday, August 31.