What Cinema Online does

Cinema Online (legally Cinema Online Sdn. Bhd., Malaysian registration 200001024206) is a privately held consumer-facing movie aggregation portal headquartered in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, operating since 1999 under the parent/technology provider Cinema Online Asia. The platform serves individual moviegoers in Malaysia (60+ cities) and Singapore, aggregating movie information (now showing, coming soon), showtimes across more than 100 cinema locations covering major chains GSC, TGV, FST, Amerin Cineplex, Mega Cineplex, Paragon and 15+ independents, plus trailers, entertainment news articles, box office charts, and film festival coverage.

The underlying technology is a web-based responsive platform with two named proprietary features: a Showtime Aggregation Engine covering multiple cinema chains and a Multi-cinema Comparison Tool allowing users to compare up to three favourite cinemas. No native app, public API, SDK, or AI/ML capability is disclosed; distribution is via cinema.com.my and a desktop subdomain, supplemented by six social channels (Facebook, Instagram, WeChat, LinkedIn, TikTok, Telegram).

The revenue model consists of two streams: (1) digital advertising from movie distributors and brands displayed across editorial and listing pages, and (2) ticket booking referral revenue, with Cinema Online routing purchases to partner cinemas (Amerin Cineplex and Mega Cineplex) for booking completion, while other chains require external redirection. The platform monetises indirectly off cinema ticket prices (ranging RM 6-35 for 2D, RM 12-40 for 3D, with senior, child, OKU, and student tiers) rather than setting those prices itself. The business is bootstrapped with no disclosed VC funding, limited headcount of 11-50, and operates solely in the consumer go-to-market motion.

Name

Cinema Online

Legal name

Cinema Online Sdn. Bhd.

Website

https://cinema.com.my

Company type

Private

Founded year

1999

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Cinema Online is a Malaysian privately held movie aggregation portal operating since 1999 that serves moviegoers in Malaysia and Singapore with showtimes across 100+ cinema locations, plus trailers, box office charts, and entertainment news, monetised through digital advertising and ticket-booking referrals.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Online Movie Information and Showtime Portal

NAICS

Motion Picture and Video Exhibition (51213)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

Ticketing & Admissions Platforms (Cinema/Festival) (MPADAKAM)

akta.pro secondary industry

Cinema Advertising & On-screen Media Networks (MPADAKAO)

Keywords

• Movie showtimes
• Cinema listings
• Movie news
• Box office charts
• Film festival coverage

Headquarters

HQ city

Petaling Jaya

HQ country

Malaysia

HQ region

Asia

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Digital Commerce or Content

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Operations

Revenue model

1. Digital Advertising: The platform displays advertiser content and promotional materials from movie distributors and brands
2. Ticket Booking Referral: Online ticket purchase redirects to Amerin Cineplex and Mega Cineplex for booking completion

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

Cinema Online operates Malaysia's leading movie aggregation website at cinema.com.my, providing consolidated showtime listings, movie details, trailers, news, and box office charts across 100+ cinema locations in Malaysia and Singapore. The platform also offers selected online ticket booking for partnering cinema chains (Amerin Cineplex and Mega Cineplex) plus a comprehensive ticket pricing guide covering multiple cinema formats and circuits.

Product overview

Cinema Online is a single unified movie portal website serving as Malaysia's favourite movie destination. The platform aggregates comprehensive movie information including current and upcoming film listings, cinema showtimes from over 100 cinema locations across Malaysia, movie trailers, box office charts, film festival coverage, and entertainment news articles. The core offering consists of the main website with integrated sections for Now Showing, Coming Soon, Showtimes, Articles, Trailers, Charts, and Film Festivals. An add-on ticketing feature enables users to book tickets through partner cinema websites (Amerin Cineplex and Mega Cineplex), while a Ticket Pricing Guide provides detailed pricing information across various cinema formats and circuits.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Cinema Online Website Malaysia's premier online movie portal offering consolidated showtimes, movie details, trailers, news, and box office charts across 100+ cinema locations in Malaysia and Singapore.
• Now Showing Displays current movies available in cinemas with details including language, classification, genre, and showtimes.
• Coming Soon Shows upcoming movie releases with release dates, trailers, and advance showtime information.
• Showtimes Provides cinema showtime listings filtered by area, cinema chain, and movie, covering over 100 cinema locations across Malaysia.
• Articles/News Movie news articles, interviews, and industry updates covering regional and international cinema news.
• Trailers Movie trailer library with sorting options for now showing and coming soon films.
• Charts Box office ranking charts showing top movies in Malaysia and Singapore by weekend takings.
• Film Festivals Coverage of international and regional film festivals including MIFFEST listings.
• Ticket Booking Online ticket booking service that redirects users to partner cinema websites (Amerin Cineplex and Mega Cineplex) to complete purchases.
• Ticket Pricing Guide Comprehensive guide showing ticket prices across different formats (2D, 3D, IMAX, ATMOS, D-BOX), cinema circuits, and seat types including luxury and premium options.

