Amazon could battle Ticketmaster for concert and sports ticket sales

By Trevor Mogg Published August 11, 2017

amazon tickets — Dwphotos/123RF

Never shy of diving into a new moneymaking venture, Amazon is making plans to take on Ticketmaster in the United States, according to a Reuters report on Thursday.

Selling tickets for gigs and events could certainly prove lucrative for the ecommerce giant, though it will have to be sure it can take on the mighty Ticketmaster, a company that has dominated the business for several decades. The report’s claim that Amazon views the market as “ripe for attack” certainly suggests it’s confident.

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Amazon is interested in partnering with venues in the U.S. to sell event tickets, several sources with knowledge of the plan told Reuters. Aware of Ticketmaster’s tight grip on the ticket-sales industry, the Seattle-based company is said to be exploring a range of ways to enter the market, and has even discussed with Ticketmaster the idea of some kind of joint venture. However, Reuters’ said those discussions broke down over the issue of “who would control customer data.”

If it has to go it alone, Amazon’s already-huge customer base and established online presence would clearly give it a fighting chance of succeeding in the market.

Amazon Prime benefits

The company already has experience selling event tickets after launching a service in the United Kingdom in 2015. Amazon promotes the service on the basis that it shows ticket prices up front without extras, and customers of the shopping site can book easily via their online account. The U.K. service can be used by any Amazon shopper, but Prime members also have the chance to purchase more expensive tickets offering “premium lounges” and other benefits. Special deals like these would most likely be included in any U.S. service, too, with Amazon aiming to pick up more Prime members in the process. Artists and sports teams, meanwhile, could increase merchandise sales via Amazon’s ticketing site.

Amazon’s interest in expanding its ticketing service globally came to light last year when related job ads were spotted that said it wanted to position Amazon Tickets “as the world’s premier destination for purchasing tickets.” Some of the postings were based at its headquarters in Seattle, further cementing the idea that Amazon is looking to enter the U.S. ticketing market.

We’ve reached out to Amazon for comment and will update when we hear back.

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Contributing Editor

Not so many moons ago, Trevor moved from one tea-loving island nation that drives on the left (Britain) to another (Japan)…

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