India's PVR INOX quarterly profit more than doubles on robust box office collections 

Oct 28 (Reuters) - India's PVR INOX PVRL.NS second-quarter profit more than doubled, the multiplex operator reported on Wednesday, thanks to a robust lineup of film releases and box office collections.

The company reported a consolidated net profit of 2.63 billion rupees ($27.63 million) in the quarter ended September 30, compared to 1.06 billion rupees a year earlier.

Here are the key details:

• Ticket sales increased nearly 18% year-on-year, while occupancy expanded by 170 basis points

• Average ticket price rose 14% year-on-year, while average food and beverage spend per head also rose 14%

• The multiplex operator said it was on track to open 90 to 100 new screens in fiscal year 2027.

• Revenue from operations rose nearly 17% to 21.05 billion rupees, supported by higher admissions and higher average ticket prices

• English-language blockbusters like "The Odyssey" and "Spider-Man: Brand New Day", made more than 2.33 billion rupees and 6.08 billion rupees respectively in sales, PVR said, driving 23% year-on-year growth in gross box office collections.

• PVR Inox and its smaller peers typically face volatile earnings because blockbuster releases are uneven through the year and competition from streamers like Netflix and Amazon Prime remains stiff.

($1 = 95.1875 Indian rupees)