TICKETMASTER might be the right place if you want to see your favorite artists in the best seats in the house.
From music concerts to sporting events, here’s everything you need to know about who owns the company that offers millions of live experiences.
When was Ticketmaster founded?
Ticketmaster Entertainment, Inc. is an American ticket sales and distribution company headquartered in Beverly Hills, California.
It was founded on October 2, 1976, in Arizona, by Albert Leffler, Peter Gadwa, Gordon Gunn, Charles H. Hamby Jr.
Leffler was a computer scientist and businessman, while Gadwa was an artist and engineer and Gunn was a businessman with experience in the entertainment industry.
Charles H. Hamby Jr. and George Hamby also contributed to the development and growth of Ticketmaster in the early stages.
Who owns Ticketmaster?
On February 12, 2009, Ticketmaster was acquired for US$2.5 billion by Live Nation Entertainment.
The multinational entertainment company was founded in 2010 following the merger of Live Nation and Ticketmaster.
Live Nation promotes, operates and manages ticket sales for live entertainment in the United States and internationally.
Ticketmaster has become a global industry giant, with operations in Canada, the United Kingdom, Italy, Spain, France and Australia.
In 2023, the company represented around 30% of the market, according to Market Realist.
Sells tickets to major musical artists including Taylor Swift, Beyoncé and Guns N’ Roses.
Customers can also find the best seats for various sporting events, including football, baseball and basketball games and more.
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Does Ticketmaster own any other companies?
Since its merger with Live Nation, Ticketmaster has acquired several companies.
In 2015, Ticketmaster acquired Front Gate Tickets, a music festival ticketing service that provided services to festivals such as Lollapalooza and Austin City Limits.
Later that year, the company acquired Universe, a DIY ticketing platform.
In 2017, Ticketmaster’s ticket self-service platform TicketWeb acquired Strobe Labs, a marketing platform that allows users to market to fans through social media.
The following year, they acquired UPGRADED, a company that converts physical tickets into digital ones using blockchain.
In light of these acquisitions, many have questioned whether LiveNation has a monopoly in the live performance industry.
On May 23, 2024, the US Department of Justice filed a lawsuit against the company.
The lawsuit alleges that the ticket company violates antitrust laws and maintains a monopoly in the industry.
30 US states joined the DOJ in suing Live Nation.
This story originally appeared on The-sun.com read the full story
