Madonna, despite what Idolator’s resident Madge-hater might have you believe, has always been an innovator. First female star of MTV, biggest musical act to make soft-core porn of themselves commercially available, etc., etc. And her upcoming Sticky and Sweet tour will be notable for more than just bisexual kissing–her Live Nation overlords are prepared to revolutionize the way that you’ll overpay for tickets to an inevitably disappointing show!
I know in the past you’ve felt bad for those poor bastards selling tickets in the primary market, who are forced to charge only the face value of the ticket (plus those exorbitant additional charges) while those bastards on the secondary market can force people to pay prices that are even more jacked up. Well, Live Nation has finally solved that problem; they’ll make a direct deal with the scalpers themselves, or at very least, an eBay subsidiary that replaces the traditional role of the scalper with a web-based solution.
Madonna’s coming concert tour is to feature what appears to be a first in the concert business: An official ticket reseller that will peddle seats at marked-up prices to fans who couldn’t get them through normal channels.
In the U.S. and Canada, eBay Inc.’s StubHub will serve as the “official fan-to-fan ticket marketplace.” In Europe, the role will be filled by Viagogo Ltd., a ticket reseller that also will sell “VIP packages” — higher-priced tickets that include amenities like backstage passes and meetings with performers.
The endorsements highlight the growing popularity and influence of so-called secondary ticketing companies, which let both fans and brokers sell tickets to others at prices that often far exceed their face values. Concert promoters and artists have long complained that they are locked out of the secondary marketplace, putting money in the pockets of speculators and middlemen who aren’t involved in staging or promoting concerts….
“It’s the future of the ticketing business,” said Chuck La Vallee, StubHub’s head of business development for music. “Promoters have always complained that we don’t have skin in the game.”
Sadly, this practice isn’t all that new; Ticketmaster has pulled a similar stunt with their TicketExchange program over the last few years. So, Madonna fan, when you can’t seem to get tickets for her upcoming shows despite hitting refresh on your browser repeatedly in the minutes before the on-sale time, at least you’ll know where to look for the tickets you weren’t able to buy on your own!
StubHub Enlisted in Resale Of Madonna Concert Tickets [Wall Street Journal]
How is this even legal? Is there anyway to fight this? It’s not like there are any bands I would actually pay money to see anymore, but there may be someday.
Shit, after reading the WSJ article, I really am wondering about the legality of this. How is this not organized crime? This is a mafia tactic.
@Priam: Did you read the same article I read?
“Despite the official status of the two companies, fans would still be able to buy and sell tickets on other online marketplaces, such as TicketsNow, RazorGator or Craigslist. But Viagogo and StubHub will be promoted in emails to fans and other marketing materials.”
They’re the Official Breakfast Cereal of Madonna’s Sticky and Sweet Tour. Big deal.
@Empire: There used to be a time when you didn’t have to go through a middle man to get tickets. Scalpers were there, but not ruining the industry. Remember Fast Times at Ridgemont High? The slimeball Mike Damone? That was pretty much the stereotypical scalper. Twenty thousand seats weren’t bought in under a second by one person/organization.
Am I misunderstanding the issue? I really only go to clubs to see shows now. I haven’t been to a stadium concert since around 1999 or 2000. Aren’t scalping organizations buying up all the tickets? Isn’t the customer forced to go through these scalping sites instead of ticketmaster now? I am ignorant of what it’s like to try and get tickets now. Going to see PFunk at a club is a lot different than trying to get tickets for madonna. The last time I bought tickets for a stadium show, the internet really wasn’t as prevalent as it is now in music.
How did LN get Stubhub to agree to this? Did Suge Knight dangle Chuck La Vallee off a hotel balcony or something?
Anyway, I’m sure Stubhub sellers will price these tickets quite reasonably. I mean, how much can you charge for a 7-song show? Oh, that’s right. An assload.
Seriously glad this wasn’t the case with MBV. In fact, I was shocked I could get in and get tix with no issues…err aside from $10 of extra charges per.
PS, what’s up with Madge’s right tit in that pic? Looks lumpy.