Ticketmaster is considered a primary ticket seller. This means that Ticketmaster sells tickets directly to consumers for events on behalf of the event organizer or venue. Ticketmaster has contracts with many major venues, theaters, concert promoters, sports teams and leagues which give them the right to sell tickets directly to fans as the primary ticketing provider.
What is a primary ticket seller?
A primary ticket seller is a company that has been authorized by the event organizer or venue to sell tickets directly to consumers. Primary ticket sellers have direct partnerships and contractual relationships with venues and event organizers. This gives primary sellers access to tickets before general public sales open. Primary sellers are the first source where consumers can buy tickets when they initially go on sale.
Some examples of major primary ticket sellers include:
- Ticketmaster
- AXS
- Altitude Tickets
- Tessitura
- Paciolan
- Vendini
These companies have been granted permission and access by venues, sports teams, concert promoters and organizers to sell tickets on their behalf through contractual relationships. This makes them officially authorized primary sources for event tickets.
How does Ticketmaster sell primary tickets?
Ticketmaster sells primary tickets in a few different ways:
- Directly through Ticketmaster.com and their mobile app – This is where most consumers buy Ticketmaster tickets by going directly to their website and purchasing tickets online for events.
- Integrated ticketing platforms on venue/team websites – Ticketmaster tickets are also sold directly on some venue, sports team and concert promoter websites through an integrated ticket purchasing module.
- Box office ticket sales – At many major venues, theaters and stadiums that Ticketmaster has a contract with, they provide and install their ticketing software and hardware to enable box office ticket sales.
- Approved brick and mortar ticket retailers – Select authorized ticket retail outlets also have contracts with Ticketmaster to sell primary event tickets through their store locations.
In all these cases, Ticketmaster is selling the primary event tickets directly to fans as the contracted ticketing provider on behalf of the venue/organizer. This makes them an official primary ticket source.
Evidence Ticketmaster is a primary seller
There are several clear signs that Ticketmaster operates as a primary ticket seller:
- They sell tickets for popular concerts, sports games and live events before the general public has access – Primary sellers get inventory and availability to tickets before the general onsale date and time. Ticketmaster often sells pre-sale tickets before the public onsale which only primary sellers can do.
- Venues, teams and promoters refer fans directly to Ticketmaster for tickets – The event organizers themselves tell fans to buy tickets through Ticketmaster which demonstrates their role as a primary source.
- Ticketmaster’s name and branding is all over major venues – Having their name prominently displayed and integrated into ticketing operations at venues shows their position as the official primary ticket provider.
- Tickets are sold at face value direct from Ticketmaster – Primary sellers are authorized to sell tickets at the original face value price set by the organizer, while secondary sellers resell tickets, usually higher than the original price.
- They have direct contractual partnerships and ticketing agreements with major venues, promoters, etc. – These types of exclusive contracts demonstrate that Ticketmaster acts as a primary ticket source for large portions of the live event industry.
Based on this evidence, Ticketmaster performs all the expected functions of a company authorized to sell primary event tickets directly to consumers on behalf of organizers and venues.
What is a secondary ticket seller?
A secondary ticket seller is a reseller that buys tickets from primary sources and other secondary sellers and then relists those tickets for resale. Secondary sellers do not have direct partnerships or agreements with event venues and organizers. They obtain tickets second hand from various sources and resell them through their own channels.
Some examples of major secondary ticket marketplaces include:
- StubHub
- VividSeats
- SeatGeek
- TicketNetwork
- TickPick
These secondary marketplaces allow ticket holders to re-post their tickets for sale. The sites facilitate exchanges between buyers and resellers. Since the secondary sellers are not affiliated with the venues or organizers, they must obtain tickets to resell from third-party sources.
How secondary ticket sellers operate
Secondary ticket sellers obtain inventory in a few different ways:
- Buying tickets from primary sellers, usually season ticket holders or people who purchased more tickets than they need.
