Pearl Jam is one of the most popular and influential rock bands of the 1990s and beyond. The band is known for their powerful live performances and they have a massive global fanbase. As a result, Pearl Jam concert tickets are always in high demand whenever the band goes on tour. This leads to the question – does Pearl Jam sell tickets through Ticketmaster?
Brief History of Pearl Jam and Ticketmaster
Pearl Jam exploded onto the music scene with their debut album Ten in 1991. Propelled by hits like “Alive” and “Jeremy”, Ten went on to sell over 13 million copies and turned Pearl Jam into international rock stars. As the band gained popularity in the early 1990s, they partnered with Ticketmaster to sell tickets to their concerts.
However, in 1994 Pearl Jam had a very public dispute with Ticketmaster over the company’s service fees, which were added onto each ticket sold. Pearl Jam believed these fees were excessive and were unfair to fans. The band refused to play any venues that had exclusive contracts with Ticketmaster unless the service fees were reduced. As a result, Pearl Jam was unable to tour in many major cities during their 1994 tour.
This dispute with Ticketmaster led Pearl Jam to develop their own ticketing system independent of Ticketmaster. They formed their own company, ETM Entertainment, to handle tour ticketing logistics. Pearl Jam has used their own ticketing system for concerts ever since as an alternative to Ticketmaster.
Pearl Jam’s Current Ticketing Process
These days, Pearl Jam relies exclusively on their internal ticketing system for all their concerts around the world. They have distinct policies in place for North American tours versus international tours.
North American Tours
For concerts in the United States and Canada, Pearl Jam uses their Ten Club fan club to distribute tickets. Fans must be Ten Club members in order to gain access to ticket pre-sales and other benefits. Tickets are sold via the band’s own website at pearljam.com. There are no Ticketmaster service fees added onto ticket prices for North American concerts.
Some key elements of Pearl Jam’s ticketing process for North America include:
- Ten Club members get first access to presale tickets before the general public.
- There is a 4 ticket limit for Ten Club members during presale.
- Any remaining tickets go on sale to the general public at a later date.
- Tickets are sold via Pearl Jam’s website. Prices are flat without added fees.
- Pearl Jam often sets aside tickets at every price level to limit scalping and high resale prices.
This Ten Club presale system allows loyal Pearl Jam fans early access to tickets without having to compete against scalpers and bots.
International Tours
For concerts outside of North America, Pearl Jam uses a different process since their Ten Club presale is not available globally. The band partners with local concert promoters in each country to distribute tickets instead of handling everything internally. This means that for international dates, Ticketmaster may be utilized if they are the ticketing provider chosen by the local promoter.
So in many international cities, some Pearl Jam tickets will likely be sold via Ticketmaster. This allows the band to tap into Ticketmaster’s global distribution network rather than try to set up their own ticketing operations everywhere. However, Pearl Jam does often specify that Ticketmaster service fees cannot be more than a certain percentage to keep costs down for fans.
In Summary, Pearl Jam will use Ticketmaster selectively for international concerts, while avoiding it completely in North America.
Pearl Jam’s Ban on Ticketmaster in North America
As noted above, Pearl Jam has essentially issued a complete ban on using Ticketmaster for concerts in the United States and Canada ever since their dispute with the company in 1994. There are a few key reasons why Pearl Jam refuses to work with Ticketmaster in North America:
Philosophical Stance Against Service Fees
Pearl Jam strongly believes that Ticketmaster’s fees are exorbitant and unfair to music fans. They think it is unethical for a company to tack on 20-25% fees onto each ticket, thereby drastically increasing costs for fans. Pearl Jam believes concert tickets should be affordably priced and all-inclusive.
Desire for More Fan-Friendly Ticketing
By handling their own ticketing in North America, Pearl Jam has much more control over the process. They can ensure a fair amount of tickets are available to members of their Ten Club fan club. This system rewards loyal Pearl Jam fans with good tickets at face value prices.
Prevent Scalping and Resales
If Pearl Jam used Ticketmaster for North American tours, a lot of tickets would end up on the secondary market at inflated prices. By limiting ticket quantities and using their own ticketing system, Pearl Jam limits scalping activity. Fans have a much better chance of getting face value tickets.
Greater Revenue for the Band
Since there are no fees involved with their internal ticketing system, Pearl Jam makes more money off their concert tickets. Ticketmaster’s fees would cut into the band’s bottom line if they were involved. More revenue from touring means more freedom for Pearl Jam to manage their own operations.
