iWorld
BookMyShow launches global online streaming platform for live entertainment with ‘BookMyShow Online’
KOLKATA: Continuing with its efforts to keep consumers entertained within the safety of their homes, BookMyShow, India’s leading entertainment destination today announced the launch of its online video streaming platform for live entertainment – BookMyShow Online. Having entertained millions of customers with multiple in-home virtual entertainment offerings on its platform, in the shadow of the COVID health crisis, BookMyShow’s latest feature is a response to audiences’ growing need for entertainment within their homes, for the present times.
This is the latest in BookMyShow’s growing range of offerings, as the preferred discovery platform for all things entertainment. BookMyShow Online caters to the fast-evolving, ever-changing needs of entertainment lovers in India as also globally for customers using the platform across USA & North America, UK, Germany, UAE, South East Asia, and West Indies. BookMyShow’s new streaming feature as a virtual platform for viewing live entertainment has successfully hosted over 30 events at scale, including the first-ever global virtual tours of Latin musician Willie Gomez, Australian pop band The Buckleys as also American music artist Taylor Castro’s performances amongst others.
BookMyShow Online is all set to host the first ever Virtual Music Festival in the country with the Sunburn Home Festival, – the virtual edition of Asia’s biggest electronic dance music festival. The festival will feature top DJs from across the globe in a never-seen-before avatar with 3D animations and special effects showcasing the virtual live experience of a music concert with end-to-end production of stage, lights, LED, lasers, special effects and more streamed live only on BookMyShow Online.
With this, BookMyShow brings together all forms of entertainment, whether out-of-home or delivered at-home under its roof in keeping with its brand mantra – ‘It All Starts Here!’
A global platform for virtual live entertainment, BookMyShow Online will be home to both paid and free performances across music, comedy, and other performing arts and will be an extension of the unparalleled live entertainment experiences produced and brought to the country by the entertainment company. BookMyShow Online aims to give consumers a seamless option to view live on-ground experiences from the comfort of their living room, or any location of their preference.
BookMyShow Online breaks all geographical barriers when it comes to live entertainment experiences, offering artists all over the world, an opportunity to stream their live performances directly on the platform, helping them reach and engage with millions of their fans in India and globally. The streaming feature will run across BookMyShow’s app and web platforms matching global capacity standards to host a smooth experience for scores of concurrent viewers at any given point.
BookMyShow co-founder and director Parikshit Dar said, “Innovation has always been at the core of BookMyShow, riding on the strength of our product platform, technological expertise and data analytics to enhance the experience of millions of consumers. Sensing the shift in our users’ appetite for entertainment during this lockdown, we were agile enough to change tack by introducing virtual in-home entertainment offerings in India and other global markets. The resultant consumer engagement for such initiatives was phenomenal indicating a latent demand and an opportunity to serve seamless virtual live entertainment. Our latest video streaming platform BookMyShow Online was born out of this need to make virtual live entertainment, a friction-less and hassle-free viewing experience. The streaming platform was integrated into our native product within a few weeks and offers customisation, massive scale for concurrent viewing and complete security of content. We have, since, been successful in hosting multiple performances from across the globe on BookMyShow Online and are now thrilled to officially launch the service for our valued customers.”
BookMyShow has partnered with Brightcove, the world’s leading video technology platform, as the underlying video streaming technology that powers the use case for the video platform BookMyShow Online. Brightcove’s underlying technology enables BookMyShow Online to deliver a reliable, high-quality streaming experience that is easily scalable as the platform’s audience size continues to increase.
iWorld
X launches XChat messaging app on iOS with calls and encryption
Standalone app marks shift from “everything app” vision, adds E2E messaging.
MUMBAI: From one big app to many small chats, X seems to be splitting its ambitions. X has rolled out its standalone messaging app, XChat, to iOS users, opening up a new front in its evolving product strategy. The app allows users to connect with existing X contacts through private and group messages, file sharing, as well as audio and video calls. The launch follows a limited beta phase, where the platform tested the product with a smaller user base to refine the experience. Now available publicly, XChat marks a notable pivot from earlier ambitions championed by Elon Musk to turn X into a single “everything app” combining messaging, payments, commerce and more.
Instead, the company under xAI ownership and backed by SpaceX appears to be building a suite of standalone applications, each targeting specific use cases while expanding its broader ecosystem.
At launch, XChat includes end-to-end encrypted messaging, PIN-based access, disappearing messages, and features such as message editing, deletion for all participants, and screenshot blocking. The company has also said the app is free from advertisements and tracking mechanisms, positioning it as a privacy-first alternative in a crowded messaging space.
However, security claims around the platform are likely to face scrutiny. Earlier iterations of XChat drew criticism from experts who argued it fell short of established encrypted platforms like Signal. With the wider rollout, the app is expected to undergo fresh evaluation to assess whether those concerns have been addressed.
Beyond messaging, XChat will also house X’s Communities feature, which is being discontinued on the main platform due to low usage and spam concerns. Migrating these users could provide an early boost to adoption, effectively turning XChat into both a communication and community hub.
The move underscores a broader recalibration at X less about cramming everything into one app, and more about spreading bets across multiple touchpoints, one message at a time.
