Editing Ticketmaster (section)

== History ==
Ticketmaster was founded in [[Phoenix, Arizona]] in 1976<ref name=":6">{{cite web|url=https://www.stufftheydontwantyoutoknow.com/podcasts/the-ticketmaster-racket.htm|title=The Ticketmaster Racket|date=2019-05-02|website=Stuff They Dont Want You to Know|language=en|access-date=2019-05-02}}</ref> by college staffers Peter Gadwa and Albert Leffler, Gordon Gunn III, as well as businessman Jerry Nelson.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB119577310548201479|title=Ticket Master's Place|last=Lewis|first=Christina S. N.|date=2007-11-23|work=[[The Wall Street Journal]]|access-date=2019-04-04|issn=0099-9660}}</ref><ref name=":0">{{Cite news|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1985-01-31-fi-5143-story.html|title=Rival to Ticketron : Ticketmaster Emerging as Force in L.A.|date=1985-01-31|work=Los Angeles Times|access-date=2019-04-04}}</ref> The company originally licensed computer programs and sold hardware for ticketing systems. Its first ticketed concert was [[Electric Light Orchestra]], held at the [[University of New Mexico]].<ref name=":0" /><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/topic/business/media-industry/ticketmaster-ORCRP0000008973-topic.html|title=Ticketmaster|work=[[Chicago Tribune]]|date=September 20, 2018 |access-date=2019-04-04}}</ref>

In 1982, [[Fred Rosen (businessman)|Fred Rosen]] was appointed CEO of Ticketmaster and moved the company to [[Los Angeles]] to be closer to the live entertainment industry. The move enabled the company to build contracts with many well-known venues including the [[Kia Forum|LA Forum]]. Rosen drove investment into the company and led the switch to computerized ticketing.<ref name="20yrs" /> By 1985 the company had operations in the [[United States|U.S.]], [[Canada]] and [[Europe]].<ref name=":0" /> Under Rosen, the company moved into publishing and set up a travel agency and acquired rival [[Ticketron]] in 1991, making it the market leader.<ref name="20yrs" /><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1991/02/28/business/company-news-ticketmaster-deal-to-get-ticketron.html|access-date=May 30, 2020|title=Ticketmaster Deal To Get Ticketron|newspaper=The New York Times |page=4 (section D)|date=February 28, 1991}}</ref>

In November 1993, [[Microsoft]] co-founder [[Paul Allen]] acquired an 80% stake for more than $325 million.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-xpm-1993-11-23-9311230042-story.html|work=[[Chicago Tribune]]|date=November 22, 1993|title=MICROSOFT CO-FOUNDER PAUL ALLEN BUYS CONTROL OF TICKETMASTER|access-date=May 30, 2020}}</ref><ref name=20yrs>{{cite magazine|magazine=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]|page=17|title=Industry's #1 has a ticket to rule|last=Sandler|first=Adam}}</ref>

=== InterActiveCorp years ===
In 1998, [[USA Network|USA Networks Inc]]., later named [[IAC (company)|InterActiveCorp]] (IAC), purchased a majority stake in Ticketmaster.<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://variety.com/1998/biz/news/usa-picks-up-ticketmaster-1117469061/|title=USA picks up Ticketmaster|author=((Reuters))|date=1998-03-24|magazine=Variety|access-date=2019-04-12}}</ref> That same year, the company merged with CitySearch and was renamed Ticketmaster Online-CitySearch.<ref>{{Cite magazine|url=https://www.wired.com/1998/08/citysearch-joins-ticketmaster/|title=CitySearch Joins Ticketmaster|last=Bicknell|first=Craig|date=1998-08-13|magazine=Wired|access-date=2019-04-12}}</ref> In May 2000, Ticketmaster Online-CitySearch acquired TicketWeb Inc., a ticket vendor that sold tickets online and over the phone.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB959636314630051866|title=Ticketmaster Buys TicketWeb In Bid to Diversify Offerings|first=Bruce|last=Orwall|newspaper=The Wall Street Journal|date=May 30, 2000|access-date=2019-04-12}}</ref> In 2003, IAC repurchased the remaining Ticketmaster stock that it had previously sold off.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2003/05/06/business/technology-usa-interactive-is-acquiring-lendingtree-in-stock-deal.html|title=TECHNOLOGY; USA Interactive Is Acquiring LendingTree in Stock Deal|last=Hansell|first=Saul|date=2003-05-06|work=The New York Times|access-date=2019-04-12}}</ref>

