Renaud Palliere, CEO of The Luxury Collection and Innovation at PVR Inox, explained that ScreenIT allows audiences to select, schedule, and promote movies for screenings.
“There’s no downside in this initiative. The only upside is to maximise and optimise admissions. It creates viral marketing opportunities for people to go and see content that they couldn’t necessarily see again on the big screen. They can design and customise the experience the way they want, and they can earn from it,” he said.
According to Ormax Media, footfalls fell 6% year-on-year to 883 million in 2024, well below the pre-pandemic peak of 1.03 billion recorded in 2019. An increase in the average ticket price has partially offset losses from declining footfalls.
The Hindi film industry has also been cautious about greenlighting projects due to box office flops in recent years. To compensate for a weak content pipeline, multiplexes like PVR Inox have turned to re-releasing old hits—a strategy that has shown positive results. In Q2, reruns accounted for 6% of PVR Inox’s admissions. “In the last eight to nine months, we’ve seen consistent behaviour from re-releases, where many have performed almost like a brand-new film,” said Kamal Gianchandani, Chief of Business, Planning, and Strategy at PVR Inox, during the company’s Q2 earnings call. Through the PVR Inox app, ScreenIT users can choose films spanning genres such as action, romance, and regional cinema. Once selected, users can schedule screenings by choosing the location, date, and time at any of the 120 screens across 50 cities in India.
To confirm a screening, at least 10% of the auditorium’s capacity must be filled. “Let’s say the auditorium you’ve chosen has a 100-seat capacity. You’ll need to sell at least 10 tickets for the show to go ahead,” Palliere explained.
ScreenIT also incentivises users to promote screenings not just in their social circle but also beyond it. For every ticket purchased via their promotional link, users earn a 5% cash reward.
Palliere believes this strategy not only drives admissions but also enhances customer loyalty. He likened the initiative to the circular economy model used by industries such as e-commerce and travel.
“I mean, it has delivered and yielded significant results in terms of utilisation. Whether it’s e-commerce or Airbnb, you can name many players in the circular economy. This is about turning the audience into brand ambassadors of the content they want to see and rewarding them for that,” he added.
