Get the latest gossip
Who is behind the great rock’n’roll ripoff? How Ticketmaster swallowed the live entertainment scene
From grassroots gigs to stadium shows, there’s no escaping the ticketing giant, making billions from hiking up prices (and whacking on fees)
In response, the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) launched an investigation into breaches of consumer protection law, while Labour MP Rupa Huq proposed a bill that would enforce transparency about the availability and cost of tickets. While fellow Canadian Arthur Fogel, Live Nation’s CEO of Global Touring, is an outgoing enthusiast, personally beloved by clients such as Madonna, Beyoncé and Sting, Rapino describes himself as an introvert who doesn’t enjoy working the phones or wining and dining managers. Unlike Fred Rosen, who put criticisms of Ticketmaster down to nothing more than “jealousy and envy”, the smooth-talking Rapino is quicker to make tactical concessions, such as withdrawing from the secondary market, no longer taking a cut of merchandise sales, and pre-empting legislation to include fees in the upfront price.
Or read this on The Guardian