CCI Closes Abuse of Dominance Case as Exclusive Ticketing Agreements Did Not Foreclose Market

Showtyme Vs Big Tree Entertainment Pvt. Ltd. (Competition Commission of India)

An information was filed before the Competition Commission of India (CCI) under Section 19(1)(a) of the Competition Act, 2002 alleging anti-competitive conduct by an online movie ticketing platform and several cinema operators. The Informant, a social activist and founder of an online movie ticketing portal called Showtyme, alleged that the dominant ticketing platform had entered into exclusive agreements with cinemas and multiplexes, thereby preventing competing ticketing platforms from accessing the market. The Informant also alleged that the platform charged a convenience fee of about ₹25 per ticket and shared part of it with cinemas, while competitors were unable to associate with cinemas due to interest-free monetary deposits and exclusive arrangements offered by the platform. According to the Informant, these practices created barriers for new entrants and increased the price of tickets for consumers.

The Commission initially examined the matter and, through an order under Section 26(1) of the Act, directed investigation by the Director General (DG) only against the ticketing platform, removing other entities from the list of opposite parties. The Commission noted that the allegations primarily concerned exclusive agreements and possible abuse of dominant position by the platform.