Kanye West’s second album listening party at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium (cap. 71,000) in Atlanta last Thursday (5 August) was reportedly Apple Music’s biggest-ever live stream.

The live stream of West previewing his upcoming album ‘Donda’ attracted 5.4 million viewers on Apple Music – more than double the current livestream record on Twitch – which set a new record for the streaming service, according to Billboard.

The previous record was set by West’s first listening event at the stadium on 22 July, which saw 3.3 million people tune in.

West also livestreamed from a dressing room at the stadium ahead of the show, with fans able to watch him recording, exercising and sleeping for a number of hours.

Billboard also cites sources who claim that West made $7 million (€5.9m) from in-person merch sales during the second ‘Donda’ event, which recorded 40,000 ticketed fans in attendance.

West made $7 million (€5.9m) from in-person merch sales during the second ‘Donda’ event

Of the 400,000 fans, a stadium rep told Billboard that four people got a vaccine shot offered by the event that evening.

The event provided Pfizer shots for those who haven’t already taken the shot to help slow the transmission of Covid-19 but very few took up the offer – despite the venue promoting its efforts.

The event’s push for fans to get vaccinated comes as Live Nation and AEG, the world’s biggest live entertainment companies, have announced various vaccine mandates.

Live Nation announced that artists would be given the choice as to whether they require all concertgoers and venue staff to be vaccinated for their US shows, and it is understood a similar model will likely be rolled out internationally.

While AEG Presents, AEG’s concert promotion division, will additionally require all fans in the US to be vaccinated from 1 October.

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Ticketmaster has been named the exclusive ticketing partner of the Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia, set to open in late August.

The multi-year agreement with the stadium’s operator, AMB Sports & Entertainment (AMBS&E), sees Ticketmaster becoming the official ticketer for American football team Atlanta Falcons, football team Atlanta United and other live events, including concerts, at the 71,000-cap.venue.

AMBS&E will also leverage Ticketmaster’s marketing and distribution reach to establish an ticket resale platform on which fans can “buy and sell verified tickets in a safe environment”, reads a statement from the company.

“We selected Ticketmaster because of their longstanding, proven track record in the ticket industry,” says Tim Zulawski, AMBS&E’s chief commercial officer. “They are making significant investments into both their consumer and venue platforms, improving the overall experience as well as enabling the organisation to reach and protect our fans more effectively through a robust secondary marketplace.”

“We are thrilled to be a part of Atlanta’s history in the making”

Key to the securing the deal, says Ticketmaster, was offering AMBS&E access to marketing and performance data via the Ticketmaster platform, including via its Live Analytics data-enhancing service and other “advanced technologies” it says will “help create a more personalised in-venue experienced for fans”.

“Mercedes-Benz Stadium will be one of the most advanced sports and entertainment venues in the world, and is providing a dynamic step forward for major stadiums,” Jared Smith, president of Ticketmaster North America, adds. “We are thrilled to be a part of Atlanta’s history in the making and proud that Ticketmaster’s technology will help the Atlanta Falcons and Atlanta United better understand and connect with their fans.”

Mercedes-Benz Stadium will open on 26 August, with Atlanta United playing the first league game in the stadium, against FC Dallas, on 10 September. It is intended to replace the George Dome, which is due to be demolished.

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