MUMBAI, India, August 19 — KKR, a leading global investment firm, and BookMyShow (the ‘Company’), one of India’s leading entertainment destinations, today announced the signing of definitive agreements under which funds managed by KKR will acquire a minority stake in the Company. KKR’s investment will support BookMyShow’s next phase of growth as it scales its live entertainment business and deepens its full-stack offering across India.
Established in 2007, BookMyShow has evolved from a ticketing platform into a full-stack entertainment company, combining technology, consumer reach and deep industry capabilities across movies, live entertainment and experiences. A key part of this evolution has been BookMyShow Live, the Company’s live entertainment experiences division, which operates across the value chain – from talent and IP acquisition to production, promotion, partnerships, and audience development. Through sustained investment in the ecosystem, BookMyShow Live has built the capabilities and scale to bring increasingly ambitious entertainment experiences to India, while contributing to the development of a more robust and commercially viable live entertainment market.
KKR’s investment reflects its conviction in India’s entertainment sector and in BookMyShow’s ability to drive its next phase of growth, powered by rising discretionary spending, a large and young consumer base, and growing demand for world-class live experiences. With expansive consumer reach, technology and entertainment capabilities, the Company is positioned to continue its growth in a fast-maturing market.
Akshay Tanna, Partner and Head of India Private Equity at KKR, said, “BookMyShow has been a pioneer in delivering high-quality entertainment experiences in India. We are pleased to support BookMyShow as it continues to lead the next phase of growth in India’s out-of-home entertainment sector. We believe BookMyShow will play an important role in advancing India’s ambition to become a global entertainment hub and a premier destination for leading artists and acts from around the world. We look forward to combining our deep local knowledge with our global investment experience and network to support BookMyShow in its next stage of transformation and further elevate the world-class experiences it delivers to audiences across India.”
Ashish Hemrajani, Founder & CEO, BookMyShow, said, “We are delighted to welcome KKR as an investor in BookMyShow. Their global perspective, deep expertise and strong understanding of consumer businesses will be invaluable as we enter the next phase of our journey. The timing of this investment is particularly exciting, as we have significantly expanded our presence across the live entertainment landscape and are seeing the opportunity for India’s entertainment economy grow like never before. We are also grateful to our longstanding investors Network18 (part of Reliance Industries Limited), Accel Partners, Elevation Capital, Stripes Group, and TPG for their continued support.”
The transaction marks KKR’s latest private equity investment in India, where KKR has made investments across a range of industries and sectors including Medicover India, a multi-speciality hospital; Lighthouse Learning, a leading Indian education services provider; Vini Cosmetics, a leading personal care and beauty products company; Healthcare Global Enterprises, a leading oncology hospital chain; Darwinbox, a leading HR technology platform; Rebel Foods, an internet restaurant company. BookMyShow adds to KKR’s global portfolio of Media and Entertainment investments, including Internet Brands; ByteDance; Chord Music Partners; Epic Games; PlayOnSports; OverDrive; Superstruct; and Simon & Schuster.
The transaction is subject to customary regulatory approvals. Additional details of the transaction are not disclosed.
Avendus Capital served as the exclusive financial advisor for BookMyShow, while Trilegal acted as legal advisor.