Inox to screen Coldplay concert in theatres

Multiplex chain Inox Leisure Ltd will screen the Coldplay concert Music Of The Spheres live across properties in Mumbai, Pune, Indore, Jaipur, Kolkata, Gurugram, Lucknow and Goa on 29 October. The move comes on the back of the chain screening the ICC T20 World Cup 2022 and the Asia Cup 2022 on the big screen recently.

“Our audience’s entertainment and recreational needs have always been our top-most priority. We are extremely proud and thrilled to showcase the Coldplay LIVE event from Argentina across our multiplexes. The band has a widespread following in our country, and we have always believed in treating them in a special way; we aim to present them with an unforgettable concert-like experience,” Alok Tandon, chief executive officer, INOX Leisure Ltd said in a statement.

Movie theatres are increasingly screening sports matches, music concerts, niche and independent animation flicks and documentaries to generate revenue, in the wake of a succession of box office failures, especially in the Hindi-speaking market. According to film trade analysts, though some content was on offer even before the pandemic outbreak, multiplexes are looking at ways to bring audiences to theatres, at a time the movie business is in doldrums. These initiatives do not contribute much to overall footfalls of cinema chains and tickets for some premium sports matches may cost 75-80% higher than regular movies. The universe of fans for such content is small, Rajendar Singh Jyala, chief programming officer at INOX Leisure Ltd had said in an earlier interview to Mint, though awareness is growing.

Multiplex chains have to be selective because if all content is played, audiences may lose interest in the strategy altogether. A film trade analyst, however, said on condition of anonymity that alternative content was emerging as an additional stream of revenue at a time when most feature films were failing to lure audiences to cinemas. “It is hard to see where this would stand in the long term though, since much of this content may be available online for free,“ the person said.