As part of the deal, nearly 280 employees from Paytm’s entertainment ticketing business will now join Zomato
Paytm said that the move will allow it to focus on its core payments and financial services distribution business
This comes nearly two months after Paytm and Zomato said that they held initial talks for the deal
Troubled fintech giant Paytm has signed a definitive agreement to sell its entertainment ticketing business to foodtech major Zomato in an INR 2,048 Cr all-cash deal.
“This deal, valued at INR 2,048 Cr on a cash-free, debt-free basis, stands as a testament to the value Paytm has created through its entertainment ticketing business, bringing choice and convenience to millions of Indians with its services and scale,” Paytm said in a statement.
The fintech major expects to close the transaction within the current quarter (Q2 FY25) subject to the “satisfactory completion of all closing conditions”.
Meanwhile, Zomato, in a separate filing, said that its board at a meeting on Wednesday (August 21) approved the acquisition of Paytm’s movie and events ticketing businesses. The foodtech major added that the acquisition is part of its larger strategy to scale up the “going-out business”.
Zomato too has set a 90-day timeline for the execution of the deal.
Under the deal, Paytm will transfer its movie ticketing business to its subsidiary Orbgen Technologies Pvt Ltd (OTPL) and its sports and events ticketing business to another wholly-owned subsidiary Wasteland Entertainment Private Ltd (WEPL).
Afterwards, Zomato will acquire 100% stake in the two subsidiaries (OTPL and WEPL) and will take over the ownership of the two entities. As part of the transaction, nearly 280 employees from Paytm’s entertainment ticketing business will now join Zomato.
As per contours of the deal released by Zomato, Paytm’s movie ticketing business was pegged at INR 1,264.6 Cr while the event ticketing arm was valued at INR 783.8 Cr.
In a statement, Paytm said that the move will allow the company to focus on its core payments and financial services distribution business. The fintech major also said that expanding its core offerings would substitute revenue from its entertainment ticketing business in the long-run.
“We built the entertainment ticketing business by addressing the market needs of the time. Today, as it transitions to Zomato ownership, we thank every team member who contributed to building this business. It has been a privilege to grow this business with an incredible team. This move allows us to continue focusing on long-term growth in our core areas and value creation for all stakeholders,” said a Paytm spokesperson.
