Ticketmaster Suit Halts Scalpers

Is the ticket industry designed to fleece the average consumer?

(NEWSER) - The Hannah Montana tour is hot—tickets sold out in seconds, and resellers are charging as much as 100 times face value for them. And both the speed of sellouts and eye-popping resale prices for popular artists are arousing suspicion. The Washington Post looks at how scalpers use ticket-buying technology, leaving regular consumers out in the cold. More»

Where critics see conflict of interest, Azoff spies opportunity

(NEWSER) - Irving Azoff may not be a household name, but he is, in fact, "the most powerful man in the music industry," writes Ethan Smith in a Wall Street Journal profile. The head of Ticketmaster—he made his name managing the Eagles in the '70s—is now trying to pull off his most brazen act yet: merging his company with concert promoter Live Nation. He insists it will save the industry, but also wonders, "Are we crazy to be trying this?" More»

Firm will be run by Live Nation's CEO

(NEWSER) - Live Nation and Ticketmaster made public their merger plans today, though the combined concert-promotions and ticketing powerhouse is sure to face scrutiny by antitrust regulators, the Wall Street Journal reports.The new company is to be named Live Nation Entertainment; it's estimated the two will save $40 million by combining operations. More»

(NEWSER) - The music industry continues to reshape itself: Ticketmaster and Live Nation may announce a merger next week, the Wall Street Journal reports. The new company, called Live Nation Ticketmaster, would have ties to hundreds of top artists and expertise on everything from promoting shows—Live Nation is the world's largest concert promoter—to selling the tickets. Neither board has approved the move yet, and it would likely face anti-trust scrutiny by the feds. More»

Teen sensation sells out shows nationwide

(NEWSER) - Parents across the nation are wringing their hands as scalpers rub theirs with glee over Hannah Montana, the 14-year-old fictional pop star whose concert tour dates are selling out in minutes. Her popular Disney Channel show rocketed the character to Madonna-level stardom with kids, the Seattle Post-Intelligencer says, which means scalpers are charging thousands for tickets. More»