Yes, Ticketmaster does operate in the United Kingdom. Ticketmaster is a major ticket sales and distribution company that provides ticketing services for many large-scale events and venues across the globe, including in the UK.
Ticketmaster’s Operations in the UK
Ticketmaster has had operations in the UK since the early 2000s. Some key facts about Ticketmaster UK:
- Ticketmaster UK serves as the primary ticketing provider for many major venues and events across Britain. This includes large venues like The O2 Arena, Wembley Stadium, The SSE Arena Wembley, Manchester Arena, SEC Centre and The SSE Hydro.
- Ticketmaster has ticket partnerships with prominent football clubs in the UK, including Chelsea FC, Liverpool FC and Manchester City FC. They sell tickets for matches at these clubs’ home stadiums.
- In 2008, Ticketmaster UK acquired GetMeIn!, a leading secondary ticket marketplace in Britain. This allowed Ticketmaster to expand its footprint in the secondary ticket market.
- Ticketmaster UK operates a number of different websites focused on different events, including ticketmaster.co.uk for general events, ticketmaster.ie for events in Ireland, livenation.co.uk for Live Nation concerts and nfluk.com for NFL events in London.
- Ticketmaster frequently handles ticket sales for high-profile concerts by major artists when they tour in the UK, such as Taylor Swift, Ed Sheeran, Coldplay and Harry Styles.
Overall, Ticketmaster sells tickets for thousands of events across hundreds of venues in Britain each year. Whether it’s concerts, sports matches, family shows or festivals, Ticketmaster is entrenched as a dominant player in the British event ticketing industry.
Ticketmaster UK Clients & Partners
Ticketmaster provides ticketing services to a wide variety of major venues, events, promoters and sports teams across the United Kingdom. Here are some of Ticketmaster’s key clients and partners in the UK:
- O2 Arena – London’s most popular indoor concert and entertainment venue.
- The SSE Arena Wembley – A major event venue in London hosting concerts and sporting events.
- Wembley Stadium – England’s national football stadium.
- The O2 – A large entertainment district and arena in Greenwich, London.
- Manchester Arena – Major indoor arena in Manchester which hosts high-profile concerts and sporting events.
- The SSE Hydro – A major arena and exhibition centre in Glasgow, Scotland.
- SEC Centre – Scotland’s largest exhibition centre located in Glasgow.
- The National Exhibition Centre (NEC) – Major exhibition centre located near Birmingham.
- Wembley Arena – Indoor arena in London hosting music, entertainment and sporting events.
- First Direct Arena – Indoor entertainment arena in Leeds, England.
- The OVO Hydro – Major event venue in Glasgow, Scotland.
- Chelsea FC – Premier League football club based in London.
- Liverpool FC – Premier League football club in Liverpool.
- Manchester City FC – Premier League football club based in Manchester.
- Live Nation UK – International live entertainment promotion company hosting tours and festivals.
- AEG Presents – Global entertainment company promoting tours and live events.
Ticketmaster provides ticketing services for the venues owned and events promoted by these organizations. They sell the tickets on behalf of these clients through their various websites and sales channels.
How Ticketmaster Sells Tickets in the UK
Ticketmaster utilizes a number of different sales channels to sell tickets for events in the United Kingdom:
- Ticketmaster UK Website – Their main website, ticketmaster.co.uk, is Ticketmaster’s primary sales channel. Consumers can search for events and purchase tickets online.
- Ticketmaster Mobile Apps – iOS and Android apps allow for mobile ticket purchases.
- Phone Sales – A UK-based customer service call center sells tickets over the phone.
- In Person – Tickets can be purchased in person at Ticketmaster ticket outlets located in some venues.
- Partners – Major retail chains like Tesco and Asda sell select event tickets in stores via partnership with Ticketmaster.
- Fan-to-Fan Resale – Ticketmaster’s secondary ticket exchange GetMeIn! allows fans to resell event tickets they purchased earlier.
- Official Box Offices – Tickets for events at venues owned/operated by Ticketmaster’s clients are often sold on-site.
Ticketmaster typically serves as the exclusive seller for many popular events in the UK. When tickets go on sale, especially for high-demand concerts and shows, they typically sell-out very quickly across Ticketmaster’s various sales channels.
Ticketmaster UK Service Fees
Like in other countries, Ticketmaster UK charges service and processing fees on top of the base price of event tickets. These fees help fund their ticketing operations and services.
Typical Ticketmaster UK fees include:
- Booking Fee – This fee covers the processing costs for the ticket purchase. It is charged per ticket.
- Order Processing Fee – A fee applied per ticket order.
- Delivery Fee – For tickets delivered by mail/courier. Varies based on delivery method.
- Facility Fee – Some venues charge an additional facility fee per ticket to fund venue maintenance.
The exact fees charged by Ticketmaster UK varies based on the event. Bigger, high-demand events typically have higher fees. Some events also add charity donations or other charges on top of the Ticketmaster fees.
Here is a breakdown of the typical Ticketmaster UK fees for a £75 concert ticket:
Fee Type | Fee Amount |
---|---|
Ticket Price | £75.00 |
Booking Fee | £8.00 per ticket |
Facility Fee | £3.00 per ticket |
Order Processing Fee | £3.50 per order |
Total Cost | £89.50 |
So the total cost ends up being £14.50 more per ticket than the base price due to Ticketmaster’s fees. These kinds of fees are fairly standard for major ticket companies.
Ticketmaster Controversies in the UK
While a dominant player, Ticketmaster has also faced some controversies and criticism in the UK ticketing market over the years:
- Some UK music artists and fan groups have criticized Ticketmaster for their high fees which significantly increase ticket costs.
- In the mid 2000s, there were calls for the UK government to investigate possible anti-competitive practices by Ticketmaster related to their exclusive deals with major venues.
- Ticketmaster UK was the subject of a Channel 4 Dispatches documentary in 2012 which investigated irregularities in how they allocated tickets to seat brokers.
- Consumer groups have complained about a lack of transparency in Ticketmaster’s fees and billing practices.
- Ticket reselling on Ticketmaster’s GetMeIn! secondary platform has sometimes led to very high markups over the original price paid.
However, Ticketmaster has continued its dominant position as it still provides key ticketing services and sales channels desired by venues, events and consumers in the UK live entertainment market.
Conclusion
In summary, Ticketmaster is a major player in the UK event ticketing industry. They sell tickets for concerts, sports, theater and more through partnerships with leading venues, events and teams across Britain. Consumers can purchase tickets online, on mobile, by phone or in person through Ticketmaster’s various sales channels and websites. Their service and processing fees, sometimes seen as excessive by critics, help fund Ticketmaster’s UK operations and ticketing infrastructure. Despite some controversies over the years related to fees, ticket allocations and resale, Ticketmaster remains one of the top ticketing options for most major live entertainment events for British consumers.