Ticketmaster North America is one of the largest ticketing companies in the world, providing ticket sales and distribution services for live entertainment events. As a subsidiary of Live Nation Entertainment, Ticketmaster controls a large share of the primary and secondary ticket market in North America. Understanding who leads this influential company can provide insight into the future of live events and ticketing.
The Current President of Ticketmaster North America
The current President of Ticketmaster North America is Mark Yovich. Yovich was appointed to this position in 2019, after previously serving as Executive Vice President of Growth and Innovation for Ticketmaster. In his role as President, Yovich oversees Ticketmaster’s operations across North America, including the United States and Canada.
As President, Yovich is responsible for driving Ticketmaster’s business strategy and growth in the region. This includes expanding relationships with venues, sports leagues, promoters, and other partners. It also involves evolving Ticketmaster’s suite of ticketing products and services to meet changing consumer demands. Some of Yovich’s priorities include improving the ticket buying experience through technology and evolving Ticketmaster’s resale business.
Prior to joining Ticketmaster in 2012, Yovich held executive roles at TicketsNow, the National Hockey League, and IBM. He brings over 25 years of technology, ticketing, and leadership experience to his position. Yovich has a track record of delivering growth through strategic partnerships and product innovation.
Overall, as President of Ticketmaster North America, Mark Yovich has oversight of one of Live Nation’s most important business units. His vision and leadership play an integral role in shaping the future of ticketing across concerts, sports, and other live events.
History of Leadership at Ticketmaster North America
To understand Mark Yovich’s role and influence, it is helpful to look at the history of leadership at Ticketmaster North America:
- 1982 – Ticketmaster is founded by Gordon Gunn and Peter Gadwa as a ticketing service for live entertainment events.
- 1996 – Ticketmaster merges with TicketWeb and names Terry Barnes as Chairman and CEO of the combined company.
- 1998 – Barry Diller acquires Ticketmaster and appoints Jay Marciano as Chairman and CEO.
- 2008 – Ticketmaster and Live Nation announce plans to merge. The deal closes in 2010, with Michael Rapino as CEO of the new Live Nation Entertainment company.
- 2010 – Ticketmaster names Nathan Hubbard as CEO, while Rapino leads the overall Live Nation Entertainment business.
- 2012 – Chris Edmonds is appointed Chief Executive Officer of Ticketmaster North America.
- 2018 – Amy Howe takes over as President of Ticketmaster North America after Edmonds departs.
- 2019 – Mark Yovich becomes the current President after previously holding other executive roles.
This timeline shows the different leaders who have shaped Ticketmaster over the past few decades. The Live Nation merger marked a major shift in Ticketmaster’s business. As part of a global entertainment company, its North American President has focused on supporting Live Nation’s broader vision.
Ticketmaster’s Place Within Live Nation Entertainment
Since merging with Live Nation in 2010, Ticketmaster’s operations have been part of the larger Live Nation Entertainment company. Live Nation Entertainment has four key divisions:
- Ticketmaster – Provides ticket sales, resale services, marketing, and distribution for live events.
- Live Nation Concerts – Manages events and operates venues for concerts and festivals globally.
- Sponsorship and Advertising – Sells sponsorships,placement, and data services for brands and advertisers.
- Artist Nation – Manages music artists and provides services supporting tours, merchandising, and beyond.
As President of Ticketmaster North America, Yovich oversees the company’s largest ticketing operation. Ticketmaster sold 500+ million tickets globally in 2019, valued at $35 billion. Its North American business accounts for a major portion of those sales through clients across sports, music, theater, and family entertainment.
Within Live Nation Entertainment, Ticketmaster plays a key role in generating ticket sales and ancillary revenue. Its ticketing platforms and services help maximize per ticket profitability. Ticketmaster also provides data and marketing services to support Live Nation’s concerts, venues, and sponsorship groups.
Yovich works closely with Michael Rapino, President and CEO of Live Nation Entertainment, to drive growth and innovation across the company’s ticketing business. The priorities set by Live Nation’s executives directly impact the technology, products, and partnerships Ticketmaster pursues in North America and worldwide.
Key Facts About Ticketmaster’s Scale and Operations
Ticketmaster has maintained a dominant position in ticketing due to its massive scale, global reach, and longstanding partnerships across live entertainment. Some key facts about Ticketmaster’s operations and market position include:
| Annual ticket sales | Over 500 million |
| Market share of primary ticket sales | 70%+ in North America |
| Clients | Over 500,000 globally |
| Ticketed events | 12,000+ per day globally |
| Websites and apps | >60 branded platforms globally |
| Partners | NBA, NFL, NHL, MLS, major concert tours, theaters, museums, theme parks |
This massive scale provides Ticketmaster with extensive consumer reach and data. It processes over 200 million mobile visits and 7 billion page views annually.
