ASM Global partners with Ticketmaster on new UK venue
ASM Global has named Ticketmaster as its ticketing partner for the new Becketwell Live in Derby, UK.
The 3,500-capacity venue is set to open later this spring with a programme comprising concerts, family events, sports and conferencing.
The venue will utilise Ticketmaster’s marketing and distribution technology to reach fans of all genres, according to a release.
In addition, ASM Global has renewed its partnership with Ticketmaster for the exclusive ticketing of Sheffield venues Utilita Arena Sheffield and Sheffield City Hall.
“2025 is shaping up to be an exciting year. We’ve already taken on major new contracts with Utilita Arena and Sheffield City Hall, both of which are set for investment and enhancements, and we’re thrilled to soon unveil the state-of-the-art Becketwell Live in Derby,” says Chris Bray, president of ASM Global Europe.
“We’re thrilled to soon unveil the state-of-the-art Becketwell Live in Derby”
“Our mission is always to deliver excellence, particularly when it comes to the fan experience. This begins the moment a fan decides to purchase a ticket, which is why we’ve partnered with Ticketmaster to ensure a seamless and unforgettable experience for everyone visiting these three extraordinary venues.”
Andrew Parsons, managing director of Ticketmaster, adds: “ASM Global renewing these Sheffield partnerships and choosing to work with us on their impressive Becketwell Live plans solidifies their confidence in our team’s ability to deliver an exceptional fan experience. We look forward to taking these venues to the next level.”
Becketwell Live’s programme so far includes concerts from Wet Wet Wet and Fleetwood Mac and ABBA tribute acts. Other live entertainment includes a comedy show with Miriam Margolyes and a live recording of the popular podcast Saving Grace.
ASM Global’s UK portfolio also includes Manchester’s AO Arena, Leeds’ first direct arena, London’s OVO Arena Wembley, and more.
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UK government pledges to ‘tackle greedy touts’
The UK Government has launched its much-anticipated consultation into the secondary ticketing market with a pledge to “tackle greedy touts and give power back to fans”.
A new cap on the price of resale tickets are among measures that will be considered, alongside plans to limit the number of tickets resellers can list to the maximum they are allowed to purchase on the primary market.
In addition, there are proposals to increase the accountability of ticket resale websites and apps, creating new legal obligations so that they can be held responsible by Trading Standards and the Competition and Market Authority for the accuracy of information they provide to fans.
The Government says it will also review existing legislation to strengthen consumer protection, including stronger fines and a new licensing regime for resale platforms.
Launching the consultation, UK Government Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy said: “The chance to see your favourite musicians or sports team live is something all of us enjoy and everyone deserves a fair shot at getting tickets – but for too long fans have had to endure the misery of touts hoovering up tickets for resale at vastly inflated prices.
“As part of our Plan for Change, we are taking action to strengthen consumer protections, stop fans getting ripped off and ensure money spent on tickets goes back into our incredible live events sector, instead of into the pockets of greedy touts.”
“For too long fans have had to endure the misery of touts hoovering up tickets for resale at vastly inflated prices”
The consultation marks a significant milestone for the UK live music industry, which has long-campaigned for additional restrictions on the secondary market.
According to analysis by the Competition and Market Authority, typical mark-ups on tickets sold on the secondary market are often more than 50 per cent and investigations by Trading Standards have uncovered evidence of tickets being resold for up to six times their original cost. Research by Virgin Media O2 indicated that ticket touts cost music fans an extra £145 million per year.
The CMA has estimated the value of tickets sold in 2019 through secondary ticketing platforms to be about £350 million, with around 1.9 million tickets sold on these platforms. 1.9 million tickets accounted for around 5 to 6% of the number of primary tickets sold in 2019.
Adam Webb, Campaign Manager at FanFair Alliance, said: “These suggested measures are potentially game-changing. Other countries, notably Ireland, have demonstrated how legislation to prevent the resale of tickets for profit can massively curb the illegal and anti-consumer practices of online ticket touts and offshore resale platforms. The UK simply needs to follow their example.”
The industry looks certain to weigh in strongly behind the Government’s proposals, though IQ understands that as yet there is no agreement on the level of resale uplift the industry will recommend, with the Government asking for views on a range from 0% to 30%.
In previous statements the Government indicated that it would be looking at resale cap at 10% above face value.
A spokesperson for Ticketmaster said they were “committed to making ticketing simple and transparent”.