How Pearl Jam Scales Ticketing for Large Venues
A natural question arises – if Pearl Jam isn’t using a massive ticketing company like Ticketmaster in North America, how do they handle selling tickets for their very large concerts and tours? Selling out a 50,000 seat stadium is difficult to do on your own.
Pearl Jam employs a few key strategies:
Outsourcing to Band’s Own Ticketing Company
Pearl Jam helped found their own ticketing company, ETM Entertainment, back in 1995 specifically to handle their tours and concerts. ETM has grown into a major player in ticketing, with the operational capabilities to handle tours as massive as Pearl Jam’s. The band essentially outsources ticketing logistics to ETM for North America.
Integrations with Major Venues
For concerts at major venues not tied to Ticketmaster contracts, Pearl Jam can integrate directly with the venue’s internal ticketing system. Many large sports and concert venues have capabilities to sell a huge volume of tickets online, so Pearl Jam can tap into those systems.
Partnerships with Regional Ticketing Companies
If a venue lacks its own substantial ticketing infrastructure, Pearl Jam partners with smaller regional and local ticketing companies in different markets across North America. This helps ensure they can scale globally.
Allocating Tickets for Fan Club Presales
By setting aside 50% or more of all tickets to be sold first via fan club presales, Pearl Jam guarantees dedicated fans get access before the general public. This fills a large portion of seats efficiently before wide on-sales.
Through a combination of these strategies, Pearl Jam has proven they can effectively sell out the largest venues and festivals in North America without relying on Ticketmaster. Their approach has supported tours selling 5+ million tickets.
Examples of Pearl Jam Touring History Without Ticketmaster
Here are some notable examples of Pearl Jam arena tours, stadium shows, and festivals that were completely ticketed and sold without involvement from Ticketmaster:
2013 North American Tour
– 24 dates across the U.S. and Canada in arenas and amphitheaters
– Sold over 650,000 tickets
– Used ETM ticketing company to support sales
2018 North American Tour
– 13 dates across North America
– Sold out large venues including Wrigley Field and Fenway Park
– Integrated directly with MLB ticketing for stadium shows
Sea.Hear.Now Festival 2018 & 2019
– Headlined beach festival in Asbury Park, NJ with capacity of over 30,000
– Festival used independent ticketing company eTix instead of Ticketmaster
Ohana Festival 2016 – 2021
– Headlined this boutique 3-day festival in Dana Point, CA
– eTix was the exclusive ticketing vendor for the festival
This demonstrates that Pearl Jam absolutely has the capabilities to reach huge audiences in North America without relying on Ticketmaster.
How Fans Buy Tickets to Pearl Jam’s North American Concerts
For fans looking to purchase tickets to Pearl Jam’s shows in the United States and Canada, here are the main options available:
Join Pearl Jam’s Ten Club
This is required to get early access to presale tickets before the general public. Membership costs $20 per year and allows presale ticket access.
Buy During Presales
Once a Ten Club member, fans can buy tickets during presales on pearljam.com. There are sometimes multiple presales for members depending on tenure.
Purchase During General Public On-Sale
Any tickets not sold during presales go on sale to the general public through Pearl Jam’s website. These sell out very quickly in most cases.
Use Fan Ticket Exchanges
Pearl Jam sets up fan exchanges that allow Ten Club members to swap tickets in case they can no longer attend. This helps limit scalping.
Purchase Resale Tickets
If shows sell out quickly, the only option left is to purchase verified resale tickets. Prices often get very expensive due to demand.
Joining Pearl Jam’s Ten Club and getting access to presales provides the best opportunity to get face value tickets. Relying on general public on-sales or resales is very risky.
Does Pearl Jam Ever Use Ticketmaster for North America Shows?
Pearl Jam has held an extremely firm anti-Ticketmaster stance since 1994. There is essentially zero chance of the band ever agreeing to use Ticketmaster for their concerts and tours in the United States and Canada. They have boycotted Ticketmaster in North America for almost 30 years now.
However, there are two very rare exceptions where some Pearl Jam tickets in North America may be sold via Ticketmaster:
Venue Contractual Obligations
In very isolated cases, a venue Pearl Jam wants to perform at may have a binding contract that requires using Ticketmaster. This is exceedingly rare, but if a venue refuses to budge, a small percentage of tickets could get sold via Ticketmaster.
Festival Agreements
If Pearl Jam joins a touring festival or event as one of many acts, the festival might mandate that Ticketmaster is used. Again, Pearl Jam pushes back heavily against this, but may be forced to concede.
Outside of these two narrow exemptions, Pearl Jam remains completely anti-Ticketmaster for all their own concerts and tours across the United States and Canada. The band even refuses to play venues and cities that have Ticketmaster contracts in place.
