Live Nation has teamed up with the banking giant Citi in a $100 million-ish deal that makes the blood-sucking leeches credit card issuer the “official credit card” of Live Nation events. Not that the “value” of that deal will help, you know, defray ticket costs or anything! Instead, Citi cardholders will be given the opportunity to run up their bills by buying “access to presale and preferred tickets, box seats at venues, premium seats, exclusive merchandise and a variety of VIP experiences” like smaller shows with big-name artists. The Hollywood Reporter also claims that the deal could also encompass naming rights for Live Nation venues around the country, a bit of news that makes me wonder if New York will soon be the home of the Citi Presents The Fillmore New York At Irving Plaza (A Live Nation Venue) (Your Name Here If The Price Is Right). Dare to dream! [Hollywood Reporter]
Chalk this up to “Artists-Whoring-Themselves-Out-To-Rich-Overpaid-People-Desperately-Wanting to-Cling-To-A-Sense-Of-Cool-And-Have-The-Money-To-Do-So” in an attempt to recoup the money that they aren’t seeing in the album sales of yesteryear.
While I find this frustrating, if I were an artist trying to make a living and somebody offered me more money for my work, I can’t imagine I’d say no…Would you?
… and not even 10 minutes after this post went up did i get a solicitation to spend money on premier events. if anyone out there can get the flash to actually load, your processor is stronger than mine:
[www.privatepass.citi.com]
among the items on offer: a sxsw pass!
no idea how much it costs, thanks to the site not working. alas.
I’ll always love that .jpg
Not much to see once you get in…Billy Joel, Mary J. Blige, Jay-Z, and The Police. All well…esp. SXSW, but where are my Jonas Brothers deals, LiveNation?