They added: “Since 2018, our resale has been capped at face value, providing fans a safe place to sell tickets they can’t use at the original price set by artists and event organisers. We support proposals to introduce an industry-wide resale price cap. We also urge the government to crack down on bots and ban speculative ticket sales.
“Ticketmaster welcomes any action to protect fans and give them the best chance of getting tickets to the events they love.”
“These suggested measures are potentially game-changing”
Jon Collins, Chief Executive of LIVE, the UK live music trade body, said: “LIVE welcomes this positive step to put fans back at the heart of live music by tackling ticket touting. We have been a long-term and vociferous advocate for regulation of the secondary market, supporting the great work of the FanFair Alliance, and are pleased to see government delivering on its manifesto commitment in this area.
“We are delighted that measures which permit responsible and fair fan-to-fan resale, while eliminating third-party profiteering, will be brought forward. This will reduce the incentive for touts to squeeze fans out of the primary sale and highlights the need to set the cap on resales at or near the original price.
The secondary ticketing industry is expected to lobby strongly against new resale curbs. A spokesperson for viagogo told IQ: “We will continue to constructively engage with the Government and look forward to responding in full to the consultation and call for evidence on improving consumer protections in the ticketing market.”
The government had initially said the consultation would be published in the Autumn of 2024 but the timing was pushed back, with industry sources fearful it had been derailed by the furore surrounding the Oasis ticket onsale. Last August, millions of fans found themselves in an hours-long queue, with some then served tickets priced much higher than originally expected, leading to a media and political outcry.
In response to that, alongside the formal consultation the government has launched a “call for evidence into pricing practices in the live events sector, such as dynamic pricing”.
The government says it is looking for views “on how the ticketing system in the live events sector is working for fans and whether the current system provides sufficient protection from unfair practices”.
It will also consider “whether there is potential for new harms to consumers to arise from emerging business trends including the use of new technologies and dynamic pricing”.
The consultation will be open until 4 April 2025, with full details here.
IQ will be publishing a deep dive on secondary ticketing regulation across Europe in the next issue of the magazine.
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Report: Vivid Seats fields acquisition offers
Online ticket reseller Vivid Seats is reportedly fielding acquisition offers from several private equity firms hoping to take the company private.
The Chicago-based company, which competes with SeatGeek and StubHub, has enlisted an advisory firm to help gauge interest in a potential sale, according to Bloomberg.
The news sent Vivid Seats’ stock surging 20% on 30 December, marking its largest single-day gain since going public. The hike brought the company’s market capitalisation to USD $943 million. As of Friday (3 January), Vivid Seats’ market cap stood at $955 million.
However, the company’s shares have faced considerable pressure over the past year, declining by 40% before this recent uptick.
In the third quarter of 2024, Vivid Seats’ net income plunged 43% to $9.2 million from $16 million the prior year. Revenue inched down 1% YoY to $186.6 million from $188.1 million.
The news sent Vivid Seats’ stock surging 20% on 30 December, marking its largest single-day gain since going public
CEO Stan Chia in November said, “Demand remained robust in the third quarter, although we experienced a headwind from concert supply, including from venue and artist mix, that we believe to be temporary.”
Vivid Seats was launched in 2001 by Jerry Bednyak and Eric Vassilatos as a competitor to resale platform StubHub and later Seat Geek – both of which have been sizing up a potential initial public offering.
In 2017, private equity firm GTCR acquired a majority stake in Vivid Seats. A year later, Bednyak and Vassilatos left the company and went on to launch venture group Skybox Capital.
In 2021, the company went public via a merger with Horizon Acquisition Corp., a special purpose acquisition company (SPAC). That transaction valued Vivid Seats at approximately $1.95 billion, according to Bloomberg.
Vivid Seats’ current ownership includes a substantial stake held by Eldridge Industries, led by Todd Boehly, which controls roughly 41% of the company’s Class A shares. GTCR also maintains a minority position in the business.
IQ has reached out to Vivid Seats for comment.
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2024 Wrapped! Ticketing & Venues
In the second part of IQ’s 2024 Wrapped!, we reflect on the fortunes of the ticketing and venue sectors over the past year…
Ticketing
Perhaps fuelled by the many national elections that took place during 2024, parliamentarians and policymakers were only too happy to pontificate their views in a number of ticketing controversies, and with many new regimes emerging from the polling booths, it could be a busy year ahead when it comes to new legislation being introduced to govern ticketing rules.