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• AE Cinemas D'Mall Seri IskandarminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 July 2026Announced opening on 1 July 2026 with showtimes now available on the platform
• TGV Pavilion Kuala LumpurminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 18 June 2026New cinema opening announced on 18 June 2026 with showtimes available on the platform
• Cinema Online AsiacoreOthersParent company and technology provider powering the Cinema Online platform. The website footer states 'Powered by Cinema Online Asia.'
• GSC CinemascoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorGolden Screen Cinemas - major cinema chain partner providing showtime data and ticket sales integration on the platform
• TGV CinemascoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorTGV Cinemas - major cinema chain partner with extensive branch network across Malaysia, providing showtime data on the platform
• Amerin CineplexcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorOnline ticket booking integration available - users can purchase tickets directly through Cinema Online
• Mega CineplexcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorOnline ticket booking integration available - users can purchase tickets directly through Cinema Online
• FST CinemasminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorFederation of Film Societies cinemas - network of independent cinemas providing showtime data
• Paragon CinemasminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorParagon cinema chain with multiple locations showing showtimes on the platform

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• IMDb: Amazon-owned global movie and entertainment information database. Comparable as a movie information authority with showtimes in select markets, though broader scope and limited Asia-specific ticketing.
• Moviefone: Legacy US movie information and showtime service now under Yahoo/Verizon Media. Comparable as a showtime-discovery platform though its ticketing layer has been de-emphasized compared to dedicated ticketing peers.

Direct peers

• Atom Tickets: US-based mobile-first movie ticketing app that aggregates showtimes and enables social ticket purchasing. Comparable as a cinema showtime/ticketing aggregator, with stronger focus on the mobile transactional experience.
• Maoyan: China's leading online movie ticketing platform, providing showtime aggregation, ticket sales, and movie information for cinemas across mainland China. Closest functional equivalent in Asia at significantly larger scale.
• BookMyShow: India-headquartered movie and entertainment ticketing aggregator covering cinemas, events, and shows. Closest international analog to Cinema Online's cinema-aggregation-plus-ticketing model, though operating at vastly larger scale across multiple verticals.
• Mtime: China-based movie information, showtime, and ticketing platform with a strong editorial/news vertical similar to Cinema Online's content offering. Directly comparable Asian cinema portal and ticketing aggregator.
• Fandango: US-based movie ticketing and information platform owned by NBCUniversal, offering showtimes, reviews, trailers, and ticket purchase across major US cinema chains. Directly comparable aggregator-plus-ticketing business model.

Regional players

• TGV Cinemas: Major Malaysian cinema chain with proprietary website and mobile app for showtime browsing and ticket purchase. Dual role as Cinema Online content partner and competing transaction platform in Malaysia.
• Golden Screen Cinemas (GSC): Malaysia's largest cinema chain with its own mobile app and online ticketing platform. Functions as both a Cinema Online data partner and a competing direct-booking destination for Malaysian moviegoers.

Others

• Rotten Tomatoes: Movie review aggregation and editorial site owned by Fandango Media. Adjacent to Cinema Online's editorial/news function, complementary rather than directly competitive in the showtime/transaction layer.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/cinemaonline
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/cinema-online-malaysia
• Instagraminstagram.com/cinemaonlinemy
• TikToktiktok.com/@cinemaonlinemalaysia

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Cinema Online