The Competition Commission of India (CCI) has dismissed a complaint filed against BookMyShow’s parent company, Big Tree Entertainment, which had alleged abuse of dominant position in the online movie ticketing market.
As per media reports, the complaint had alleged that BookMyShow had entered into exclusive arrangements with cinema operators that prevented them from partnering with competing online ticketing platforms.
The complainant had argued that such arrangements created barriers for new entrants in the market and enabled the platform to impose conditions on consumers, including the charging of convenience fees.
After reviewing the investigation conducted by the Director General, the Commission has defined the relevant market as the “market for online intermediation services for booking of movie tickets in India”.
The regulator has observed that the platform holds a dominant position in this segment, citing its long-standing presence, extensive network of cinema partners, strong brand recall and a large consumer base.
However, the Commission has also noted the presence of other ticketing platforms such as Paytm, Justickets and Amazon, stating that their operations indicate that the market is not effectively closed to new competitors.
According to the order, the complainant has not provided sufficient evidence to demonstrate that the arrangements between BookMyShow and cinema operators resulted in denial of market access or exclusion of competing platforms.
The regulator has therefore said it could not conclude that the platform had abused its dominant position by imposing conditions that foreclosed the market or restricted competition under Section 4(2)(c) of the Competition Act.
The Commission said that although the opposite party holds a dominant position in the market for online movie ticket booking intermediation services in India, no violation of Sections 4(2)(a)(i), 4(2)(b)(i) or 4(2)(c) of the Competition Act has been established in the case.
Following this finding, the Commission has directed that the matter be closed.