After announcing their long-rumoured reunion, Oasis hit the headlines when promoters used a dynamic pricing system for the UK on-sale of the tour – a decision that had politicians scrambling to voice their opinions following Keir Starmer’s Labour Party sweeping to victory in July. Starmer’s party had already pledged to introduce new legislation to cap resale as part of its election manifesto.
Ticketmaster UK managing director Andrew Parsons states, “The focus from the Labour Government on taking on touts – particularly those who use illegal bots to steal tickets from fans – is great to see. We’re confident that robust measures can disrupt the financial incentives behind this behaviour, for the benefit of the whole industry and live music fans.”
And on the Oasis onsale, he adds, “Months of meticulous planning saw our UK and Irish team deliver one of the most sought-after ticket sales of all time. Managing a queue of over 10 million fans while blocking 250 million suspicious actions was no small feat. It’s a proud milestone for everyone involved – in moments where pressure could have broken us, the team rose to the occasion.”
Noting the political reaction to the Oasis onsale, AEG Presents UK boss Steve Homer comments, “It highlighted the need for us to be much clearer in how we promote the [ticketing] options and what they mean to the customer.”
But Homer is looking forward to the knock-on effect. “I’m really pleased to see the resurgence of guitars and bands,” he says. “It’s been [for] too long all about solo artists. To now see so many bands getting the plaudits is refreshing.”
The introduction of the Digital Services Act (DSA) in February was hailed as a landmark moment for Europe’s live events sector
Down under, Green Day found themselves in similar waters when “in demand” tickets offered for their show in Sydney next March reached almost AU$500. As a result, the Australian government said it would move to outlaw dynamic ticket pricing as part of a bigger crackdown on “unfair” trading practices.
Elsewhere, the introduction of the Digital Services Act (DSA) in February was hailed as a landmark moment for Europe’s live events sector.
“There’s usually a period of up to two years for a law to be transposed into member state legislation but that didn’t happen with the DSA – it came into force immediately – so that requires quite a lot of enforcement and administration, and that has led to the need for Digital Services Coordinators to be created in every member state,” explains Sam Shemtob, director of Face-value European Alliance for Ticketing. “Having spoken to a number of them, we’ve found quite a lot of variation in terms of how well set up they are.”
Further afield, the Chinese ruling party launched a year-long campaign to stamp out ticket touting, with the Ministry of Public Security encouraging severe punishment for organised criminal groups of “professional” scalpers.
And in India, a huge row erupted after tickets for Coldplay’s Mumbai concerts next January, priced between €27 and €132, sold out within minutes of going on sale, only to quickly reappear on secondary platforms for up to €10,000, prompting criminal complaints against ticketing giant BookMyShow and others, who insist they have no association with any unauthorised resellers. Nevertheless, a public interest lawsuit has since been filed in the Bombay High Court, seeking guidelines to curb ticket touting at major events.
Talking of lawsuits, in the United States, the National Independent Talent Organization (NITO) filed a complaint with the US Federal Trade Commission, alleging widespread violations of the BOTS Act by ticket resellers. Backed by dozens of live music industry signatories, NITO detailed how multiple technology companies allegedly provide tools that enable touts to circumvent ticket-purchasing limits.
“We would love for resale to be regulated in some sense; cap it at 20%”
And weighing in on the secondary business, Live Nation boss Michael Rapino spoke out in favour of regulating the resale market during an interview at Bloomberg’s Screentime conference. “We would love for resale to be regulated in some sense; cap it at 20%,” he said. “You shouldn’t have a middleman that has nothing invested in the business, make any money from it.”
Venues
With the mammoth Legends ASM Global takeover dominating the venue sector in recent times, 2024 saw a slew of newbuilds and redevelopments making their mark on the touring landscape.
After a difficult start, OVG opened Co-op Live – the UK’s largest arena, boasting a maximum capacity of 23,500, while the Denver-based corporation recently broke ground on a new $100m arena in Lagos, Nigeria. Other ongoing OVG projects include Arena São Paulo in Brazil, FirstOntario Centre Arena in Canada, a new arena in Cardiff (UK), and in the US, CFG Bank Arena in Baltimore and an entertainment district in Las Vegas.
“The most exciting development for our company this year was the opening of Co-op Live,” OVG’s Francesca Bodie tells IQ. “We’re so proud of the experiences we’ve created for our guests and artists. The feedback has been amazing.
