IMAX Corporation (NYSE: IMAX) and BookMyShow, India’s leading entertainment destination today announced a new partnership designed to revolutionise the way audiences discover and engage with premium entertainment experiences online. Under the agreement, IMAX and BookMyShow will collaborate on features across the entertainment platform to enhance the user experience and ease of discovery for moviegoers seeking The IMAX Experience®.
IMAX will have higher visibility and discoverability on BookMyShow, and the platform will highlight IMAX releases through targeted marketing efforts, beginning with the highly anticipated film Dune: Part Two. BookMyShow users can also explore a dedicated page about The IMAX Experience, including a list of current IMAX films and locations and in their cities, upcoming releases and more. This new partnership will provide audiences with seamless access to the latest Indian films and Hollywood releases, and will ensure a streamlined and hassle-free experience for moviegoers in India. This initiative is off to a strong start with IMAX tickets making up 31% of the total Dune: Part Two tickets sold on BookMyShow, demonstrating a strong demand for immersive cinematic experiences.
“Moviegoers in India continue to show a strong preference for IMAX, with the Company delivering its best year ever at the Indian box office in 2023,” said Preetham Daniel, VP, Theatre Development, IMAX Corporation. “This partnership is designed to elevate the ways our fans connect with IMAX, and we look forward to exploring new innovative initiatives to ensure it’s a premium cinema experience from beginning to end.”
Commenting on the partnership, Samradha Tibrewala, Head – Partnerships & Revenue, BookMyShow said, "Watching movies in theatres is a cultural phenomenon deeply rooted in the hearts of millions across India, and over the past few years, we have witnessed significant growth in transactions as well as audience interest in premium cinematic experiences. We have been actively working with industry partners to create windows of opportunity for higher visibility and discoverability of their offerings on our platform, thereby creating an easy and seamless movie booking experience for various consumer cohorts part of the BookMyShow universe. Our partnership with IMAX furthers these efforts and enhances the overall moviegoing experience for our users as we continue to deliver an unparalleled entertainment experience at every step of their movie watching journey.”
Over the past few years, there has been an evolution in the tastes and preferences of the Indian audience in the out-of-home entertainment realm. According to BookMyShow’s recently released ‘The CineFiles’ consumer survey report, the incorporation of cutting-edge technologies and immersive cinematic experiences has further heightened the magic of the big screen. Advanced sound systems, state-of-the-art visual effects and larger-than-life screens continue to transport audiences into captivating worlds. This has further translated into the survey, with 74% respondents opting to watch a movie in the theatre for the immersive larger screen and high audio quality experience. 40% respondents almost always opt for premium screens, showing a significant rise in audience interest for the premium movie-watching experience.
2023 was the highest grossing year ever for IMAX at the Indian box office and the Company delivered over $1 billion at the global box office for only the third time in its history. Local Indian content performed extremely well, with releases like Jawan and Pathaan helping topple previous box office records set in 2022. In 2024, IMAX will continue to debut more awe-inspiring Hollywood blockbusters and local releases in India, including the highly anticipated film Dune: Part Two, which released in IMAX locations across the country on March 1.
