MUMBAI: Mumbai-based Scrabble Entertainment has expanded into Latin America and plans to deploy its DCI-compliant digital cinema equipment to cinemas in the region.

Scrabble has signed separate non-exclusive digital cinema deployment agreements for the region with major Hollywood studios including Warner Bros Pictures International, Universal Pictures International, Walt Disney Motion Pictures International and Sony Pictures Releasing International Corporation. It is expected to sign the same with 20th Century Fox International.

Subject to the terms and conditions under each agreement, each studio will separately provide certain financial contributions to promote digital cinema when supplying films, if booked, in digital form to Scrabble?s exhibitors.

"Our creative ways & out-of-the-box model have made us successful in every country in which we have deployed digital cinema so far. The Latin American marketplace will be no different. This region has a unique set of challenges and there will be stiff competition with other deploying entities. We believe that exhibitors will be inclined to work with us because of our unique and flexible business model," said Scrabble Entertainment CEO Ranjit Thakur.

Scrabble?s roll out plan will commence in early 2013 and will initially cover Brazil, Mexico and Chile. The benefits of digital cinema will be realised by all participants in these locations, from content owners, to distributors, to exhibitors, to most importantly moviegoers. Within a few months of establishing an operating presence in the region, Scrabble expects to widen its reach to other Latin American countries as well.

"With the deployment window being so small & the end of 35 mm prints right ahead of us, exhibitors in the region are scrambling to get digital equipment at the earliest.

Integrators who get in first with the most practical business model for the exhibitors will be ahead of the game. With the backing of UFO?s financial muscle, Scrabble is prepared to have more skin in the region," said UFO Moviez joint MD Kapil Agarwal which holds a controlling stake in Scrabble Entertainment.