<img src=http://coldplaying.com/images/coldplayticket.jpg ALIGN="Left" HSPACE="5" VSPACE="5" >Millions of music fans may face dearer concert tickets if a mega-merger is allowed, watchdogs warned yesterday. The Competition Commission wants to scupper a £500million tie-up between booking agency <b>Ticketmaster</b> and promoter <b>Live Nation</b>.

 

It is powerless to block the deal as both businesses are based in the US. But, fearing the move may get the go-ahead from American authorities, it yesterday revealed ways to limit its power in the UK. Options include forcing bosses to split or sell UK arms or make them flog tickets through rivals. World No.1 Ticketmaster has 50% of the UK market, with nearest rival See Tickets about 20%. Last year Germany's CTS, the global No.2, announced it wanted to expand in the UK. But that is unlikely if the Ticketmaster deal goes ahead, with the Commission saying: "It could lead to higher prices and lower service quality."

 

Live Nation is the world's largest concert promoter, with Madonna, Coldplay and U2 among stars on its books. Singing legend Bruce Springsteen opposed the deal. But Ticketmaster and Live Nation stated yesterday they "remain optimistic that it will ultimately be approved".

 

Antitrust experts said the ruling makes it more likely that <b>U.K. and U.S. authorities will coordinate a response</b>. That could mean Ticketmaster and Live Nation will be forced to sell off assets, or forced to sell some concert tickets through a competitor.

 

Ticketmaster, based in West Hollywood, is the largest seller of tickets to live concerts and other entertainment events in the United States. It also owns an artist management company, Front Line Management, and ticket-reselling company TicketsNow. Live Nation, based in Los Angeles, is the world's largest concert promoter. It also owns more than 140 entertainment venues.

 

Ticketmaster shares slid 56 cents, or 4.5 percent, to close at $11.90, while Live Nation shares fell 48 cents, or 5.6 percent, to $8.14.

 

Various: http://news.google.co.uk/news/more?cf=all&ned=uk&cf=all&ncl=dF43bRri1hOfwGM-pltzL1lnuy0XM

start saving up for your Coldplay gig fund kiddies, but we have a few years

Wembley was a logistical nightmare. How is it fair that they want to charge us more for tickets now, if they can't even get their act together and deliver tickets which were booked almost a year ago?

 

Disgrace.

come on don't tell me we'll have to pay more for this tour

I hate ticket master, esp when they charge £3.50 for e-tickets!

here we pay the most expensive tickets in the world so that would suck :(

I've paid £50 for all the shows I've seen on this tour (well, apart from the two free ones) and I think it's just too much. The handling and delivery fees are an absolute scam.

Ticketmaster and LiveNation already work together. When I went to check ticket availability at ticketmaster.com for the Bridge School Benefit that Chris is performing solo at, ticketmaster.com redirected me to it's "partner" site livenation.com. I live in California. Just as a example of outrageous fees, I bought a pit ticket for the Tampa show. $104.00. Add convenience fees, facility charges, and over night Fed-Ex (the only shipping option for a Florida show ticket to a Californai resident) and my $104 ticket became $156! However, I was pleasantly surprised that when we were issued our refund for the cancelled show, they refunded me the whole amount, including shipping. To be honest, though, I would have preferred the concert to a refund :(

 

Back in the days before internet, way back when I was in high school, 25+ years ago, we used to camp out overnight on the sidewalk outside the ticket window at the local Ticketmaster window at Sears to get tickets. And even then, the ticket selection sucked, because it was actual one to one interaction. At least the internet has sped up the process, even though these promoters still don't release all the tickets at once. That's the most frustrating part, the craps shoot when it comes to online ticket purchase and presales.

 

The most recent concerts I've been to, AC/DC, and Miley Cyrus (I know, I know, but I have a 10 year old daughter), they were "ticketless." You purchased your tickets as usual online, but you were just issued a receipt - no actual ticket. When you arrived at the venue door, you handed over your credit card used to purchase the tickets, along with a photo id if asked for, and the card was swiped and your tickets were presented to you right there. Everyone in your party had to be present and together. This is one way to cut down on scalpers.

Snow Patrol ticket $25, service fees $15. That's almost a whole other ticket. They should be forced to change their name to what I call them: TICKETBASTARD!

wow only $25 for snow patrol? effing service fees

Grrr Ticketbastard are also annoying me... they haven't called about my (again) rescheduled Evermore tickets, but they called the first time. The email I got from the band newsletter told me apparently they needed to be swapped or something. Blegh.

Snow Patrol ticket $25, service fees $15. That's almost a whole other ticket. They should be forced to change their name to what I call them: TICKETBASTARD!

you wanna compare with mine? my Snow Patrol ticket for Nov cost me £60+ all in already...local (UK) delivery & that's not even the Royal Albert Hall gig. :(

 

& don't get me started about how much it costs to see a band like Coldplay or Snow Patrol or U2 during those rare times they actually go all the way to someplace like Singapore or (if an epic miracle happens) Malaysia! :inquisitive:

Bottom line: I hate ticketmaster.

 

I mean as it is, the only thing you are really paying are fees. It costed me $126.00 to see Coldplay in Raliegh. Only $110.00 of it was the ticket. The rest was fees. But, also, tickets ccost to much for really crappy seats.

IF they lose some of the fees it wouldnt be bad at all.

How much more are we talking? Like tens.... or.... hundreds? :stunned::uhoh:

Well Live Nation own/run several venues and they have a preferable ticket partner with ticket master where they release the prime seats for, but due to competition rules (in this country) they have to give tickets to other ticketing companies.

 

I think the best quote I got was for a Blackbud show, ticket face value was £10, booking fees & postage fees came to £11!

That is when i picked up the phone to the venue itself and managed to get a ticket for £10.50