In September 2006, Ticketmaster President Sean Moriarty told [[NPR]] that Ticketmaster had lobbied several states to enact laws that would limit the ticket resale market to authorized companies. Economists worried these laws would harm competition, but Moriarty expressed the need to reduce corrupt [[Ticket resale|scalpers]] and [[counterfeit]] tickets.<ref>{{cite news |last=Davidson |first=Adam |url=https://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=6056146 |title=Ticketmaster Targets Secondary Market |publisher=[[NPR]] |language=en-US |access-date=2019-04-22 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303172719/https://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=6056146 |archive-date=2016-03-03}}</ref>

In January 2008, Ticketmaster acquired Paciolan Inc., a developer of ticketing system applications and hosted ticketing systems, after litigation over the potential breach of [[Competition law|antitrust laws]].<ref>[http://documentlibraries.org/reports/acknowledgements/index.html Yahoo! Business] Form 10-Q for Ticketmaster {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141219010649/http://documentlibraries.org/reports/acknowledgements/index.html|date=December 19, 2014}}</ref> Also in January, Ticketmaster acquired the UK-based secondary ticket marketplace, Getmein.com.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/newsbysector/retailandconsumer/2783602/Ticketmaster-moves-into-UK-concert-resales.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220112/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/newsbysector/retailandconsumer/2783602/Ticketmaster-moves-into-UK-concert-resales.html |archive-date=January 12, 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live|title=Ticketmaster moves into UK concert resales|last=White|first=Dominic|date=29 January 2008|newspaper=The Daily Telegraph}}{{cbignore}}</ref> And finally, in that same January, Ticketmaster acquired TicketsNow, a ticket reseller in the United States, for $265 million.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB120036522352890281|title=Ticketmaster Buys Major Reseller|last=Smith|first=Ethan|date=2008-01-15|work=[[The Wall Street Journal]]|access-date=2019-04-22}}</ref>

IAC spun off Ticketmaster as its own company in the summer of 2008.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2008-jun-24-fi-iac24-story.html|title=IAC to spin off ticket seller|date=2008-06-24|access-date=2019-04-12|newspaper=[[Los Angeles Times]]}}</ref> Later in 2008, Ticketmaster acquired Front Line Management, an artist management firm that worked with artists such as [[Aerosmith]], [[Christina Aguilera]] and [[Jimmy Buffett]].<ref>{{Cite magazine|url=https://www.wired.com/2008/10/ticketmaster-ac/|title=Ticketmaster Acquires Majority of Front Line Management|last=Buskirk|date=2008-10-23|magazine=Wired|access-date=2019-04-12}}</ref> Front Line CEO [[Irving Azoff]] became CEO of the new company, which was renamed Ticketmaster Entertainment.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/ticketmaster-takes-stake-front-line-121638|title=Ticketmaster takes stake in Front Line|website=The Hollywood Reporter|date=October 23, 2008|access-date=2019-04-12}}</ref>

