Many of you were contacted by Live Nation back in October with a bunch of questions about how much you’re willing to pay for U2 tickets and merchandise, what kind of ticketing you prefer, venues, etc. And we wondered if the survey had something to do with U2’s next tour.
Well, no and yes.
The New York Times reported a couple weeks ago that Live Nation is gearing up to challenge Ticketmaster head-on with its own ticketing system. The article says that Live Nation’s contract in the U.S. with Ticketmaster ends at the end of 2008.
And here’s why Live Nation wants to handle ticketing:
Live Nation’s chief executive, Michael Rapino, has also sought tighter control over the relationship with fans. In particular, Mr. Rapino has pressed for Live Nation to control customer data from ticket buyers as part of a strategy to sell fans additional merchandise.
Yep, to get some more money out of our wallets. Shoulda known….