9XM bets big on ticket-based events

The upcoming Arijit Singh concert could yield revenues of over Rs1.5 crore through ticketing alone. The channel will also edit the three-hour long concert to a 30-minute-long TV show.

Taking a cue from the success of Tashan Nites, the on-ground event organised by 9X Tashan, sister channel 9XM has announced its foray into the ticketing revenue event.

The flagship Bollywood music channel from 9X Media has announced that it will organise a music concert with the singer of Ashiqui2's fame 'Tum Hi Ho', Arijit Singh. The channel has partnered with Mirah Entertainment and Dome@NSCI SVP Stadium to host the concert titled - 9XM Dome Musically Yours Arijit Singh Live with Symphony Orchestra. It is scheduled for July 5 at 8pm at the NSCI Stadium, Mumbai.

In conversation with Kapil Sharma, marketing head, 9X Media, afaqs! learns that 9XM wants to host the concert once a quarter. Plans are on to organise similar events in cities like New Delhi, Kolkata and Lucknow. "Events and activations is something which has always been an important part of our marketing mix in the last 3-5 years. We did activations and events for each of our channels, at the time of their launch. We already have Tashan Nites that reaches out to 5000-8000 people and this time we have planned to organise a big event with respect to 9XM," Sharma adds.

For Tashan Nites, the company has done 10-12 events in the last two years. They are a combination of large formats with 5000+ audience and smaller formats in the nightclubs. Through Tashan Nites, 9X Tashan showcases the best of Punjabi film and non-film music to Punjabi Music lovers. It is a platform for artistes to connect with their fans and create awareness about their latest movies and music albums. The Tashan Nites concerts are held across North India on a regular basis and are also aired on 9X Tashan for viewers who are unable to attend the on-ground event.

The channel is selling tickets through bookmyshow and a few offline venues including clubs and gymkhanas. The tickets are priced at Rs 3,000, Rs 6,000 and Rs 10,000 and the capacity of the stadium is around 4,000. The company is expected to earn around Rs 1.7 crore in ticketing revenue.

The on-ground concert that will go on for around three hours will later be edited to a 30-minute show for television. The show is expected to air on 9XM either on July 12 or July 19. The channel has roped in Carwale as the 'powered by' sponsor for the event.

Baljinder Mahant, programming head, 9XM says, "Our belief in providing the best of Bollywood music and entertainment has helped us to garner huge support from Bollywood music fans. We are confident that the fans will cherish this experience that the super talented singer and 9XM have envisaged for them."

As for the marketing of the event, the channel has tied up with Hindustan Times that is providing it advertising as well as editorial support. It is looking at partnering with a radio channel soon. The concert is being heavily promoted through digital medium. While Bookmyshow is promoting it in its database, investment is being done to push it on Google and Facebook. The channel is also leveraging its social media platforms to gather more footfalls. It is learned that 9XM is investing around Rs 20 lakh to market the property.