Talks About an 8-week Continuous Theatrical Window are Constructive, According to PVR Inox MD

According to a top industry executive, movie theater owners and producers are debating whether to maintain a regular eight-week theatrical window in both north and south India or to extend it even farther in order to safeguard box office receipts. During PVR Inox's Q1 results call, MD Ajay Bijli informed investors,

"We have had some positive conversations with respect to increasing windows, making them consistent across the country." In north India, the theatrical window lasts for eight weeks, whereas in south India, it usually lasts for four. A theatrical window makes sure that a film is only available on streaming services or satellite broadcasters after it has been shown in theaters.

"A lot of producers are still struggling to put together profitable strategies for their films as we recover from the Covid pandemic. As a result, assigning a timeline to this is challenging. However, he stated, "All I can say is that there is agreement that windows going ahead should be uniform throughout. In addition, Bijli emphasized the pressing necessity of extending the theatrical window from eight weeks to a longer period of time, noting that stakeholders have had numerous conversations about the matter.

Since attendance is still lower than it was before COVID, movie theater chains have been advocating for an extended theatrical run. The shorter time span between a movie's theatrical and over-the-top (OTT) releases has been linked to the decline in foot traffic. Ormax Media reports that foot traffic decreased by 8.44% from 1.03 billion in 2019 (pre-pandemic) to 943 million in 2023 (post-pandemic).

Under the brand name Treat Junction, food courts will be introduced in shopping malls by Devyani PVR Inox Food Court, a 51:49 joint venture (JV) between PVR Inox and Devyani International. "We anticipate that at least two food courts will be completely functioning within the next two to three months. The places are known. Four to five food courts will be open by the end of current fiscal year, according to Gaurav Sharma, head of investor relations and corporate finance at PVR Inox.

The president of the Multiplex Association of India (MAI) and chief business planning and strategy of PVR Inox, Kamal Gianchandani, expressed his opinion that the 2% cess imposed by the Karnataka government on movie tickets will have a negative impact on the industry. He added that the MAI is discussing the matter with industrial associations at the state level. He claims that the Goods and Services Tax (GST), which claimed to be a single tax throughout India, will be defeated by the cess.

"We both agree that this is bad for the industry and sets a bad precedent. We are sure we can meet with the appropriate ministry, state government ministry, and relevant government personnel and present our case," he continued.