“Next year promises to be equally exciting for OVG. We will launch our seventh owned-and-operated arena when we open in Hamilton [Ontario], and we anticipate announcing other developments in Europe, the Middle East, and North America. We’ll have more clients coming online for our venue and hospitality services globally as well. It’s a lot to accomplish, but we couldn’t be more eager to jump into 2025.”
The Legends deal might see a complete rebrand of the company’s venue portfolio in 2025, when the choice of arenas in particular is set to grow yet again, thanks in no small part to construction projects in Africa, Latin America, Asia, and the Middle East helping to expand potential tour routes by introducing a number of state-of- the-art concert venues to the existing facilities in those regions.
“All of a sudden, you have stadium shows everywhere, and artists big enough to do them and an audience willing enough to buy tickets”
At the European Arenas Association, president Olivier Toth is equally as enthusiastic about the sector’s prospects, including Co-op Live as a recent membership addition.
Indeed, celebrating the fact that EAA added its 40th member during 2024, Toth says, “We’ve been able to welcome our oldest building with the Festhalle in Frankfurt, and also our youngest, with the Roig Arena in Valencia, which is yet to open, so it’s incredibly exciting because we are now at a position where arenas want to join the EAA because they see the value of the association.”
With investment in new entertainment complexes ensuring a bright future for the business, one big difference in Mexico’s touring landscape has been the refurbished Foro Sol, which this year was transformed into a unique stadium – Estadio GNP Seguros. “People are embracing it,” reports OCESA’s Parra. “For example, Paul McCartney sold more than 110,000 tickets in November of 2023. He came back in November this year and sold another 110,000 tickets in Mexico City, more than 50,000 in Monterrey, and he headlined Corona Capital. So, twice what he sold last time, and it’s only a one-year difference. Bruno Mars is the same. In August, he sold out three Estadio GNPs, and he could easily have done five.”
The phenomenon fascinates DEAG’s Kornett. “It doesn’t really influence my day-to-day work, but what surprised me [this year] was the number of stadium shows,” he comments. “All of a sudden, you have stadium shows everywhere, and artists big enough to do them and an audience willing enough to buy tickets. That has been a very important change in the industry.”
But while the record books were continually rewritten at arena and stadia level in 2024, the situation at the other end of the spectrum is far less encouraging. With energy, rates, staffing and more all having increased post-pandemic, smaller venues running on smaller margins are hard hit.
A recent report in Germany by LiveKomm, found that over half of grassroots venue members would be unable to continue operating without state support due to “the acute cost pressure”.
The challenges at club level have led to calls for a ticket levy on arena and stadium shows in the UK, as well as other markets
In the Netherlands, venue association VNPF’s 2023 report found that venues achieved an average positive financial result of just 0.7%, with 38% of them reporting a negative financial result.
The challenges at club level have led to calls for a ticket levy on arena and stadium shows in the UK, as well as other markets. In the UK, artists including Coldplay, Sam Fender and Katy Perry announced contributions from ticket sales to support Music Venue Trust, with the topic currently a subject of discussion by the UK Government.
Gemma Vaughan, acting general manager at AO Arena, agrees. “The grassroots ecosystem is not only vital for the communities they exist in, and for talent development, but they are also vital for supporting future audiences and promoting safety at large-scale concerts when acts breaks through,” she says. “It will take work across a multitude of stakeholder groups to achieve this, along with a broader partnership approach within the industry to make sure everyone (including the artist) is aligned with the outcome.”
Revisit part one of 2024 Wrapped! here.
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Piletilevi Group expands operations in Romania
Ticketing company AS Piletilevi Group is expanding its reach in Romania with the acquisition of Ticketing Nation, which manages the Entertix.ro and Myticket.ro platforms.
The merged companies say they will sell nearly five million tickets, worth more than €30 million, per year and collect more than 24 million online visits. Piletilevi Group previously acquired a majority stake in Romania’s oldest ticketing company Bilete.ro last summer.
According to shareholder and board chair Sven Nuutmann, Piletilevi Group sees great potential in the Romanian market, both in terms of concerts by major international artists and in the technological development of the country’s cultural sector.
“Through this transaction, we are not only increasing our market share in Romania, but also creating a strong foundation for further expansion throughout Central and Western Europe,” says Nuutmann. “Our goal is to offer event organisers and ticket buyers across the group high-quality service and innovative solutions that meet the needs of our customers and partners.”