- Buying tickets from other secondary sellers and brokers who originally purchased tickets with the intent to resell
- Fans and other ticket holders choosing to resell extra tickets they have through secondary marketplaces
Once secondary sellers acquire tickets, they will relist them for resale on sites like StubHub and VividSeats at prices they set themselves, which are often above the original face value. There are usually fees for both the buyers and sellers on top of the resale price on secondary sites.
Unlike primary sellers like Ticketmaster, secondary marketplaces do not get inventory directly from the source and have no special access to tickets. They must obtain tickets through alternate means and operate as resellers.
Differences between primary and secondary ticket sellers
There are some key differences between primary ticket sources like Ticketmaster and secondary resellers:
| Primary Sellers | Secondary Sellers |
|---|---|
| Have direct partnerships and contracts with venues, promoters, teams | No direct partnerships with event organizers |
| Get inventory and access to tickets before public onsale | Must obtain tickets after public onsale from third parties |
| Sell tickets at original face value price | Resell tickets, usually above original face value |
| Official source referenced by venue and event websites | Reputable resellers but not officially endorsed |
These differences demonstrate that primary sources like Ticketmaster have official relationships with organizers and venues that secondary resellers lack. This allows primaries to be the original source of tickets while secondaries must resell from external supply.
Can Ticketmaster tickets be resold?
Yes, tickets purchased through Ticketmaster as the primary seller can be re-posted and resold on secondary marketplaces. Ticketmaster actually operates its own secondary resale site called Ticketmaster Resale.
After tickets for an event initially go on sale through Ticketmaster as the primary seller, ticket holders can choose to relist any extra tickets they purchased on secondary sites. Ticketmaster Resale allows season ticket holders or people who bought from Ticketmaster directly to easily repost their tickets.
So Ticketmaster can act as both the primary seller and then also facilitate ticket resales through their secondary marketplace. This is all part of the secondary ticket market functioning separately from primary sales.
Can secondary ticket sellers sell fake or scam tickets?
Yes, there is a risk of fake/scam tickets when buying from secondary resellers compared to primary sources. Since secondary sellers obtain tickets second hand from various unintended supply channels, there is an increased likelihood of fraud, counterfeits and void tickets.
Many secondary marketplaces offer buyer guarantees or protections against fake tickets. But there is still an enhanced risk versus buying directly from a primary like Ticketmaster that has official partnerships in place with the venues. Various factors like reseller reviews and prices below face value can help identify potential scams.
Is Ticketmaster the only primary ticket seller?
No, Ticketmaster is not the only primary event ticketing company, though they are the largest and most dominant player in the industry. Some other examples of major primary ticketing platforms include:
- AXS – Created by AEG, one of the largest event promoters
- Altittude Tickets – Operates as the primary ticketing arm for the Olympics
- Paciolan – Primary ticketing for many college sports teams and venues
- Tessitura – Specializes in ticketing for arts, culture and live entertainment organizations
Each of these platforms acts as an authorized primary ticket seller for different venues, promoters and organizations they have direct partnerships with. While Ticketmaster has the biggest market share, these competitors also sell primary event tickets and function similarly as the original source for tickets sold to the public.
Conclusion
In summary, Ticketmaster operates and is widely viewed as a primary ticket seller in the live event industry. This means they sell tickets directly to consumers on behalf of venues, promoters, teams and event organizers through contractual partnerships that grant them access to inventory before the general public.
Primary sellers like Ticketmaster are authorized to sell tickets at original face value prices, differentiated from unauthorized secondary ticket resellers who must obtain inventory from secondary sources and resell tickets, often above face value. While Ticketmaster tickets can be resold, Ticketmaster itself only sells tickets as a primary source, not a secondary marketplace.
Being a primary seller with official relationships and endorsements from major venues and live entertainment companies demonstrates that Ticketmaster is considered a leading primary ticket provider and sells tickets in that capacity first and directly to fans as the event organizer’s designated ticketing service.
