Ticketmaster expands to Singapore, Taiwan
Ticketing giant Ticketmaster is expanding into Asia, establishing a presence in Taiwan and Singapore.
The move, which sees Ticketmaster acquire Taiwanese ticketer Tixcraft and open a Singaporean branch, brings the company’s operations to 32 countries worldwide.
As a result of the expansion, Chad Phillips, former managing director for ApacTic, has been appointed to the newly created role of managing director of Ticketmaster Asia.
The launch of Ticketmaster Singapore following the company’s selection as one of three ticketing partners for Singaporean sports and entertainment complex, Sports Hub, late last year, along with TEG’s Ticketek and Sistic.
Sports Hub incorporates the 55,000 capacity National Stadium and a 12,000 capacity indoor stadium, which serve as the main venues for concerts in Singapore, hosting acts including U2 and Mayday, along with a 3,000 capacity arena and other facilities.
In Taiwan, Ticketmaster takes control of concert ticketing platform Tixcraft, which works with promoters such as Live Nation Taiwan, B’in and iMe Taiwan. Tixcraft founder and managing director KT Chiu will stay on at the company, serving as Ticketmaster Taiwan MD.
“The live entertainment industry across Asia has seen some immense growth and right now is the perfect time to welcome Ticketmaster to Taiwan and Singapore”
“By acquiring market leaders Tixcraft in Taiwan and launching in Singapore, we have established two great bases with talented teams to support the bourgeoning live entertainment scene in Asia,” comments Ticketmaster International president Mark Yovich.
“We are introducing greater levels of service and choice to event organisers across the region and can now provide fans with seamless access to our worldwide marketplace of events.”
Ticketmaster Asia MD Phillips adds: “Over recent years, the live entertainment industry across Asia has seen some immense growth and right now is the perfect time to welcome Ticketmaster to Taiwan and Singapore. I’m hugely excited to be joining the team and look forward to managing the rollout of the world’s most innovative ticketing marketplace.”
The launch of Ticketmaster in Taiwan and Singapore complements Live Nation’s existing concert promotions business across Asia Pacific.
In 2019, the company acquired Singaporean promoter One Production and PR Worldwide in Malaysia, while also making senior appointments to its growing business in China. In December last year, Live Nation Asia launched Live Nation Connects, a new creative marketing agency to connect brands to fans across Asia.
Read IQ’s analysis on consolidation within the ticketing sector here.
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Sports Hub investigates alleged touting by staff
Singapore Sports Hub has said it has found no evidence for claims a member of staff bulk-purchased 220 Ed Sheeran tickets to sell on the secondary market.
The the sports/entertainment complex, which includes the 55,000-capacity National Stadium and 12,000-cap. Singapore Indoor Stadium, opened an investigation after Carousell trader ‘reseller_772’ claimed to have been passed “200+ tickets” for Ed Sheeran’s 11 and 12 November shows by a “friend [from] Sports Hub management”.
The tickets were being offered for S$1,100, compared to a face value of between $108 and $248. The reseller_772 account has since been deleted.
“While we treat such allegations seriously, we have every confidence in the integrity of our staff and systems”
The allegations mirror a similar incident at Madison Square Garden last January, when the New York venue fired its senior vice-president of ticket sales and several sales execs after they were caught reselling tickets for a profit.
A spokesperson for Sports Hub said that while no one is authorised to resell tickets for the Ed Sheeran shows, its investigation concluded that all tickets for the two dates were purchased within transaction limits.
“While we treat such allegations seriously, we have every confidence in the integrity of our staff and systems,” the venue tells Channel NewsAsia.
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