India's largest cinema operator in plan to screen T20 World Cup 2024 as movies struggle at box office

The highly-anticipated ninth edition of the T20 World Cup is less than three weeks away. This is going to be the biggest T20 World Cup ever as 20 teams will be taking part in it. The event is going to be jointly hosted by the West Indies and the USA and will run from June 2 to 29. This could be the last time the legendary duo of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli will be playing the T20 World Cup. The excitement among the fans is at an all-time high as the Men in Blue look to end their 11-year wait for an ICC (International Cricket Council) title.

India’s largest cinema operator is in talks to screen key matches during the marquee event, in a bid to attract patrons as films continue to struggle at the box office.

“Our biggest focus is to stay relevant as a medium,” PVR Inox Ltd.’s Chief Financial Officer Nitin Sood was quoted as saying by BNN Bloomberg. The operator would show important matches from the tournament, which starts next month, he said. 

Also Read: A look at history of ICC Men’s T20 World Cup

Because the T20 format isn't very time-consuming like the 50-over format, Sood is expecting that fans will flock to the theatres in larger numbers compared to the ODI World Cup last year.

PVR Inox, which reported a net quarterly loss of 1.3 billion rupees ($15.6 million) on Tuesday, May 14, is building a portfolio of concerts, sports, and other events to draw crowds. The Mumbai-based firm is also working on bringing filmed K-Pop performances to Indian audiences, Sood said.

PVR Inox managed to reduce the losses in the March quarter from a year ago. However, it attributed slow growth to a sluggish period for movies. Most big-ticket movies are set to release only after the national elections end in June.

Streaming platforms like Netflix, Amazon Prime, and Reliance Industries Ltd.’s JioCinema, which offers movies and TV shows for as little as a rupee a day, are giving immense competition to the movie screen chain. The aforementioned streaming platforms are growing in popularity with each passing day.

Also Read: T20 World Cup 2024: No reserve day in place for 2nd semi-finals, match to be extended

PVR Inox has introduced loyalty programs like the PVR Inox Passport, through which people can get discounted tickets to weekday screenings, as it works to attract audiences. The chain is also re-releasing popular films and intends to host film festivals.