Airtel launches its first multiplex, but in the metaverse

• Bharti Airtel launched India’s first multiplex on the Partynite Metaverse platform.
• The 20-screen multiplex will showcase content portfolios from leading OTT platforms partners.
• Airtel’s latest metaverse multiplex will enable viewers to watch samples of top original shows and movies.

One of the biggest telecom companies in India, Bharti Airtel, entered the multiplex business but in the metaverse. The company on Tuesday (June 17) launched India’s first multiplex on the Partynite Metaverse platform.

The 20-screen multiplex — which is a part of Airtel’s video app Xtream — will showcase content portfolios from leading over-the-top (OTT) platforms it has partnered with. A quick scan of the website reveals that Airtel Xstream offers content from OTT platforms like Amazon Prime, Sony Liv and Eros Now.

The Xstream multiplex is an extension of Airtel’s Xstream Premium offering, which added two million subscribers within 100 days of its launch.

“Airtel’s Xstream multiplex provides a larger-than-life experience, which brings together Web 3.0 apps and immersive storytelling, and an assortment of content from our partners. We all know people’s love for movies and entertainment in India. Through the metaverse, we are looking to tap into a larger audience, giving content enthusiasts an opportunity to sample Airtel’s Xstream Premium offering and, thus, aiding in driving higher adoption,” Shashwat Sharma, director of marketing at Airtel, said in a statement.

Airtel’s latest metaverse multiplex will enable viewers to watch samples — such as the first episode or initial minutes — of top original shows and movies. These shows or movies will be in multiple regional languages, besides English and Hindi. Viewers can get complete access upon subscription of a plan, the company added.

Airtel Xstream Premium’s multiplex experience is one of the most scalable use case scenarios for the metaverse and can be used for movies, music, live events and premium sports streaming in the future, Partynite’s founder Rajat Ojha said.

“Apart from the robust scope, it will also allow social engagement, open up newer methods of content delivery and, of course, provide an immersive experience at the core of it,” he added.

Airtel is a global communications solutions provider with over 490 million customers across 17 countries across South Asia and Africa. The company earned ₹1.17 lakh crore across its several businesses in the fiscal year 2022, while its profits lingered at ₹8,305 crore.

Bharti Airtel’s shares were trading at a price of ₹681 at 1:06 pm on Tuesday, representing a slight spike of 1.47% since market opening.

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