The company’s dominant market share in primary ticketing sales gives it significant leverage with venues and promoters. These partners rely on Ticketmaster to distribute the majority of their live event tickets.
Its global infrastructure and tech help Ticketmaster process the high transaction volumes required during on-sales for major concerts and sporting events. The company can handle up to 800,000 tickets per minute.
These capabilities support Ticketmaster’s leadership in secondary ticketing as well. Through its TM+ platform, the company is using its data and analytics to help partners maximize ticket value and revenue.
Ticketmaster’s Revenue Sources and Business Model
Ticketmaster generates revenues through merchant service fees, convenience fees, and other value-added services. These include:
- Services fees – Charged on each ticket sold, shared with clients
- Convenience fees – Charged to ticket buyers for use of platform
- Resale fees – Charged on tickets resold through TM+ exchanges
- Advertising & sponsorships – Fees from ads placed on Ticketmaster properties
- Data services – Fees for providing ticket sales data and analytics to partners
This mix of transactional and service-based fees provides Ticketmaster with stable revenue streams. It generates income on both the initial ticket sale and downstream interactions like resale and data sharing.
Gross transaction value (GTV) is a key metric for Ticketmaster, reflecting the total dollar value of tickets sold. Higher GTV allows Ticketmaster to generate greater fee revenues. In 2019, Ticketmaster GTV was $35 billion globally.
Ticketmaster is focused on growing ancillary services like advertising and data to diversify revenues. These value-added services provide more opportunity for innovation and strategic partnerships.
Recent Initiatives and Growth Strategies
Under Mark Yovich’s leadership, Ticketmaster continues to pursue growth through several strategic initiatives:
Product Innovation
Ticketmaster is investing heavily in mobile-first product design and safe venue technologies post-pandemic. It is building more contactless experiences and implementing health checks. Mobile ticket transfers, in-seat concessions ordering, and frictionless ticket scans using biometrics are other areas of focus.
Data and Analytics
Ticketmaster is leveraging its wealth of sales data and analytics to improve pricing optimization and ticket distribution for clients. This helps clients maximize per ticket revenue. Ticketmaster’s data also powers more personalized marketing.
Vertical Integration
Deepening ties with Live Nation’s concerts, venues, artists, and sponsors allows Ticketmaster to bring more value through integrated experiences. This integration also stabilizes its client base as Live Nation owns major venues like House of Blues and promotes top global tours.
Strategic Acquisitions
Acquiring companies like BlockChyp and UPGRADED further expand Ticketmaster’s capabilities in mobile commerce, contactless payments, and identity services. These acquisitions accelerate innovation.
International expansion is another growth target, with recent Ticketmaster launches in new markets like Italy, Thailand, Philippines, and Taiwan.
Challenges Facing Ticketmaster
Despite its market position, Ticketmaster faces some critical challenges in today’s ticketing landscape:
Industry Scrutiny
Ticketmaster continues to face regulatory pressure and lawsuits over its fees, competitive practices, and market concentration. Critics argue its dominant position limits consumer choice and industry innovation.
Changing Consumer Behavior
Younger audiences are more accustomed to mobile and last-minute buying. Reaching these consumers requires better mobile ordering, dynamic pricing, and real-time event offers.
Competition
Emerging players like SeatGeek, AXS, and Eventbrite are disrupting the market with competitive fee structures, open data platforms, and innovative mobile experiences.
Security Threats
Ticket fraud, counterfeits, cyberattacks, and data breaches pose serious risks. Ticketmaster needs to balance security with convenience in its digital platforms.
Addressing these forces will require strategic leadership. As President, Mark Yovich must guide Ticketmaster in enhancing its value proposition while defending its market position.
Conclusion
Mark Yovich serves as President of Ticketmaster North America at a transformative time for the live events industry. As a division of Live Nation Entertainment, Ticketmaster retains a dominant position in ticketing services and data. Yovich is responsible for driving growth and innovation in North America, Ticketmaster’s largest market.
Key focus areas for Yovich include product enhancements, data services, vertical integration, and strategic M&A. However, he also needs to navigate regulatory pressure, changing consumer behavior, competition, and security threats. Yovich’s experience across ticketing, sports, and technology make him well-suited for this leadership role.
The vision Yovich sets as President will directly impact venues, event promoters, and millions of fans across North America. His ability to evolve Ticketmaster’s offerings while leveraging its unparalleled scale will shape the next era of live entertainment.
