Cricket lovers in the city may be able to watch the cricket World Cup on the big screen after all. PVR Cinemas has struck a deal with ESPN Software India Pvt Ltd (ESIPL) for the telecast.
The first match to be screened in a few select auditoriums will be the India vs England match this Sunday.
“We are planning to show a total of eight India-specific World Cup matches,” said Pramod Arora, group president and chief executive officer at PVR. He added that the chain will consider showing the quarter-finals, semi-finals and the final if India reaches those stages. “Since it is a cricket-heavy time of the year, it was essential to ensure that we continue to get a steady flow of audiences,” said Arora.
Industry insiders revealed that the multiplex chain had to bargain hard with ESIPL for the telecast rights.
The official broadcaster had asked for a fixed fee of Rs50,000 per screen per match, apart from a share in the overall ticket sales. As a result, other multiplexes had backed out.
Eventually, a 50:50 revenue sharing model was agreed upon by PVR and ESIPL. Trade pundits estimate that the cost will be passed on to the audiences, and there would be a 20-30% hike in ticket prices.
Sources said other multiplexes are reviewing their strategies after the PVR deal. Sunil Punjabi, CEO of Cinemax India, said it will go ahead only if the broadcaster agrees on a revenue sharing model.
The first match to be screened in a few select auditoriums will be the India vs England match this Sunday.
“We are planning to show a total of eight India-specific World Cup matches,” said Pramod Arora, group president and chief executive officer at PVR. He added that the chain will consider showing the quarter-finals, semi-finals and the final if India reaches those stages. “Since it is a cricket-heavy time of the year, it was essential to ensure that we continue to get a steady flow of audiences,” said Arora.
Industry insiders revealed that the multiplex chain had to bargain hard with ESIPL for the telecast rights.
The official broadcaster had asked for a fixed fee of Rs50,000 per screen per match, apart from a share in the overall ticket sales. As a result, other multiplexes had backed out.
Eventually, a 50:50 revenue sharing model was agreed upon by PVR and ESIPL. Trade pundits estimate that the cost will be passed on to the audiences, and there would be a 20-30% hike in ticket prices.
Sources said other multiplexes are reviewing their strategies after the PVR deal. Sunil Punjabi, CEO of Cinemax India, said it will go ahead only if the broadcaster agrees on a revenue sharing model.
