Cinema halls screen World Cup matches to attract audiences

As Football World Cup fever sweeps across the country, two cinema halls have begun screening live matches in an effort to attract audiences back amid a prolonged shortage of moviegoers.

Lion Cinemas in Keraniganj and Madhuban Cineplex in Bogura are broadcasting key FIFA World Cup fixtures on the big screen, hoping to encourage football fans to return to cinema halls at a time when quality local releases have failed to draw significant crowds.

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Lion Cinemas has already screened several World Cup matches, while Madhuban Cineplex joined the initiative yesterday with the Argentina-Egypt fixture.

A live ticket sales session on Lion Cinemas’ official Facebook page revealed strong public interest in the screenings.

According to the cinema authorities, some customers have purchased between 10 and 15 tickets at a time. Those unable to visit the ticket counter in person have also been buying tickets through the cinema’s Facebook page.

Lion Cinemas has arranged screenings across all four of its auditoriums. During the live session, a staff member said all four halls were expected to be sold out for the Argentina-Egypt match.

Speaking during the livestream, one Argentina supporter said he had purchased six tickets to watch the match with his son and his son’s friends. He added that he had also watched Brazil’s previous match at the same venue. Another football fan said he had bought 17 tickets for an earlier fixture and had purchased three more for Tuesday’s match.

Meanwhile, Madhuban Cineplex Managing Director Sayekhuzzaman told Channel i Online that the decision to screen World Cup matches was prompted by the sharp decline in cinema audiences.

“Today’s two screenings of 'Bonolata Sen' attracted only 10 viewers in total,” he said. “We’ve reached a point where audiences are simply not coming to the cinema. That’s why we’ve decided to screen the matches. At the very least, we want people to keep coming to the halls. When good content is available, audiences do turn up, and this initiative proves that.”

Tickets for the Argentina-Egypt match at Madhuban Cineplex have been priced at Tk 100 and Tk 200. Sayekhuzzaman said the response has been encouraging since the announcement, adding that if demand continues, the cinema plans to screen more major World Cup matches, including the semi-finals and final, on the big screen.