Reliance Mediaworks Ltd: Strong Buy

Reliance MediaWorks, incorporated in 1987, is India’s fastest growing media and entertainment services company and a member of the Reliance Group, one of the leading business houses in India. Reliance MediaWorks offers end to end integrated services across the entire film and media services value chain to production houses, studios and broadcasters. The Company has comprehensive presence in Film and Media Services: Motion Picture Processing and DI; Film, Audio Restoration and Image Enhancement; 3D; Digital Mastering: Studios and Equipment rentals; Visual Effects; Animation; Broadcast and TVC Post Production with presence across India, USA and UK.

Reliance MediaWorks operates BIG Cinemas, India’s largest cinema chain with over 425 screens spread across India and United States.

During the FY12, the Company has maintained its leadership position in the existing business segments, i.e. domestic exhibition, film processing, organized sector for equipment & studio rental business & television content production.

In the services segment, the Company has successfully completed the first year of operations for the 1st phase of the studio, located at Filmcity, Mumbai, with an overall occupancy of 67 per cent & has been associated with big projects like Agneepath, Singham, Agent Vinod, X-Factor, Filmfare Awards amongst others. During the period, the lab has catered to 194 films including RA-One, Ek tha Tiger, Bodyguard, Ready, Rockstar, Agneepath, Rowdy Rathore, Singham, amongst others. Total number of movies processed in Digital Intermediary Laboratory (DI Lab) has increased from 66 in financial year 2010-11 to 82 in financial year 2011-12 including big budget movies like Rowdy Rathore, Bol Bachchan, Ishaqazaade, Agneepath, Rockstar, Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara and The Dirty Picture. The Company also offered post production services for over 300 television commercials and some of India’s largest broadcast shows like Satyamev Jayate, Indian Idol, X-Factor, India’s Got Talent, Just Dance & IPL.

The Media Services Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) in Airoli, Navi Mumbai restored over 250 legacy films which includes titles like Sholay, Laawaris, Devdas and Do Bhigha Zameen among others. During the year, the Company marked its entry in the domestic 2D to 3D conversion business for both films with an esteemed project – Shah Rukh Khan Starrer Don-2 & for Cinema Advertising with Reliance Netconnect’s ‘It’s Fast. Are You?’ campaign. The Company has also successfully completed its 1st year of operations for Visual Effects (VFX) segment for international clients.
 
The Company along with Galloping Horse America LLC jointly submitted a winning bid for some assets of Digital Domain Production Inc., a leading cutting edge VFX Company, for $30.2 million at auction on September 21, 2012. Galloping Horse America LLC holds a 70 per cent stake & RMW holds 30 per cent. The acquisition includes Digital Domain Production Inc.s’ and Mothership’s entire business - feature film and advertising visual effects, commercial production and virtual humans, studios in California and Vancouver, Canada, and the co-production partnership in Ender’s Game. 

Digital Domain is a legendary company with the talent and track record of creating highest-end content, and deep relationships with the world’s top filmmakers, studios and advertisers.

The Company has partnered with VenSat Tech Services Private Limited to expand its VFX, Computer Generated Imagery (CGI)
and Animation capabilities and create a studio in Chennai that will cater to the growing needs of the Media & Entertainment industry. 

The Company has also partnered with Annapurna Studios, leading film/television studio and production house located in Hyderabad to manage and operate their studio facility and to operate and expand the Digital Post Production facility at the studios.
 
The Company’s Burbank Technology Centre team has won an Oscar at Academy’s Scientific and Technical Awards 2012 for the
development of a unique and efficient system for the reduction of noise and other artifacts, thereby providing high quality images required by the filmmaking process. In August 2011, the Company received a patent for an innovation – “System and method for removing semi-transparent artifacts from digital images caused by contaminants in the camera’s optical path”.
 
The Company’s motion picture processing lab in Mumbai bagged a National Award for Best Cinematography for a Punjabi film
‘Anhey Ghorey Da Daan’. The Company has received National Awards for six consecutive years.

In the exhibition segment, the Company operates the theatres under the brand BIG Cinemas. Big Cinemas currently operates in India & US with a total count to 120 cinemas with 427 Screens. The focus of the Company has always been providing enhanced services. Big Cinemas offers unique experiences with formats like Cine Diner- Asia’s first Cinema –cum-dining concept, 180 Degrees – with 180 degree recliner seats, Ebony Lounges, Pause Launge & Mischief – It is the first multiplex chain to launch its own mineral water brand “Springs” which is being sold through the Cinema chain pan India. Under the umbrella of our F&B brand ‘’Movie Munchies’’ it is offering more than 22 products that include varieties of fried finger food, salads, and sandwiches, rolls and wraps, fresh coffee, pizzeria, candy floss, street food like Chaat, ice creams, hot and cold desserts, Mocktails, fresh juices and chocolate fondue. 

Indian Media and Entertainment Industry Overview:
The Media and Entertainment (M&E) industry is one of the fastest growing sectors in India. The industry primarily involves the creation, aggregation and distribution of content, products and services, news and information, advertising and entertainment through various channels and platforms such as Television, Print, Radio, and Films. Poised to grow at a compounded rate of 14.9 per cent to touch US$ 28 billion by 2016. While television and print continued to dominate the Indian M&E industry with contribution of 74 per cent to the Industry, sectors such as gaming, digital advertising, and animation VFX have shown growth of over 30 per cent and show tremendous potential in the coming years.