I know, I'll hear that about as soon as I hear this administration apologize. Since Live Nation will now monopolize every aspect of the business, one can only hope they will pass on a modicum of the savings to us.
Let's have some fun and assess Ticketbastard's level of evil. Billy Joel is playing Denver next month. I would totally go if tickets were $50. Well, they started that way. A ticket that is face value at $29 becomes $46 after fees. That is more than 50% service charge. See for yourself, cut and pasted right from their site: Type: 2 Full price tickets, Ticket Price: US $29.50 x 2, Convenience Charge: US $11.05 x 2 Building Facility Charge: US $4.00 x 2
That $29.50 ticket is now $44.55 before tax. Man, that sure is super convenient. Oh, and it costs $20 to park at Pepsi Center, so I am not quite sure what that facility fee is. So, Ticketmaster will eat their just rewards soon enough.
One thing in closing, to our new masters at Live Nation, please stagger ticket onsales! We had a Saturday morning in Denver in the fall when almost a million tickets went on sale simultaneously (Broncos game, Rockies game, Rapids game, and several concerts). As always, the geniuses at Ticketbastard put everything onsale at 10 am. Assholes!
Article comments
1 - DRUMS of WAR
Live Nation is not Clear Channel. People from Clear Channel left and formed Live Nation. They were never the same company.
2 - alan
LiveNation has just switched ticketing companies in order to gain more control over their ticket sales. Its far too early to tell if this new arrangement will be beneficial to concert goers.
3 - lono
indeed, it could be that Live Nation worsens the problem... if that is possible. Hopefully, they will learn some business and consumer lessons from twenty years of TM's monopoly.
My chief concerns are these:
Why does a $200 ticket get a $60 fee and a $20 ticket has a $7 fee. Is not the exact same technology and software for each ticket. The paper and ink cost the same. I would like to see this:
a fixed price per ticket
stagger ticket onsales in the markets
4 - victor
I know this is a very old post, but i just wanted to chime in. (A) there is no tax on live entertainment in CO. (B)there is no ink or toner involved. For the security of the consumer, thermal tickets and thermal printers are used. These are not cheap. (C) The ticket scanners, box office equipment, staffing at venues...this is not free, it costs money...which is where the charges come into play. You want to buy tickets online? The technology used wasn't free to invent or produce. Go to any retail store, try and buy something and tell the clerk you want to pay what it actually cost to make that item. They will laugh right in your face. A ticket may have cost less than a dollar to physically produce, but if there is no mark up (just like retail) then all the people who made it possible to create that ticket cannot put food on the table.
5 - lono
Victor,
That is an absolutely solid point, and I appreciate your feedback. Indeed, they are a for profit business and absolutely deserve to make money. Putting the monopoly issues aside, though... here is a big beef I have with TM:
A $100 ticket has $40 in fees. Yet, a 40$ ticket would only have a $15. It's a percentage. How about a flat fee.
6 - john
Live Nation changed its name from Clear Channel Entertainment in 2005, when that name was provoking frothing at the mouth.
7 - Lono
bonus news: we recently learned that Live Nation did NOT drop service charges. In fact, according to a report Rolling Stone ran, Live Nation had HIGHER service fees.
Think it couldn't get worse? think again, the two are merging in an official 'fuck you' to the free market.
Clear Channel, Ticketmaster, Jacor, Live Nation... call them whatever you want. You can go ahead and call Phillip Morris Altria. A turd is still a turd no matter what you call it.
I do my complaining the only way I can, with my dollar. I don't go to concerts much anymore.