=== Live Nation merger ===
In February 2009, Ticketmaster entered into an agreement to merge with event promoter [[Live Nation (events promoter)|Live Nation]] to form [[Live Nation Entertainment]].<ref name="merger">[http://dealbook.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/02/10/live-nation-and-ticketmaster-agree-to-merge/ Live Nation and Ticketmaster Agree to Merge] New York Times. 10 February 2009.</ref> The deal was cleared by the [[United States Department of Justice|U.S. Justice Department]] in January 2010 under the condition that the company sell Paciolan to [[Comcast Spectacor]] or another firm, and license its software to [[Anschutz Entertainment Group]] (AEG), its biggest competitor.<ref name=":1">{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/26/business/26ticket.html|title=Justice Dept. Clears Ticketmaster-Live Nation Merger|last=Sisario|date=2010-01-25|work=The New York Times|access-date=2019-04-12}}</ref> The new company, which would be called Live Nation Entertainment, would also be subject to provisions for 10 years that prevented it from retaliating against venues that partnered with competing ticketing firms.<ref name=":1" /> When the DOJ planned to bring court proceedings against the company in 2020 for six violations to these provisions, Live Nation agreed to a settlement that extended them an additional fine years to 2025.<ref name="auto">{{Cite web |last=Clark |first=Dave |date=2020-01-14 |title=Despite Multiple Consent Decree Violations, Live Nation Gets Slap on Wrist from DOJ |url=https://www.ticketnews.com/2020/01/live-nation-consent-decree-doj-slap-on-wrist/ |access-date=2022-10-11 |website=TicketNews |language=en-US}}</ref> Live Nation CEO [[Michael Rapino]] was named CEO of the new company.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-ticketmaster-livenation-idUSTRE5194DL20090210|title=Live Nation to buy Ticketmaster|date=2009-02-10|work=Reuters|access-date=2019-06-13}}</ref>

One year after merging, Live Nation settled a previous class action lawsuit against Ticketmaster which alleged that the company had misled plaintiffs in its descriptions of delivery and processing fees.<ref>{{cite magazine|url=http://www.billboard.com/biz/articles/news/1179485/live-nation-to-pay-223-million-to-settle-class-action-suit-against|title=Live Nation to Pay $22.3 Million to Settle Class Action Suit Against Ticketmaster|date=27 January 2011|magazine=Billboard Magazine}}</ref>

=== Growth and acquisitions ===
In 2015, Ticketmaster acquired Front Gate Tickets, a music festival ticketing service that provided services for festivals including [[Lollapalooza]] and [[Austin City Limits Music Festival|Austin City Limits]].<ref name=":2a">{{cite magazine|url=https://www.billboard.com/articles/business/6590823/ticketmaster-acquires-front-gate-live-nation-universe|title=Ticketmaster Acquires Festival Ticketer Front Gate|magazine=[[Billboard Magazine]]|access-date=2019-04-12}}</ref> The same year, the company acquired Universe, a DIY ticketing platform,<ref name=":2a" /> and [[Two Toasters]], a mobile app developer.<ref name=acquisition>{{cite web|last1=Ranii|first1=David|title=Durham's Two Toasters acquired by Ticketmaster|url=http://www.newsobserver.com/news/business/article17009231.html|website=The News & Observer|accessdate=16 April 2015|date=31 March 2015}}</ref> In 2017, TicketWeb, Ticketmaster's self-service ticketing platform, acquired Strobe Labs, a marketing platform that allows users to market to fans through social media.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.bizjournals.com/losangeles/news/2017/08/11/ticketmaster-buys-marketing-platform-strobe-labs.html|title=Ticketmaster buys marketing platform to help clubs engage with fans|last=Ellisngson|first=Annlee}}</ref> In 2018, Ticketmaster acquired UPGRADED, a company which converts physical tickets into digital ones, utilising [[blockchain]].<ref>{{Cite press release|url=https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/ticketmaster-acquires-blockchain-ticketing-solution-upgraded-300732863.html|title=Ticketmaster Acquires Blockchain Ticketing Solution UPGRADED|publisher=Ticketmaster|via=www.prnewswire.com|language=en|access-date=2019-10-16}}</ref> In 2020, Ticketmaster acquired Taiwan's Tixcraft ({{lang|zh|拓元售票}}) for entering the Asian market.<ref>{{cite news|title=Live Nation’s Ticketmaster expands into Asia by acquiring Tixcraft|url=https://www.taipeitimes.com/News/lang/archives/2020/02/21/2003731337|date=2020-02-21|access-date=2025-02-20|last=Eddy Chang|work=Taipei Times}}</ref>