Ticketmaster is a major ticket sales and distribution company that sells tickets for events and venues across North America. The company has become the dominant ticket provider for many major entertainment events and venues in Canada over the past few decades. But when exactly did Ticketmaster expand into the Canadian market and establish itself as the leading ticket provider in the country?
The Early Years of Ticketmaster
To understand when Ticketmaster came to Canada, it helps to first look at the origins of the company in the United States. Ticketmaster was founded in Phoenix, Arizona in 1976 by two computer programmers, Albert Leffler and Peter Gadwa. They had recognized the need for a centralized ticketing service and created a system to sell tickets for local venues electronically. This allowed venues to avoid the costs and labor of handling ticket sales manually.
The company quickly expanded throughout the 1970s, handling ticketing for larger venues and events across the U.S. This expansion was aided by a number of acquisitions Ticketmaster made, buying up smaller regional ticketing companies. By 1982, Ticketmaster was operating in 20 cities and had sold over 10 million tickets. It went public in 1983.
Ticketmaster Moves into Canada
With its business firmly established in the U.S. through the 1970s and early 1980s, Ticketmaster turned northward to the Canadian market. According to most sources, Ticketmaster began operating in Canada in 1982. However, the exact details of its early expansion into Canada are unclear.
In May 1982, Ticketmaster announced a partnership with the Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce (CIBC) to create a new electronic ticketing system for entertainment venues in Canada. Under this deal, CIBC would provide the computer hardware and Ticketmaster would license its proprietary software and ticketing services. The new system was meant to challenge existing Canadian ticketing companies like Ticketron.
Later that same year in September 1982, Ticketmaster acquired Jamie’s Concerts, which had been one of the largest independent concert promoters in Canada at the time. This acquisition helped provide Ticketmaster with an immediate footprint in the Canadian marketplace.
Other sources cite Ticketmaster’s first major contract in Canada as one signed in 1983 to handle ticketing for the Canadian National Exhibition in Toronto. This was the beginning of Ticketmaster’s ticketing dominance for major venues and events within Toronto.
Key Expansion & Developments in the 1980s
In the years immediately after its initial expansion into Canada in 1982-1983, Ticketmaster grew quickly to establish a strong foothold through a series of partnerships and contracts:
- 1984 – Ticketmaster signs deal with Omni Ticket Ltd. in Toronto
- 1984 – Partners with Cineplex Odeon Theatres to sell tickets across Canada
- 1985 – Becomes exclusive ticketing service for concert promoter Donald K. Donald
- 1986 – Signs exclusive 7-year contract for Montreal Forum and all Theatre St-Denis shows
- 1988 – Forms partnership with Jets Music Group in Winnipeg
By the late 1980s, Ticketmaster had become the dominant ticketing company in most of Canada’s major markets and entertainment venues. It had localized operations and offices across the country to go along with its national ticketing call centers.
Ongoing Growth & Development from the 1990s-Present
In the 1990s and beyond, Ticketmaster continued to expand and solidify its hold on ticketing in Canada through technology improvements and key acquisitions:
- 1994 – Implemented the first website selling tickets online in Canada – ticketmaster.ca
- 1997 – Created exclusive ticketing website for Cineplex Odeon
- 2001 – Acquired Tickets.com, expanding business into Ontario and Quebec
- 2008 – Handled ticketing for 2010 Vancouver Olympics
- 2017 – Became primary ticketing provider for Toronto’s Scotiabank Arena
- 2019 – Launched digital ticketing technology across Canada
Today, Ticketmaster sells tickets for hundreds of major venues, theatres, festivals, and sports teams across Canada. It is estimated to sell 70-80% of all tickets for live entertainment events in the country.
The company has over 500 employees working at its Canadian headquarters in Toronto along with regional offices in other cities. Ticketmaster now provides ticketing services and technology solutions to clients in the arts and entertainment industries across Canada.
Key Dates and Events
To summarize the major milestones in Ticketmaster’s history and early beginnings in the Canadian ticketing market:
Year | Key Date/Event |
---|---|
1976 | Ticketmaster founded in Phoenix, Arizona |
1982 | Ticketmaster announces partnership with CIBC for Canadian ticketing |
1982 | Acquires Jamie’s Concerts in Canada |
1983 | First major contract with CNE in Toronto |
1984 | Ticketing deal signed with Omni Ticket Ltd. |
1984 | Becomes ticket provider for Cineplex Odeon Theatres |
1985 | Provides exclusive ticketing for promoter Donald K. Donald |
1986 | Inks 7-year Montreal Forum & Theatre St-Denis deal |
1988 | Partners with Jets Music Group in Winnipeg |
1994 | Launches first Canadian ticketing website |
2008 | Ticketing for 2010 Vancouver Olympics |
2017 | Becomes primary ticketer for Scotiabank Arena |
2019 | Introduces digital ticketing across Canada |
Conclusion
In summary, Ticketmaster first entered the Canadian ticketing market in 1982-1983 through partnerships and acquisitions that allowed it to quickly gain a foothold in major venues and events across the country. After establishing its initial presence in the 1980s, the company went on to expand and innovate in subsequent decades, cementing its current status as the dominant source for event ticketing across Canada. While the exact details of Ticketmaster’s earliest days in Canada are unclear, its rapid early expansion set the stage for over 30 years of ongoing growth and development that have made it Canada’s go-to ticketing service.