nymag.com
Madonna Reinvents Herself As a Ticket-Scalping Profiteer
In a despicable move likely to disappoint even the crazy fans who didn't hate American Life, Madonna has signed an endorsement deal with StubHub that will make her the first musician to earn a profit on scalped tickets to her concerts. The 49-year-old pop star will reportedly be paid a flat fee, plus a percentage of sales of all tickets purchased by fans who were unable to get them through Ticketmaster (because they were all bought by scalpers planning to sell them online at an exorbitant markup through StubHub). "It's the future of the ticketing business," claims StubHub head of business development Chuck La Vallee — and he's probably right, at least until Madonna, the Rolling Stones, and the other dinosaurs who've been keeping the touring industry afloat this past decade keel over from old age. Anyway, if you've been looking for an excuse not to pay $700 for a balcony seat at one of the shows on her upcoming Sticky and Sweet Tour, we think this is a pretty great one.
Wall Street Journal
StubHub Enlisted in Resale Of Madonna Concert Tickets
By ETHAN SMITH
May 9, 2008; Page B6
Madonna's coming concert tour is to feature what appears to be a first in the concert business: An official ticket reseller that will peddle seats at marked-up prices to fans who couldn't get them through normal channels.
In the U.S. and Canada, eBay Inc.'s StubHub will serve as the "official fan-to-fan ticket marketplace." In Europe, the role will be filled by Viagogo Ltd., a ticket reseller that also will sell "VIP packages" -- higher-priced tickets that include amenities like backstage passes and meetings with performers.
The endorsements highlight the growing popularity and influence of so-called secondary ticketing companies, which let both fans and brokers sell tickets to others at prices that often far exceed their face values. Concert promoters and artists have long complained that they are locked out of the secondary marketplace, putting money in the pockets of speculators and middlemen who aren't involved in staging or promoting concerts.
Sports teams and leagues have entered partnerships with secondary ticketing companies. But executives at Viagogo and StubHub called this the first time a major music artist has officially embraced the secondary market on this scale.
"It's the future of the ticketing business," said Chuck La Vallee, StubHub's head of business development for music. "Promoters have always complained that we don't have skin in the game."
Terms weren't disclosed, but people close to the deal said Viagogo is paying promoter Live Nation Inc. and Madonna a flat fee, while StubHub is offering a percentage of revenue on top of a fee. Despite the official status of the two companies, fans would still be able to buy and sell tickets on other online marketplaces, such as TicketsNow, RazorGator or Craigslist. But Viagogo and StubHub will be promoted in emails to fans and other marketing materials.
The tour is the first for Madonna since she announced a $120 million partnership with Live Nation in which the promoter is to participate financially in nearly every aspect of the pop star's career. The album she is promoting, "Hard Candy," is the last under her record contract with Warner Music Group Corp. The "Sticky and Sweet" tour is to start in August, with nine dates in Europe, followed by 18 U.S. shows in the fall. There will be several stadium shows in the U.S., including at Los Angeles' Dodger Stadium -- far larger venues than the arenas Madonna has historically performed in. Prices weren't announced.
Live Nation's contract in the U.S. with IAC/InterActiveCorp's Ticketmaster expires at the end of this year. At that point Live Nation will begin selling its own tickets for its concerts. Arrangements like the one with Viagogo -- in which Viagogo handles a portion of the so-called primary ticketing, in addition to resales -- could become more common on Live Nation tours once Ticketmaster is out of the picture.
Dodger Stadium
Dodger Stadium:
Section:FIELD
Row:4TH[ ROW !Price
:$2,250.00 each
http://www.stubhub.com/madonna-ticke...6-2008-636491/
Madonna.com
http://www.madonna.com/news/
www.stubhub.com: StubHub is the official fan-to-fan ticket marketplace for Madonna's North American Tour 2008.* StubHub is the world's largest ticket marketplace enabling fans to buy and sell tickets to a vast selection of nearly 30,000 sports, concert theatres and other live entertainment events. StubHub reinvented the ticket resale market in 2000 and continues to lead through innovation. The company's unique online marketplace, dedicated solely to tickets, provides all fans the choice to buy or sell their tickets in a safe, convenient and highly reliable environment. All transactions are processed and delivered via StubHub's patent-pending Fan Network (SM ticket delivery service, supported by seven-day toll free customer service at 1-866-STUBHUB and backed by an industry-first Fan Protect Guarantee. *Applicable for Sticky & Sweet shows in Canada & the U.S. (excluding Mexico)
What unfunny joke Madonna.
