No, Ticketmaster does not release all tickets during the presale period. Presales allow select groups to purchase tickets before the general public on-sale. Only a portion of the total ticket inventory is made available during presales. The number of tickets held back for the general on-sale varies by event. Here is a quick overview of how Ticketmaster presales work and the percentage of tickets released:
- Venues, teams, and artists often hold presales for fan club members, season ticket holders, VIP groups, etc. Only a small portion of tickets (10-30%) may be held for these presales.
- Promoters and Ticketmaster also run presales for American Express cardholders, Spotify fans, members of Ticketmaster’s Verified Fan platform, and more. Around 30-50% of tickets are typically released during these larger presales.
- The general public on-sale is when the remainder of tickets are released. This is often 50% or more of the total event inventory.
So in summary, only a percentage of total tickets are made available during presales to reward certain groups with early access. But the majority of tickets are still held for the general on-sale.
What percentage of tickets are released during presales?
As mentioned above, the percentage of tickets held for presales can vary greatly depending on the event. Here are some general guidelines on presale ticket percentages:
Fan Club and VIP Presales
These presales are usually quite small, offering around 10-30% of the total event inventory. Artists will often hold back just a few thousand tickets for their most loyal fans. Venues also release a small allotment for season ticket holders and other VIP groups.
For example, a 50,000 seat stadium concert may release only 5,000-15,000 tickets across all fan club and VIP presales. So around 10-30% of tickets.
American Express and Verified Fan Presales
Larger presales for American Express customers, Verified Fans, Spotify listeners, and other groups tend to release 30-50% of event tickets.
These presale allotments are much bigger than fan club releases. Continuing with the 50,000 seat stadium example, a 50% Amex presale would equate to 25,000 tickets available before the general on-sale.
General Public On-Sale
After all presales occur, the remaining event tickets are released during the general public on-sale. This is the point when tickets become available to the entire public.
The percentage left for the public on-sale depends on how many tickets were already sold during presales. But often 50% or more of total inventory is released, ensuring fans still have a good chance at tickets.
Do bigger concerts hold back more tickets?
Yes, generally the bigger the concert, the larger the percentage of tickets held for the public on-sale. Small club shows may only hold 10-20% for the general public. But huge stadium tours will commonly save 50% or more of seats for the public on-sale.
There are a few reasons why bigger concerts hold back more tickets:
- More inventory to work with – When an arena tour has 15,000+ seats to fill, they can afford to release more later.
- Demand is high – Big tours want to give as many fans as possible a shot at tickets.
- Good PR – Artists don’t want backlash for selling out too fast. Holding 50% for the public creates goodwill.
While every event differs, fans can generally expect the biggest tours to hold at least 50% of seats for the public on-sale. Though nothing is guaranteed, you have better odds seeing a superstar act than a small club show.
Does Ticketmaster hold back tickets to sell on resale sites?
This is a controversial topic. In the past, Ticketmaster has faced legal issues over redirecting tickets directly to their resale site. However, Ticketmaster has denied deliberately holding back inventory for resale purposes.
Here are the key points on Ticketmaster’s inventory controls:
- Tickets are traditionally split across multiple presales first before the general on-sale.
- Any remaining tickets are released during the public on-sale.
- If shows don’t sell out, tickets may be redirected to resale sites at market value prices.
- Ticketmaster maintains they do not hold back inventory purely for resale revenue.
While fans have accused Ticketmaster of limiting inventory, there is no definitive proof. If Ticketmaster did deliberately redirect large amounts of inventory, they would face legal repercussions.
The reality is Ticketmaster’s inventory system is complex. Any unsold tickets are at risk of ending up on resale sites. But there is no evidence of them intentionally holding back massive amounts of seats for resale profits.
Does dynamic pricing impact on-sale inventory?
Dynamic pricing has changed how concert tickets are sold. With demand-based pricing, Ticketmaster now adjusts prices in real time based on demand. This complicates presale inventory, as popular shows may see prices fluctuate before the public on-sale.
Some key points on dynamic pricing:
- Prices are constantly adjusted leading up to on-sale using algorithms.
- In-demand shows may see prices rise during presales due to early demand signals.
- Cheap seats may sell out faster, even if officially 50% of inventory was held.
- Fans see fewer cheap tickets, but overall inventory may still be similar.
So dynamic pricing gives Ticketmaster more control over inventory pricing and allocation. But there’s little evidence it is reducing the total number of tickets being released across presales and general on-sales. The main impact is on affordable ticket availability.
Does inventory differ by presale type?
Yes, Ticketmaster manages inventory uniquely for each presale. Tickets are not randomly mixed into one big pool. Here is how it typically works:
- Fan club presales pull from one small allotment of seats.
- Amex, Spotify, Verified Fan each have their own inventory allotment.
- The general public on-sale has its own inventory of seats.
So while the fan club may have already purchased 10% of seats, the Amex presale may still have 50% of its own inventory. Inventory is segmented by presale type.
This prevents fan club members from buying up all the best seats before Amex cardholders or Verified Fans get access. It creates a more balanced presale process.
How are tickets allocated to resellers?
Ticket resellers acquire inventory in a few different ways:
- Primary market presales – Large brokers partner with Ticketmaster for presale access.
- Primary market on-sales – Brokers use bots and mass purchases to buy tickets.
- Secondary markets – Tickets are acquired from fans on sites like StubHub.
- Redirects from Ticketmaster – Unsold primaries are redirected to TM+ Resale.
There is also Ticketmaster’s TradeDesk platform, allowing bulk sales directly to resale sites. But Ticketmaster claims brokers must follow rules against speculative buying.
In summary, brokers utilize presales, mass buying power, redirects, and secondary markets to obtain inventory. Ticketmaster does provide some avenues, but prohibits purely speculative mass purchases. The majority of broker tickets still originate from fans on secondary sites.
Conclusion
Ticketmaster’s presale and general on-sale inventory process remains nuanced. However, the evidence suggests:
- Only a portion of tickets are released during presales, saving many for the public on-sale.
- Bigger concerts tend to hold 50% or more of seats for the general public.
- There are no signs of Ticketmaster deliberately holding back vast amounts of inventory for resale.
- Dynamic pricing has impacted availability of cheap seats, but overall inventory remains steady.
While fans have valid frustrations over immediate sellouts, inventory controls are a balancing act. Ticketmaster must manage presales and general on-sales fairly, while reacting to huge demand for hot shows. There is always room for improvement. But accusations of large-scale intentional inventory holdbacks don’t reflect how modern ticketing works.