Piletilevi Group operates in Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Romania, the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Poland.
“After seven years of operation on the Romanian market, Ticketing Nation can be considered one of the most important, mature and successful ticketing companies in the country,” says Valentin Vasiloiu, head of Entertix. “With a diverse portfolio, providing services to the biggest concert and festival organisers, top sports clubs, prestigious cultural institutions, unique exhibitions and much more, the company has experienced continuous development and an impressive comeback after the pandemic period.
“A new chapter begins now as we bring together two great companies under one vision”
“In order to maintain and strengthen this growth rate, we have decided to join forces with another important player in Romania – Bilete.ro. The result is definitely a company with market leader potential, offering the best services and boosted by the decades of experience accumulated by both teams.”
“A new chapter begins now as we bring together two great companies under one vision,” adds Bilete.ro CEO Andreea Pop. “Together, we are stronger and I am honoured to lead us into a future full of opportunity and innovation.”
The deal, which has been approved by the authorities, is being co-financed by SEB Bank.
“We are very happy to be Piletilevi Group’s partner and that the company has managed to implement another expansion,” says Estonia-based Peep Jalakas, a member of the bank’s management board. “Piletilevi Group’s ambition and professionalism to expand in the competitive service sector is impressive, resulting in achieving one of the leading market positions in this region,.”
Piletilevi Group also acquired GoOut.net, one of biggest market players in Czech Republic, in 2023, and acquired two companies in Poland, Kicket.com and Biletomat.pl, earlier this year.
“Our ambitions are not limited to this, but at the moment we are focusing on integrating the acquired companies with the Piletilevi Group and developing cross-group solutions to meet the needs of both event organisers and ticket buyers,” adds Nuutmann.
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Live Nation applauds FTC’s ban on junk fees
Live Nation has thrown its support behind the US’s new ban on “junk fees” in the live event ticketing and the hospitality industry.
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) passed a rule on Tuesday (17 December) requiring ticket sellers, hotels and vacation rental sites to disclose total prices, including fees upfront, prohibiting them from concealing add-on charges until the last minute.
Businesses must prominently display the total price, inclusive of all mandatory fees, whenever offering, displaying, or advertising prices for live-event tickets or short-term lodging.
They are also prohibited from misrepresenting fees or charges and must provide accurate, upfront pricing information. Additionally, the total price must be presented more prominently than any other pricing information to prevent deceptive advertising strategies.
Originally outlined in October 2023, the move would “ensure consumers know exactly how much they are paying and what they are getting, and help spur companies to compete on offering the lowest price”.
Live Nation praised the move, adding that the ban would deliver greater transparency for fans while increasing sales for artists and fewer abandoned carts at checkout.
“We’ve led the industry by adopting all-in pricing at all Live Nation venues and festivals and applaud the FTC’s industry-wide mandate so fans will now be able to see the total price of a ticket right upfront no matter where they go to see a show or buy a ticket,” the live entertainment behemoth said in a statement.
FTC Chair Lina M. Khan said: “People deserve to know upfront what they’re being asked to pay—without worrying that they’ll later be saddled with mysterious fees they haven’t budgeted for and can’t avoid.
Live Nation praised the move, adding that the ban would deliver greater transparency for fans while increasing sales for artists
“The FTC’s rule will put an end to junk fees around live event tickets, hotels, and vacation rentals, saving Americans billions of dollars and millions of hours in wasted time. I urge enforcers to continue cracking down on these unlawful fees and encourage state and federal policymakers to build on this success with legislation that bans unfair and deceptive junk fees across the economy.”
The FTC’s Junk Fees Rule is expected to save consumers an estimated 53 million hours annually by reducing the time spent searching for total prices. The rule could result in approximately $11 billion in savings over the next decade.
The FTC commissioners voted 4–1 in favour of the new rule. Commissioner Andrew Ferguson, who incoming president Donald Trump has picked as the next FTC chair, cast the sole dissenting vote.
In other US ticketing news, the TICKET Act has sparked criticism from the industry’s Fix The Tix coalition this week.
The alliance is calling on US politicians to remove the Act from the Continuing Resolution (the temporary spending bill that keeps federal government operations going when final appropriations have not been approved by Congress and the President) unless some “dangerous loopholes” are removed.
Fix The Tix – which is led by the National Independent Venue Association (NIVA) and includes Eventbrite, Bandsintown, MMF and more than a dozen other major music industry organisations – says that the bill in its current form would “undermine consumer protections and calls for immediate action”.
