BookMyShow's year-end wrap declares 2023 as #EntertainmentOnASpree

In the realm of Two Twentys and One Three i.e. 2023, countless core memories have been etched, defining a year brimming with diverse experiences and a myriad emotions. The year flew by in the blink of an eye, leaving us wanting so much more. 2023 has been the unparalleled year of curated entertainment; it allowed us to open our arms wide and embrace new experiences that were in store. Delivering unmatched, strategically crafted entertainment experiences across cinemas, live entertainment and on-demand video content, 2023 was about venturing into the unexplored, embracing the less-travelled path and creating from scratch, all-experiences anew, in the world of entertainment, stirred up by the house of BookMyShow. The resounding success and the nationwide demand for curated entertainment have set the tone for the upcoming year of the Dragon – and BookMyShow’s spirits are fired up!

With 26,359 live events experienced across over 250 cities, 1,22,187 hours of content consumed on BookMyShow Stream and millions of Indians opting for the big screen experience to watch the phenomenal slate of theatrical content this year, breaking previous records with the highest number of tickets sold for a single day (on August 13^th) at a whopping 2.8 million movie tickets on BookMyShow, truly 2023 had #EntertainmentOnASpree, as unveiled by BookMyShow’s year-end wrap, the ‘Best of 2023 - #EntertainmentOnASpree’.

BookMyShow’s ‘Best of 2023 - EntertainmentOnASpree’ report spans data from January 1st - December 5th, 2023.

India’s entertainment bread and butter and favourite genre - movies on the big screen - continue to be mainstay in the cultural fabric of India. Movies from a variety of genres captivated audiences, drawing big crowds and huge earnings. In fact, 1,648,508 cinephiles proved their love for cinemas, watching atleast six movies and more this year, reflecting a commitment to watch films on the big screen, with an average frequency of atleast once every two months. The year of sequels, the timeless magic of Shah Rukh Khan and the joy of drama meant mega-blockbusters like Jawan, Pathaan, Gadar 2: The Katha Continues, Jailer, Animal (Hindi), Leo, The Kerala Story, Adipurush (Hindi), Ponniyan Selvan: Part 2 (Tamil), Tiger 3, Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani and OMG 2 were amongst the most popularly watched movies this year, enticing audiences with their storylines and cinematic magic.

BookMyShow’s earlier report The CineFiles also revealed that 90% Indians’ usual go-to option for out-of-home experiences was catching the latest movie release in the theatre amongst other leisure activities and this is further reiterated with the Independence Day festive weekend, witnessing the largest attendance of 10.9 million audiences in Indian theatres and therefore tickets booked on BookMyShow.

Moving on to the year where Indians LIVEd it up and how! 2023 started with the inaugural edition of Lollapalooza India and ever since, live entertainment took centre stage with 13.5 million entertainment enthusiasts creating a ‘momentous’ year choosing to step out for live events on-ground. India is at the brink of a live entertainment revolution and the proof of the pudding is in its eating, with Indian audiences’ appetite for specially curated, quality entertainment experiences from across the world and India, growing at a rapid pace. Unwilling to compromise, Indians have chosen premium live entertainment and elevated their experience this year with an impressive growth of 82% over last year for specially crafted international live events, accompanied by a 2.3x growth in BookMyShow Live’s enthusiastic consumer cohort of premium event-goers. Truly, it was #EntertainmentOnASpree in 2023 when Indians were ready to live it up by themselves for live events, time and time again as over 949,455 live entertainment enthusiasts had a ball of a time going for events solo!

It is India’s time to rise, and the world is bowing in unison. India was pinned on the global map of live entertainment this year with the inclusion of global sensations like Lollapalooza India 2023, Trevor Noah, Daniel Sloss, Backstreet Boys, Westlife, Jay Shetty and MotoGP hitting Indian shores for the first time! Live events are now a popular feature on travellers’ itineraries boosting tourism for host cities as well as becoming a mainstay in travel plans of Indian audiences. In 2023, 411,002 live entertainment enthusiasts travelled all the way outside of their home cities for experiences that they did not want to miss out on! While the top metros continued to brim with energy, it was the Tier II towns of Lucknow, Bhubaneswar and Nagpur amongst others that showcased 'Top Tier' energy for live event experiences, marking an extraordinary growth of 225% in ticket sales from last year. In another first, and BookMyShow’s endeavour to further build the live entertainment ecosystem in India, the platform’s next move was expanding the horizons to include segments that are important to our consumers as leisure. This led to the inception of Nykaaland, where BookMyShow Live built and curated an IP for an allied industry – beauty along with Nykaa, creating a world of beauty that was engaging, immersive and spoke the language that consumers resonate with.

Not one to lag, India seized the opportunity to sit back and enjoy the luxury of home on days that it didn’t want to step out on, immersing itself in binge-watching favourite films and TV series on BookMyShow Stream. This year, cinephiles were spoilt for choice with more than 2291 titles premiering on BookMyShow Stream in the past 12 months alone, with 160 new releases and 17 exclusive ones to cater to the growing content demand. Everyone Everywhere All At Once and Transformers: Rise of the Beasts ruled the roost on the TVOD platform. Genre did not matter—action, drama, documentaries, science fiction and period films equal a stream lover's favourites! Breaking language barriers, BookMyShow Stream brought joy in English, Spanish, Danish, French, Norwegian and more ensuring a diverse viewing experience.

Finally, entertainment was ubiquitous and truly transcended geographical boundaries! Mumbai, Hyderabad, Delhi-NCR, Bengaluru and Chennai were the leaders of the pack of Metro cities - be it movies, live entertainment, or on-demand video entertainment with BookMyShow Stream - consistently topping the charts across all! 2023 saw non-metros and tier 2 (and beyond) markets, really coming into their own as consumers of entertainment growing tremendously with Ahmedabad being the evergreen legend of the non-metro market, once again.

Here’s a detailed look at everything that made headlines in the world of entertainment unveiled by BookMyShow, India’s leading entertainment destination in its report titled ‘BookMyShow: The Best of 2023 - #EntertainmentOnASpree’. BookMyShow’s annual report wraps up the Best of 2023’s entertainment trends across movies, live entertainment and on-demand content through its TVOD platform BookMyShow Stream as the year comes to a close.

Best of 2023: #EntertainmentOnASpree – Report by BookMyShow