KKR buys stake in BookMyShow for $40 million

MUMBAI: KKR, a leading global investment firm, has agreed to acquire a minority stake in Indian entertainment and ticketing platform BookMyShow, KKR said on Wednesday.

According to sources, KKR invested about $40 million (₹380 crore) in the company as a primary capital at a valuation of around $620 million (₹6,000 crore).

The investment will support BookMyShow’s next phase of growth, including the expansion of its live entertainment business and the development of its full-stack entertainment offering across India, KKR said.


The largest shareholder of BMS -operated by Bigtree Entertainment, is Reliance unit Network18, holding a 39% stake. Other existing investors include Accel, Elevation Capital, Stripes Group, and TPG Growth.

KKR had planned to invest about $250-300 million in Reliance Industries-backed BookMyShow to acquire a minority stake, ET first reported in January 2024. However, the talks subsequently stalled and remained stuck for the past couple of years.

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Founded in 2007, BookMyShow has evolved from a ticketing platform into a full-stack entertainment company, combining technology, consumer reach and industry expertise across movies, live entertainment and experiences.

KKR said its investment reflects its confidence in India’s entertainment sector and BookMyShow’s growth prospects, driven by rising discretionary spending, a large and young consumer base and increasing demand for world-class live entertainment experiences.

“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,” said Akshay Tanna, partner and head of India private equity at KKR. “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.”

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Ashish Hemrajani, founder and CEO of BookMyShow, said KKR’s global perspective, expertise and understanding of consumer businesses would be valuable as the company enters its next phase of growth.

“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,” Hemrajani said.

KKR has invested across sectors in India, with its portfolio including Medicover India, Lighthouse Learning, Vini Cosmetics, Healthcare Global Enterprises, Darwinbox and Rebel Foods.

BookMyShow will add to KKR’s global media and entertainment portfolio, which includes Internet Brands, ByteDance, Chord Music Partners, Epic Games, PlayOnSports, OverDrive, Superstruct and Simon & Schuster.