“It is unfortunate that disinformation from multi-billion dollar resale platforms and the organisations they fund—claiming to represent consumers’ interests—misled Congress into including a loophole that allows predatory brokers and resale platforms to sell fake tickets under a different name,” says executive director of NIVA Stephen Parker.
“They also prevented so many more common-sense reforms from making it into the final legislation, especially strengthening the BOTS Act. These groups chose empowering predators and fighting progress behind the scenes over genuine consumer protections.
“We will make it our mission to blunt, repeal, or strike down any federal provision that would directly or indirectly permit the sale of fake tickets.”
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2024: A Milestone Year for Passline Spain
2024 has been a pivotal year for Passline Spain, defined by strategic partnerships and a significant impact on the live field.
Since entering the Spanish market in 2021, we have become a trusted partner for exclusive ticket sales at venues such as Café La Palma, Sala Fulanita, Teatro Barceló, Sala Bao Bao, and Sala Insomnio—iconic players in Madrid’s vibrant cultural and nightlife scene.
These alliances strengthen our presence in the field and underscore promoters’ confidence in Passline as an effective ticketing solution.
Meeting Industry Challenges with Comprehensive Solutions
One of the biggest challenges in the industry, where Passline excels, is customer service. This encompasses fans purchasing tickets and the promoters relying on us daily. While we are a self-service platform, our clients highly value the personalized support we provide daily. We guide them through using our platform and advise them on best practices for ticket sales to ensure their success.
At Passline Spain, we ensure that no client is left unsupported. Every promoter has the ongoing support of a dedicated remote account executive, who is always available to answer questions and provide assistance.
Passline is committed to delivering outstanding business opportunities to our clients through a platform with exceptional global service
Balancing Technology with Human Connection
Another growing challenge is the complete digitalization of ticketing. This shift has led to the assumption that everyone understands how concert ticket sales work—but that’s not always the case. For this reason, even as a tech-driven company that embraces automation, Passline prioritizes maintaining close, human connections with our clients, ensuring they have the support they need at every step.
We have also proven our ability to handle large-scale, high-demand venues. From managing ticketing for iconic locations like La Riviera in Madrid, Razzmatazz 1, and Sant Jordi Club in Barcelona to the renowned WiZink Center, we’ve facilitated experiences that have created unforgettable moments for thousands of attendees. This growth shows our commitment to quality, reliability, and innovation.
Our Mission: Driving Success for Our Clients
This year, we’ve reinforced our mission: Passline is committed to delivering outstanding business opportunities to our clients through a platform with exceptional global service. By continuously improving our tools and solutions, we’ve established ourselves as a trusted partner for artists and promoters, ensuring their success.
At Passline Spain, we are dedicated to excellence and to reshaping the future of the live entertainment industry.
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Leading Croatian ticketing firms merge
Two of Croatia’s leading ticketing platforms, Entrio and Ulaznice.hr (aka Dekod), have merged ownership in the hopes of becoming ‘the leading ticketing group in Southeast Europe’.
The consolidation comes months after Entrio raised €9m in funding in a round led by Invera Equity Partners with a plan to expand in Southeast Europe.
The newly established group will operate in Croatia, Slovenia, and Bosnia and Herzegovina, issuing over four million tickets annually for more than 13,000 sports, music, cultural, and business events.
Ulaznice.hr and Entrio will continue their operations under separate brands, managed by their current leadership teams.
Darko Čošić and Branko Šilta will remain at the helm of Ulaznice.hr, while Berislav Marszalek and Sonja Trajanovski Marszalek will continue to lead Entrio.
“With the combined strengths of Entrio and Ulaznice.hr, we are pursuing robust organic and inorganic growth in existing and new markets”
Founded in 2011, Entrio is the second-biggest primary ticketer in Croatia after CTS Eventim, according to the International Ticketing Report 2024.
Marszalek, founder and CEO of Entrio, says the tie-up is “not merely a business move but an opportunity to raise standards in the ticketing industry, providing event organisers and users with innovative solutions and premium experiences. We are now aiming to become the leading ticketing group in Southeast Europe.”
Čošić, director Dekod/Ulaznice.hr, adds: “By combining our expertise, technologies, and service range, we are strengthening our market position and creating an environment where event organisers and attendees receive the best in one place.”
