Zee launches pay-per-view movie service Zee Plex

To be launched on 2 October, Zee Plex aims to bring theatres to consumers’ homes, a phenomenon that has gained much traction because of the covid-19 pandemic that has resulted in the shutdown of cinema halls. The service will be available 24×7 and feature shows at various intervals through the day giving consumers the required flexibility, Zee said in a statement.

Consumers will also be able to book their movie shows well in advance to the release date and watch any new movie release along with their family with a single ticket. Users will have multiple payment options to purchase their favourite movie.

“While we all love to catch the latest movies at the nearest theatres, we sensed the need for a solution like Zee Plex, which gives the consumers flexibility and convenience, to catch their favourite films in the comfort of their homes, along with friends and family,” Shariq Patel, CEO, Zee Studios said in a statement. “We have received great interest from producers and are looking forward to release a strong slate of blockbusters across languages,” he added.

The Zee Plex announcement comes at a time when most Indian video streaming platforms are acquiring films for direct-to-digital releases offered as part of their subscription packages. Apart from Zee, media and entertainment company Shemaroo has launched a pay-per-movie service called ShemarooMe Box Office for which tickets can be booked at the company’s own VoD platform ShemarooMe, its website as well as on online ticketing site BookMyShow.

YouTube also offers films that can be rented for a 24 to 48-hour period and depending on the film, one has 30 days to start the access period. Other platforms like Netflix, Amazon Prime etc are yet to dabble in the pay-per-view model that is hugely popular in the US. Live Mint