Here’s TicketDisaster.org, a site devoted to stopping the proposed Ticketmaster/ LiveNation merger:
Despite its “monopoly-like dominance” controlling 70 to 80 percent of all concert ticket sales, Ticketmaster is unabashedly seeking to grow its empire – all to the detriment of the average fan. Ticketmaster is now trying to dampen competition by merging with Live Nation, the nation’s largest concert promoter and second largest primary ticket seller. That merger is coming under heavy fire from consumer and industry groups and Members of Congress, particularly because of the clear anti-consumer and anti-competitive effects.
As the Department of Justice reaches the final round of reviewing this merger, only one question must be answered: will the merger lead to increased prices, poorer service, or less innovation? In this case, the answer is all of the above, which is why this merger needs to be blocked.
As far as I’m concerned, there is already an unhealthy consolidation in the ticket industry. Here’s screenshots of a search for tickets to a Broadway show last Spring. Each and every Web site was selling the exact same ticket stock. Each of them had their own interface and bought their own Google ads and had their own dumb logos, but they were all selling the same tickets in the exact same quantities with the exact same notes at the exact same price.
Complete, obvious collusion.
Best viewed large in order to compare.
West Side Story, Friday, May 8, 2009″>
West Side Story, Friday, May 8, 2009″>
West Side Story, Friday, May 8, 2009″>
West Side Story, Friday, May 8, 2009″>
West Side Story, Friday, May 8, 2009″>
West Side Story, Friday, May 8, 2009″>
Stop this merger and fix this industry!