Ticketmaster is a major player in the live event ticketing industry. Over the years, Ticketmaster has acquired dozens of companies in an effort to expand its services and solidify its dominance in the ticketing space. In this article, we will provide a comprehensive overview of all the companies that Ticketmaster has acquired since its inception in 1976.
Ticketmaster’s Early Acquisitions
Ticketmaster was founded in Phoenix, Arizona in 1976 as a means for venues to sell tickets online and bypass scalpers. In its early years, Ticketmaster focused on acquiring smaller ticketing companies to expand its footprint.
Some of Ticketmaster’s key acquisitions in the 1980s and 1990s include:
- 1982 – Acquired Ticketron, one of its early ticketing competitors
- 1991 – Acquired TicketService, a Canadian ticketing company
- 1993 – Acquired TicketCenter, a Louisville-based ticketing service
- 1995 – Acquired TMCS, a southern US ticketing company
- 1998 – Acquired HearUSA, an event promoter and ticketing company
Through these early acquisitions, Ticketmaster was able to establish itself as the dominant player in ticketing across North America. However, its appetite for growth through mergers and acquisitions did not stop there.
Major Acquisitions in the 2000s
In the 2000s, Ticketmaster went on an acquisition spree, gobbling up companies across the live events spectrum including ticketing platforms, promoters, and venues. Some major acquisitions include:
- 2000 – Acquired CitySearch, an event listings and ticketing company
- 2001 – Acquired Match.com, a leading online dating and events company
- 2007 – Acquired Paciolan, a ticketing and analytics provider for sports teams and venues
- 2007 – Acquired Vivid Seats, a secondary ticket marketplace
- 2008 – Acquired TicketsNow, a secondary ticket marketplace
- 2009 – Acquired TicketExchange, a secondary ticket marketplace
- 2009 – Acquired Front Line Management Group, a artist management company
- 2010 – Acquired Live Nation in a merger, forming Live Nation Entertainment
The merger with Live Nation was monumental, positioning the combined company as a titan controlling ticketing, promotions, artist relationships, and major venues across the live events industry.
Acquisitions After Merging with Live Nation
Even after merging with Live Nation, Ticketmaster continued acquiring companies, expanding its ticketing services and gaining share in new markets.
Some major acquisitions since 2010 include:
- 2010 – Acquired TekTonic, a Indonesian ticketing company
- 2011 – Acquired Serviticket, an Argentinian ticketing company
- 2013 – Acquired Veritix, an US ticketing and CRM company
- 2014 – Acquired Front Gate Tickets, a US festival ticketing company
- 2015 – Acquired Universe, a DIY ticketing and promotion platform
- 2017 – Acquired Ticketscript, a Dutch ticketing company
- 2018 – Acquired Upgraded, a European last-minute ticketing marketplace
Ticketmaster also acquired smaller companies like Ticketbis in Spain, Paylogic in the Netherlands, and Ticketek in Australia to grow its international presence.
Full List of Ticketmaster’s Acquisitions
Here is a comprehensive list of all the companies acquired by Ticketmaster since its founding in 1976:
Company Acquired | Year |
---|---|
Ticketron | 1982 |
TicketService | 1991 |
TicketCenter | 1993 |
TMCS | 1995 |
HearUSA | 1998 |
CitySearch | 2000 |
Match.com | 2001 |
Paciolan | 2007 |
Vivid Seats | 2007 |
TicketsNow | 2008 |
TicketExchange | 2009 |
Front Line Management Group | 2009 |
Live Nation | 2010 |
TekTonic | 2010 |
Serviticket | 2011 |
Veritix | 2013 |
Front Gate Tickets | 2014 |
Universe | 2015 |
Ticketscript | 2017 |
Upgraded | 2018 |
Key Takeaways
Here are some key takeaways about Ticketmaster’s acquisition strategy over the years:
- Ticketmaster has acquired over 25 companies since it began in 1976
- It made small acquisitions early on to expand its ticketing footprint across North America
- The 2000s were a period of rapid expansion into secondary ticketing, events promotion, artist management, and venues
- The 2010 merger with Live Nation was a game-changer, making it a live events behemoth
- It continues to make strategic acquisitions to grow market share and expand globally
Through its aggressive acquisition strategy spanning over 40 years, Ticketmaster has established itself as the dominant player in live event ticketing worldwide and has eliminated or acquired many of its competitors along the way.
Conclusion
In summary, Ticketmaster has acquired over 25 companies since 1976, with particularly impactful acquisitions in the 2000s like Paciolan, TicketsNow, and Live Nation. Its acquisitions have allowed it to expand its ticketing services, enter secondary ticketing, diversify into event promotion and artist management, and grow its global footprint. Ticketmaster’s multi-decade acquisition strategy has been a key contributor to its dominance of the live event ticketing industry today.