Sabolović, Invera Equity Partners, comments: “We continue our investment in the industry, focusing on improving and expanding services for both event organisers and end users, the ticket buyers. With the combined strengths of Entrio and Ulaznice.hr, we are pursuing robust organic and inorganic growth in existing and new markets.”
Read more about Croatia’s ticketing business in the International Ticketing Report 2024.
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Ticketing platforms claim market-firsts
Amsterdam venue Paradiso and TicketSwap are claiming the first 100% face-value price cap for ticket resale in the Netherlands.
The new partnership ensures that tickets for Paradiso events can only be resold at their original purchase price (excluding service costs) or less, preventing price inflation and “supporting Paradiso’s mission as a non-profit organisation to make arts and culture accessible to a wide audience”.
To make the buying and reselling of tickets as seamless as possible, TicketSwap is integrating with Paradiso’s primary ticketing provider See Tickets Benelux.
“With rising costs for artists to go on tour and a possible VAT increase in 2026, ticket prices are under pressure. Visitors can only spend their money once and increasingly have to make
choices,” said Erik Luyten, Head of Ticketing, ICT & Data at Paradiso.
“Our partnership with TicketSwap ensures that we can keep prices low on their platform, while sellers can still earn back the full price they paid. Through TicketSwap’s SecureSwap technology, we can also guarantee that tickets resold on their platform are valid for admission. Tens of thousands of tickets per year for Paradiso events have already been sold via TicketSwap, from now on safer and more fairly priced than before.”
“With rising costs for artists to go on tour and a possible VAT increase in 2026, ticket prices are under pressure”
Elsewhere, Platinumlist says it is introducing the Middle East and North Africa’s first fan-to-fan ticket resale on its app.
The feature – which is already live in the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Bahrain, and Oman – allows users to securely buy and sell tickets within the app marketplace.
In October, Platinumlist moved to combat fraud by transitioning from traditional PDF tickets to QR code technology called SafeTickets. The two new offerings have now been integrated.
Elsewhere, CTS Eventim and TikTok have rolled out their ticketing feature in Spain after launching the partnership in Germany earlier this year.
The feature will enable fans to discover live events and buy tickets through Eventim Spain’s platform Entradas.com from within the TikTok platform.
Any artist or content creator with more than 1,000 followers will be able to promote tickets to concerts, plays, musicals, festivals, exhibitions or sporting events in their TikTok videos.
“We seek to connect users with artists through the language of social media,” said Susana Voces, Managing Director of Eventim Spain. “This collaboration represents a step forward in the innovation of the ticketing sector, uniting technology, social media and live entertainment to offer fans a more direct and simple experience.”
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Ticketmaster Spain reports 15% hike in live music sales
Ticketmaster Spain has reported a 15% increase in the sale of tickets to live music events compared to 2023.
An analysis of live music fans in Spain was presented by Reyes Sáenz de Juano, sales and marketing director of Ticketmaster in Spain, at the company’s recent Live Music Observatory.
De Juano revealed that the average expenditure per ticket amounted to €84, a 5% hike compared to €80 last year. Per transaction, buyers spend an average of €184, 3% more than in 2023.
The company found that the majority of live event ticket buyers reside in Madrid (39%), while 17% come from Catalonia and 9% from Andalusia. They are between 45 and 54 years old (26%), followed by the 25–34 age group (24%), the segment where transactions are increasing the most, specifically 30% compared to 2023.
Urban music is the musical genre that is seeing the biggest growth – 82% compared to the previous year
Live event tourism is also on the rise, representing an average of 12% of the total number of attendees, with the majority coming from the United Kingdom (16%), France (15%) and the United States (12%).
Urban music is the musical genre that is seeing the biggest growth – 82% compared to the previous year. Artists such as Dellafuente, Morad, Duki, Feid and Milo J have boosted ticket purchases by young people thanks to, among other factors, the Cultural Bonus. This is followed by Latin music, which is growing by 25%, driven by artists such as Karol G and Luis Miguel.
Likewise, VIP tickets represent 4% of tickets sold, while in 2023 they were purchased by 1.60% of the public. De Juano says this is an upward trend “since fans are willing to invest more money to enjoy an experience with greater added value”.
Ticketmaster Spain’s FAN to FAN ticket exchange platform was activated at 95% of this year’s events, including Taylor Swift, Ed Sheeran and Metallica.
Spain’s live music industry was valued at around €4.2 billion in a recent report, conducted by Sympathy For The Lawyer and Incentiva. Read more here.
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