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With its relative safety and stability, Chile is a core “big three” cog in the South American touring circuit. Santiago’s 16,500-cap Movistar Arena is amongst the busiest in the world, with 1.6m tickets sold there in 2023.
Primary ticketing
Ticketmaster launched in Chile in 2021, driving digital ticket use and introducing innovations such as virtual views from seats. “We’re excited to bring our clients new offerings … all aimed at making the fan experience even better,” says MD Javier Parra Raggio.
The company’s arrival has eaten into the market share of the still-dominant Punto Ticket (80% market share), which handles ticketing for Movistar Arena and festivals such as Primavera. Passline has also entered the market, while Eventrid covers sports and entertainment events and Ticketek deals with theatre shows.
Distribution of sales
96% to 99% of tickets are bought online. The remaining 1% (paper tickets) are for very small, rural events.
Secondary ticketing
Scalping and forgery are rife and online searches for tickets often throw up unofficial sales platforms ahead of official ones. Hence, ticket security has become paramount for 2024. Ticketmaster introduced QR codes with heightened security features and Punto Tickets brought in a digital ticket that activates at a specified time.
The local music scene has grown substantially, and domestic acts are beginning to challenge the major Latin American tours for dominance
“This innovation helps us significantly reduce the presence of tickets on the secondary market, ensuring that our tickets remain secure and are used as intended,” says Punto’s general manager Paulo Atienza. “By controlling the activation timing, we not only minimise fraud but also protect the interests of genuine buyers.”
International/domestic splits & genres
The local music scene has grown substantially, and domestic acts are beginning to challenge the major Latin American tours for dominance over headline slots, pushing the split to around 40% domestic acts. Chilean band Los Tres, for instance, recently became the first local band to play four nights at the Movistar Arena.
Cultural analysis
Since the vast majority of Chile’s relatively small population is concentrated in the Santiago area, it’s something of a one-city market, and ticketing companies’ relationships with the major venues there is fundamental to their success. Hence, Punto Ticket is focusing on expanding its partnerships.
“Our primary growth strategies focus on partnering with even more venues across multiple cities and obtaining contracts with sports providers,” says Atienza.
Taxes & charges
VAT is 19%; service charges hover between 12% and 15%.