CCI orders inquiry against BookMyShow

VIJAYAWADA:  The Competition Commission of India (CCI) has directed its Director-General to determine whether the conduct of BookMyShow - a marketplace for online intermediation services for booking movie tickets - has resulted in “abuse of dominant position”. The CCI was responding to a petition filed by Vijay Gopal, proprietor of Vanila Entertainments, which runs an online movie ticket-selling portal Showtyme. 

According to Vijay Gopal, as the owner of Showtyme, he approached more than 30 exhibitors in person and all the multiplexes located in Hyderabad through e-mail. To his dismay, the management of theatres, however, declined to engage business with him on the account that they have taken monetary deposits and signed exclusive agreements with BookMyShow. Further, the complainant alleged that BookMyShow has formed an explicit cartel with multiplexes and theatres to thwart business opportunities to other platforms to sell tickets, even when they offer services at 50% less convenience fee than BookMyShow.