Ticketmaster is one of the largest ticketing companies in the world and over the years has acquired several other ticketing and live event companies. Since its founding in 1976, Ticketmaster has grown largely through acquisitions to expand its services and dominate the ticket sales market.
Early Acquisitions
In its early years, Ticketmaster made a few key acquisitions to establish its ticketing services. In 1982, Ticketmaster acquired the ticketing software company Ticketron. This allowed Ticketmaster to begin selling tickets through phone lines and expand its services across the US. In 1991, Ticketmaster acquired TicketNetwork, a ticketing business that provided box office services. This expanded Ticketmaster’s ability to provide ticketing services for venues and offer box office management.
Major Acquisitions
As Ticketmaster grew, it began acquiring larger ticketing companies to expand globally and add new services. Some of its major acquisitions include:
- 1995 – Ticketmaster acquired TicketExpress in the UK. This expanded Ticketmaster into Europe for the first time.
- 1996 – Ticketmaster merged with CitySearch. This provided CitySearch’s event guides and content to Ticketmaster to improve Ticketmaster’s online presence.
- 1998 – Ticketmaster acquired Matchbox Ticketing in Australia. This gave Ticketmaster a major presence in Australia.
- 1999 – Ticketmaster bought GetMeIn.com, a secondary ticket marketplace. This allowed Ticketmaster to get into the secondary ticket sales market.
- 2008 – Ticketmaster purchased Paciolan, a leading provider of ticketing and fundraising software for sports teams, live entertainment venues, and theaters. This expanded Ticketmaster’s software services.
- 2009 – Ticketmaster acquired Front Line Management Group, one of the world’s largest artist management companies. This allowed Ticketmaster to expand its artist relationships.
- 2010 – Ticketmaster and Live Nation merged to create Live Nation Entertainment, the largest live events company in the world.
Expansion of Technology Services
In more recent years, Ticketmaster has focused its acquisitions on expanding its technology and software services for venues and event promoters.
- 2014 – Ticketmaster acquired TM Data, a ticket inventory management system. This bolstered Ticketmaster’s data analytics capabilities.
- 2014 – Ticketmaster bought Digital Clubbing Inc, creator of Songkick.com. Songkick provided concert listings and ticket purchasing tools.
- 2015 – Ticketmaster acquired BlockAnalytics, a ticket fraud prevention company. This helped Ticketmaster improve ticket security.
- 2017 – Ticketmaster purchased Ticketea, an agency focused on Spanish ticketing technology. This expanded Ticketmaster into Spain.
- 2017 – Ticketmaster acquired UPGRADED, a festival technology specialist. This allowed Ticketmaster to improve its festival ticketing technology.
- 2018 – Ticketmaster purchased Universe, an event marketing platform. This expanded Ticketmaster’s data-driven marketing services.
- 2021 – Ticketmaster acquired Optiant, an AI-based revenue management platform. This bolstered Ticketmaster’s analytics capabilities.
Recent Acquisitions
Ticketmaster continues to make acquisitions in the 2010s to maintain its dominance in ticketing and live events. Some of its most recent major acquisitions include:
- 2019 – Ticketmaster acquired payload livestock in India to expand into the Indian ticketing market.
- 2019 – Ticketmaster bought Blockchain Heroes, a blockchain ticketing technology startup. This expanded Ticketmaster’s ability to provide secure mobile ticketing.
- 2020 – Ticketmaster acquired Colombia-based TickTek. This expanded Ticketmaster into Latin America.
- 2020 – Ticketmaster purchased Madrid-based Ingresso Group, one of Spain’s biggest ticketing companies. This consolidated Ticketmaster’s presence in Spain.
- 2021 – Ticketmaster acquired FanDragon Technologies, a contactless mobile ticketing company. This allows Ticketmaster to expand its mobile ticketing capabilities.
- 2022 – Ticketmaster purchased Optionally, a virtual events platform. This expands Ticketmaster’s services into virtual events.
Conclusion
Through over 40 acquisitions since its founding, Ticketmaster has expanded from a small ticketing software company into a global leader in ticketing, artist management, data services, and live entertainment. Its acquisitions have allowed Ticketmaster to expand globally, add new technology services, and eliminate competition. Key acquisitions like Ticketron, CitySearch, Live Nation, and Songkick have transformed Ticketmaster’s business and solidified its market dominance. As the live events industry continues to grow, expect Ticketmaster to continue acquiring emerging ticketing technology and data companies to maintain its position.
