The live event ticketing industry, long dominated by Ticketmaster, continues to face scrutiny regarding its market position. While the company maintains its success is due to innovation and superior service, a history of acquisitions and strategic maneuvers reveals a carefully constructed ecosystem that effectively limits competition. This narrative isn’t new, but recent developments and historical accounts underscore the challenges faced by any entity attempting to disrupt Ticketmaster’s hold on the industry.
Founded in 1976, Ticketmaster initially distinguished itself through the adoption of computerized ticketing systems in 1982, a significant improvement over the manual processes of the time. This early innovation allowed for wider accessibility and a more streamlined purchasing experience. However, the company’s trajectory shifted from technological advancement to strategic consolidation, a pattern that continues to define its influence today.
The story of Réseau Admission, a Quebec-based ticketing company founded in the early 1980s by Jean-Françoys Brousseau, offers a compelling case study. Réseau Admission experienced considerable success, attracting clients like the Montreal Expos and the Montreal Canadiens. Brousseau described his company as a “village gaulois,” resisting Ticketmaster’s expansion across North America. However, in 1995, Ticketmaster effectively blocked Réseau Admission’s attempt to secure a crucial contract with Madison Square Garden in New York, a deal Brousseau believed would establish his company as a major player. The contract was poised to be signed, but a last-minute reversal secured Ticketmaster’s dominance.
This incident led to Réseau Admission’s acquisition by Ticketmaster. Brousseau subsequently joined Ticketmaster as Chief Technology Officer, gaining firsthand insight into the company’s operational philosophy. He described Ticketmaster’s position not as a monopoly, but as a dominant force actively working to suppress emerging competitors. “We don’t want to call it a monopoly, but we have a very strong presence,” Brousseau reportedly said, “We are the biggest players and we make sure to extinguish any flame that could rise for someone else to compete with us.”
Brousseau later founded Outbox, a new ticketing company in partnership with Cirque du Soleil, achieving success and securing contracts with the Centre Bell and evenko. For a period in the 2010s, Outbox represented one of the few significant alternatives to the Live Nation-Ticketmaster ecosystem in North America. However, that independence was curtailed in December 2019 when Live Nation acquired a stake in evenko, effectively bringing Outbox under the same corporate umbrella.
Further solidifying Ticketmaster’s position, the Groupe CH launched a bidding process in the months leading up to the evenko/Live Nation deal, ultimately selecting Ticketmaster as its new ticketing provider. According to the Groupe CH president, Ticketmaster’s offer was chosen because it was “more competitive.” Brousseau, however, views this outcome as inevitable, given Live Nation’s control over touring artists and venues.
“We know perfectly well that in North America, there is no possibility of penetrating the arenas-stadiums segment substantially,” Brousseau stated. “There may be exceptions, but it is a market that is really controlled by the Live Nation-Ticketmaster consortium.”
These historical events are now part of a broader antitrust investigation in the United States, where the Department of Justice alleges that Live Nation employs strategies to force partners to use Ticketmaster. Live Nation denies these allegations, asserting that its contracts are won based on the quality of Ticketmaster’s services.
Ticketmaster’s evolution, from a pioneering computerized ticketing system in 1976 to its current position as a global leader, has been marked by both innovation and strategic acquisition. The company continues to introduce new technologies, such as SafeTix™ for secure digital ticketing, SmartQueue for managing high-demand sales, and anti-bot technology. In , Ticketmaster became the first ticketing company to enable the new, enhanced ticket experience in Apple Wallet. More recently, in , the company launched Ignite, a 360° connected experience designed to integrate directly into client applications, and also began incorporating AI-powered discovery features. The company also explored NFT marketplaces in .
Despite these advancements, the core issue remains: the concentration of power within Live Nation-Ticketmaster. As Brousseau’s experience demonstrates, challenging this dominance is a formidable task, and the industry landscape suggests that meaningful competition will remain elusive without significant regulatory intervention. The company’s success, rooted in strong partnerships and constant innovation, is now inextricably linked to its ability to maintain its position at the center of the live event ecosystem.
As of today, , Ticketmaster continues to be a central figure in the live event ticketing world, and its influence shows no signs of diminishing.