Why Pearl Jam Takes a Stand Against Ticketmaster
Pearl Jam’s unwavering boycott of Ticketmaster in North America has lasted for nearly 30 years now. Most bands would have given in and used Ticketmaster for convenience and broader distribution. Why is Pearl Jam so committed to avoiding Ticketmaster at all costs?
There are a few key reasons driving Pearl Jam’s stance:
Fan Loyalty
Pearl Jam feels strongly about protecting loyal fans and not price gouging them. Excessive Ticketmaster fees are seen as greedy and disrespectful to fans.
Control Over Ticketing
The band wants control over ticket pricing and distribution. This gives them power to combat scalping and ensure fan club presales.
Philosophical Values
Pearl Jam views Ticketmaster as monopolistic corporation that’s bad for fans. They don’t want fans’ money going to a company they morally oppose.
More Profit Margin
Eliminating all third-party fees means Pearl Jam makes more money per ticket. They can put that money back into fan experiences.
Unique Brand Identity
The Ticketmaster feud is now intrinsic to Pearl Jam’s identity. Taking an anti-corporate stance strengthens their working class brand.
Above all, Pearl Jam’s loyalty and dedication to their fanbase continues to fuel their boycott of Ticketmaster in North America. They are willing to go through substantial extra effort and cost to do right by their fans.
Does Pearl Jam’s Ticketing Strategy Limit Their Reach?
On the surface, it may seem like Pearl Jam is limiting their touring reach by avoiding Ticketmaster for North American concerts. Ticketmaster provides distribution muscle through partnerships with all the major venues. But Pearl Jam has proven they can effectively tour North America at a massive scale without Ticketmaster’s help.
Here are some reasons why avoiding Ticketmaster does not restrict Pearl Jam’s touring reach:
High Demand for Tickets
Pearl Jam has millions of loyal fans who are eager to buy tickets. Demand far outweighs supply, so shows sell out quickly even without Ticketmaster.
Direct Partnerships with Venues
By integrating directly with venue ticketing systems, Pearl Jam can effectively sell out large venues.
Effective Marketing Machine
The band has finely-tuned marketing machinery (website, social, email, fan club) to drive high demand during on-sales.
Scalable 3rd Party Ticketing Companies
Vendors like ETM have scaled up enough to handle ticket sales for Pearl Jam’s massive tours.
Support from Promoters
Concert promoters are eager to work with Pearl Jam and will accept their ticketing terms. The economics still work well.
Overall, Pearl Jam has crafted smart partnerships and tactics to gain extensive touring distribution without relying on Ticketmaster whatsoever. Their reach extends to millions of fans across North America every tour.
Would Pearl Jam Ever Reconcile With Ticketmaster?
Given their 30+ year blood feud with Ticketmaster, it seems unlikely that Pearl Jam would ever resume working with the ticketing giant, especially for North American tours. However, there are a few scenarios in which Pearl Jam could potentially shift their stance against Ticketmaster:
Ticketmaster Reduces Service Fees
If Ticketmaster responded to fan complaints and significantly lowered fees, Pearl Jam may reconsider, but fees would have to be minimal.
Government Regulations
If the government regulated ticket sale commissions and capped fees, that might change Pearl Jam’s position.
New Ticketing System
Pearl Jam has discussed hopes of developing a new transparent, fan-friendly ticketing system. If such a system replaced Ticketmaster and eliminated all fees, Pearl Jam would probably embrace it.
Merger or Acquisition
If Ticketmaster was bought out or merged into a new entity that Pearl Jam viewed as ethical, the band could get on board.
Health Crisis or Tragedy
Under a catastrophic scenario forcing industry changes, Pearl Jam and Ticketmaster may join forces to help fans.
Barring some seismic shifts in the live music and ticketing landscapes, Pearl Jam remains highly unlikely to ever work again with Ticketmaster, especially for North American tours. The animosity runs too deep after so many years.
Conclusion
In conclusion, Pearl Jam steadfastly refuses to sell tickets via Ticketmaster for their concerts and tours in the United States and Canada. This boycott has been ongoing since 1994 due to Pearl Jam’s disputes over Ticketmaster’s excessive fees. The band has pioneered alternative ticketing methods that allow them to sell out huge North American venues and festivals totally independent of Ticketmaster.
Pearl Jam remains committed to putting fans first and providing more affordable ticket options. While they may selectively use Ticketmaster for some international dates, the band has proven they can tour across North America quite successfully without supporting a company they fundamentally view as anti-fan. Pearl Jam’s boycott of Ticketmaster is deeply ingrained in both their business practices and philosophical values.
