LOS ANGELES (CelebrityAccess MediaWire) — Last Friday, Live Nation's rollout of its in-house ticketing system went live at many of the company's venues around the country. Tickets are available on the promoter's website, Livenation.com, via telephone, or at Blockbuster locations around the U.S.
At present, the Live Nation-owned House of Blues chain is still offering tickets through Ticketmaster and Live Nation-promoted tours are still offered through Ticketmaster due to contractual obligations at individual venues.
The move is a blow to Live Nation's erstwhile business partner as Live Nation was formerly the ticketing giant's largest client. By bringing ticketing in-house, Live Nation gains control over a significant revenue stream in the increasingly-important live entertainment market.
Ticketmaster has long been the dominant player in the primary ticketing market and many observers expect that Live Nation's entry into the arena may spark some competition, thus driving ticket prices and more importantly, the onerous service charges and additional fees downwards.
"Let's get over this false notion that the fan pays $75 for a ticket and then $25 in fees," says Nathan Hubbard, CEO of Live Nation Ticketing "The fan looks at it as a $100 transaction, so let's present it that way. We're moving to a single fee upfront, and if the experience is worth that price the fan will decide."
However, in the short term, the ticket-buying public is unlikely to see an immediate lowering of ticket prices and associated fees. – CelebrityAccess Staff Writers
