Research: How did this deal come about?
Raj Sharma: We saw the need for box office data clarity in India and a demand. Rentrak is the undisputed global leader in the field and so we got together with them and discussed the Indian market. They were interested and after several discussions and due diligence we were able to move forward.

What sort of box office data were you collecting beforehand?
RS: We were the research partners for COFFI, the Conference on Film Finance Industry. We would collect information on cost of production and revenues and would come with a list of bankable films, producers, directors, actors and actress.

Can you tell us more about your part in the deal?
RS: We’re responsible for:

1. Ensuring that the data is obtained from exhibitors. That means gaining permission and maintaining the technical ability for data to be streamed in real-time, thus ensuring that Rentrak is able to sell Indian data globally.
2. Selling and marketing the data to Indian studios
3. Selling and marketing it to distributors
4. Selling and marketing it to advertisers and media buying houses

How important are box office figures in India, particularly given the success of Bollywood?
RS: Accurate box office data is extremely crucial in India, just like in any other buzzing movie market. Currently a lot of decisions are based on gut instinct, and there was no way of making statements and rankings with conviction because, to date, nobody was collecting and delivering this data.