Ask HN: Why has no one replaced Ticketmaster? • Hacker News Board

Re: Ask HN: Why has no one replaced Ticketmaster?

#11

Post by kelseyfrog » Sat, Oct 21, 2023, 12:29 AM UTC

Ticketmaster has exclusive deals with artists and venues.

Artists not signing deals with Ticketmaster lose access to venues, and venues not signing exclusivity deals with Ticketmaster lose access to artists.

There are enough of these on both sides that neither wants to lose the other so they sign.

Side note: I worked at a small ticketing software shop circa the Ticketmaster/LiveNation merger. The CEO got a call from the feds(FTC?) doing background work on the industry's view on how it might affect competition. For the life of me I can't imagine why he said it wouldn't really matter, but I have to assume that Ticketmaster was already so locked in to the industry that perhaps it didn't.

Re: Ask HN: Why has no one replaced Ticketmaster?

#12

Post by blindriver » Sat, Oct 21, 2023, 12:29 AM UTC

Pearl Jam tried to do something about it 25 years ago but their monopoly is too entrenched. They gave up.

Re: Ask HN: Why has no one replaced Ticketmaster?

#13

Post by MichaelZuo » Sat, Oct 21, 2023, 12:30 AM UTC

bluewalt wrote: post #8

In France it was widely used but now we have new competitors like www.shotgun.live with a modern app, built-in resale feature, stripe payment, etc.

What would you estimate the market share to be?

Re: Ask HN: Why has no one replaced Ticketmaster?

#14

Post by viburnum » Sat, Oct 21, 2023, 12:33 AM UTC

They have. Ticketmaster eventually buys them up.

Re: Ask HN: Why has no one replaced Ticketmaster?

#15

Post by demondemidi » Sat, Oct 21, 2023, 12:39 AM UTC

zie wrote: post #9

Their moat is a combination of vertical integration(their parent company owns a bunch of venues) and contract lockup with other venues they don't own. Also, since artists make almost all of their money from tours, they know trouble will arise with the mess that is ticket/venue sales. If they go full capitalist and someone like Taylor Swift starts charging what the market will bear(maybe $10k/ticket ?), many people wi…

Wow. What a brilliantly evil racket. The invisible hand of the market at work I guess. I’m glad I hate going to concerts.

Re: Ask HN: Why has no one replaced Ticketmaster?

#16

Post by JohnFen » Sat, Oct 21, 2023, 12:44 AM UTC

demondemidi wrote: post #15

zie wrote: post #9

Their moat is a combination of vertical integration(their parent company owns a bunch of venues) and contract lockup with other venues they don't own. Also, since artists make almost all of their money from tours, they know trouble will arise with the mess that is ticket/venue sales. If they go full capitalist and someone like Taylor Swift starts charging what the market will bear(maybe $10k/ticket ?), many people wi…

Wow. What a brilliantly evil racket. The invisible hand of the market at work I guess. I’m glad I hate going to concerts.

I enjoy going to concerts and other shows (Ticketmaster is not just into concerts), but haven't been, except for small local ones, in a number of years because I am not willing to support Ticketmaster.

Re: Ask HN: Why has no one replaced Ticketmaster?

#17

Post by danabenson » Sat, Oct 21, 2023, 12:45 AM UTC

teppic wrote: post #3

Live Nation, who own Ticketmaster, also own the venues and do the promotion for the tours. They have a vertically integrated monopoly.

Succinct. Precise. Accurate. Correct.

Re: Ask HN: Why has no one replaced Ticketmaster?

#18

Post by bastard_op » Sat, Oct 21, 2023, 12:45 AM UTC

The question should really be why the FTC tolerates this, letting them after all this time enjoy the blatantly monopolistic anti-consumer stance they've enjoyed since the 80's (at least). It isn't difficult to see how nasty of a business this is by how hated they are by artists and consumers alike, and if nothing else they should be broken up the same way Ma Bell as a telecom monopoly.

At least it might come with some renewed interest in competition getting in on game with a better playing field before the monopoly starts forming again in new ways.

Re: Ask HN: Why has no one replaced Ticketmaster?

#19

Post by anigbrowl » Sat, Oct 21, 2023, 12:46 AM UTC

Contracts and preferential attachment. Competition theory as taught in economics class assumes zero friction to enter and exit the market, complete informational transparency for buyers and sellers, and suchlike. It really doesn't apply in the Real World outside of maybe commodity markets.

Re: Ask HN: Why has no one replaced Ticketmaster?

#20

Post by JohnFen » Sat, Oct 21, 2023, 12:49 AM UTC

bastard_op wrote: post #18

The question should really be why the FTC tolerates this, letting them after all this time enjoy the blatantly monopolistic anti-consumer stance they've enjoyed since the 80's (at least). It isn't difficult to see how nasty of a business this is by how hated they are by artists and consumers alike, and if nothing else they should be broken up the same way Ma Bell as a telecom monopoly. At least it might come with som…

Truly. Of all of the various big companies that are being accused of monopoly, I can't think of a clearer, more supportable case (one where the monopoly position is obviously being abused) than Ticketmaster. And yet, the feds don't seem to mind.