Yes, Ticketmaster is available in Canada. Ticketmaster is a major ticket sales and distribution company that provides ticketing services for many large venues and events in North America. While Ticketmaster is headquartered in the United States, it has a significant presence in Canada as well.
Ticketmaster’s Operations in Canada
Ticketmaster provides ticketing services for a wide variety of live entertainment events in Canada. This includes ticketing for major concerts, sports events, theater shows, and more. Some of the major venues that use Ticketmaster for ticketing in Canada include:
- Rogers Arena in Vancouver
- Scotiabank Arena in Toronto
- Canadian Tire Centre in Ottawa
- Bell Centre in Montreal
- Rogers Place in Edmonton
- Bell MTS Place in Winnipeg
- Scotiabank Saddledome in Calgary
In addition to major venues, Ticketmaster also provides ticketing services for festivals, arts performances, and live events across Canada. Some of the major events in Canada that use Ticketmaster for ticketing include:
- The Calgary Stampede
- Montreal International Jazz Festival
- Toronto International Film Festival
- Ottawa Bluesfest
- Vancouver Folk Music Festival
- Just for Laughs Festival in Montreal
- Stratford Festival in Ontario
Ticketmaster sells tickets through its website Ticketmaster.ca as well as over the phone. Tickets can also be purchased through Ticketmaster service charges at grocery stores, music stores, and other retail outlets across Canada.
Acquisition of Ticketpro Canada
In 2008, Ticketmaster expanded its operations in Canada by acquiring Ticketpro Canada. Ticketpro was one of the major ticketing companies serving mid-sized venues and events in Canada. By acquiring Ticketpro, Ticketmaster consolidated more of the live event ticketing industry in Canada under its business.
Exclusive Ticketing Deals
Ticketmaster has secured exclusive long-term ticketing deals with many of the major entertainment venues and promoters in Canada. This means that for some major venues like Rogers Arena or events like the Toronto Film Festival, Ticketmaster is the only place to get tickets.
These exclusive deals have faced some controversy, as some consumers feel Ticketmaster faces inadequate competition in the market. However, the deals provide consistency for venues and help Ticketmaster lock down the primary ticketing avenues for top live entertainment attractions.
Ticketmaster Ticketing System
Ticketmaster utilizes its proprietary ticketing system and software for all of its ticketing services. The Ticketmaster system allows for real-time ticket inventory updates, dynamic pricing, and comprehensive reporting for venues and event promoters. The integration of the ticketing platform across all of its services provides Ticketmaster with an advantage in the market.
Criticisms of Ticketmaster
While Ticketmaster dominates the primary event ticketing industry in Canada, its business practices have also faced some criticisms from consumers. Some of the main complaints about Ticketmaster in Canada include:
- High service fees – Service fees on Ticketmaster can add a substantial surcharge onto listed ticket prices.
- Lack of competition – Due to exclusive contracts, some events only have Ticketmaster as a ticketing option.
- Unfair ticket limits – Ticket purchase limits can make getting high-demand tickets difficult.
- Issues with scalpers – Despite limits, scalpers still acquire tickets to resell at inflated prices.
These issues contribute to a poor reputation for Ticketmaster among many Canadian consumers. The advantages of the Ticketmaster ticketing system for event organizers and venues has entrenched its status in the industry.
Alternatives to Ticketmaster in Canada
While Ticketmaster remains the dominant player, there are some alternatives in Canada for purchasing tickets. These include:
- Ticketfly – Provides ticketing services for independent venues and promoters.
- Universe – Ticketing company focused on self-serve platform for event organizers.
- TicketNetwork – Online marketplace for ticket resale.
- StubHub – Largest ticket resale marketplace with get-in prices.
- VividSeats – Ticket resale site with tools to sort listings.
However, most major live entertainment events will still primarily use Ticketmaster. Alternative ticketing options in Canada tend to focus on specific niche markets not served by Ticketmaster like smaller music venues or ticket resales.
Is Ticketmaster a Monopoly in Canada?
Ticketmaster is not technically considered an outright monopoly in Canada. However, it does hold a very dominant position in the primary event ticketing market in the country. Some figures on Ticketmaster’s market share in Canada include:
- Ticketmaster has exclusive ticketing deals with over 80% of major arenas and stadiums in Canada.
- Over 70% of all tickets sold to live entertainment events in Canada go through Ticketmaster.
- The closest competitor in Canada has less than 5% market share of ticketing.
So while there are some competing options and Ticketmaster works with venues willingly, its vast share of the ticketing market does limit options for consumers. Its position could be considered monopolistic, even if not technically a pure monopoly.
Ticketmaster’s Position in Canada Going Forward
Given its entrenched position in the Canadian ticketing industry, Ticketmaster seems likely to maintain its dominance in the future. Its existing exclusive agreements provide Ticketmaster with consistent control over primary ticket sales.
There are some factors that could potentially loosen Ticketmaster’s hold on event ticketing in Canada:
- Pushback from venues – Some may want more ticketing competition to lower fees.
- Government antitrust regulation – Could restrict future exclusivity deals.
- Disruptive new technology – Mobile/blockchain ticketing platforms.
However, Ticketmaster has proven adept at fending off competition and adapting ticketing services to new technologies in the past. Barring any major disruptions, Ticketmaster’s strong market stranglehold will likely continue in the years ahead.
Conclusion
In summary, Ticketmaster maintains a dominant position as the primary ticket provider for major live entertainment events in Canada. Its exclusive agreements, proprietary technology, and established infrastructure give it a tremendous advantage over any would-be competitors in the market. While it does not have an outright monopoly, Ticketmaster does have monopolistic control over the most coveted ticketing inventory. Despite complaints over fees and other issues, Ticketmaster’s place as the top ticketing company in Canada seems assured for the foreseeable future.