There has been a lot of speculation around whether Ticketmaster and StubHub, two of the largest ticket resale platforms, are linked or owned by the same company. Here is a quick overview of the relationship between the two companies:
The short answer
No, Ticketmaster and StubHub are not directly linked or owned by the same company. They are competitors in the ticket resale marketplace.
The longer explanation
Ticketmaster and StubHub were founded and operate as completely separate companies. However, in the past, there were some indirect links between the two due to acquisitions and mergers involving their parent companies.
Here is a quick history of each company:
Ticketmaster
- Founded in 1976 as a ticketing service and acquired by Ticketron in 1982
- In 1991, Ticketmaster acquired Ticketron, establishing itself as the largest ticketing company in the US
- In 2010, Ticketmaster merged with Live Nation to become Live Nation Entertainment
- Live Nation Entertainment is the currently the parent company of Ticketmaster
StubHub
- Founded independently in 2000 as an online ticket marketplace
- In 2007, StubHub was acquired by eBay
- In 2020, eBay sold StubHub to Viagogo for $4.05 billion
- StubHub operates as part of the Viagogo group, but remains an independent brand and platform
So while Ticketmaster and StubHub have never directly merged, there was a period of time between 2007-2020 when they were indirectly linked via eBay, which owned StubHub and had a reselling partnership with Ticketmaster.
Partnership between Ticketmaster and StubHub’s previous owner eBay
From 2007-2020 when StubHub was owned by eBay, the two companies did have an official ticket resale partnership. This partnership allowed eBay and StubHub to list Ticketmaster tickets on their resale platforms.
The main points of the Ticketmaster-eBay partnership were:
- Ticketmaster inventory could be listed for resale on eBay and StubHub
- Sellers could opt-in to relist their Ticketmaster tickets on eBay and StubHub
- Ticketmaster received a cut of the resale value from any of their tickets sold on eBay sites
- The partnership provided Ticketmaster with presence in the secondary ticket market through eBay and StubHub
However, it’s important to note that despite this partnership, Ticketmaster and StubHub continued to operate as completely separate companies. They had separate listings, accounts, policies, and teams. The only association was Ticketmaster inventory being accessible on eBay and StubHub.
This partnership ended when Viagogo acquired StubHub in 2020. Viagogo and StubHub do not have any formal relationship with Ticketmaster.
Ticketmaster and StubHub are competitors
Although linked indirectly via eBay from 2007-2020, Ticketmaster and StubHub have always functioned as competitors in the ticket resale marketplace.
Key differences between Ticketmaster and StubHub include:
Ticketmaster | StubHub |
---|---|
Primary ticket seller (main source of new tickets) | Secondary ticket marketplace (resells tickets) |
Owns and manages event venues | No venue ownership, online marketplace only |
Charges fees to ticket buyers | Charges fees to both buyers and sellers |
Mainly sells tickets to upcoming events | Sells tickets to upcoming events and past events |
In summary, while Ticketmaster and StubHub have some overlapping inventory when resellers list Ticketmaster tickets, they operate as independent businesses with very different models and practices in the live event ticketing space.
Recent controversies
There have been some recent controversies surrounding Ticketmaster and StubHub that have led to further questions about potential links between the two companies.
Automated ticket purchasing bots
Bots have become problematic on both Ticketmaster and StubHub, buying up tickets quickly only to resell them at higher prices. This has led some to speculate that the companies quietly allow bots to drive up resale revenue.
However, there is no evidence of any coordinated effort between Ticketmaster and StubHub when it comes to bots. The use of ticket bots is considered illegal in many states.
Lawsuit over StubHub exclusivity
In 2019, Ticketmaster filed an anti-competitive lawsuit against StubHub centered around some StubHub exclusivity agreements with major venues like the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center. Ticketmaster claimed these exclusive secondary market deals were monopolistic.
StubHub disputed the claim and stated that Ticketmaster also had its own set of exclusive primary ticketing agreements. The lawsuit showcased the contentious relationship between the two companies.
Conclusion
While Ticketmaster and StubHub have some indirect connections due to previous acquisitions and partnerships, they are not directly affiliated or owned by the same parent company. Today, Ticketmaster and StubHub operate as fully independent businesses and active competitors in the event ticketing space.
There are certainly long-standing tensions and mistrust between Ticketmaster and StubHub fueled by lawsuits, exclusivity agreements, bot problems, and more. However, these issues stem from competition rather than proof of direct collusion between the two companies.