| Ticketmaster
To Buy Azoff's Frontline Management |
 Is Ticketmaster:
The Concert Promoter Next?
Ticketmaster is buying a majority interest in Irving Azoff's Frontline
Management (Christina Aguilera, the Eagles, Jimmy Buffett and Neil
Diamond and others) and Azoff will head the combined operation, according
to the Wall Street Journal. The move is designed to strenghten Ticketmaster
against concert giant Live Nation who has started a competing ticketing
operation.
The mainstream press contends that Ticketmaster is buying control
over Azoff's star studded roster to counter Live Nation's direct relationship
with the artists (Madonna, US, Jay-Z, Nickleback and the many tours
it promotes). But ticketing deals are almost always made directly
with the venues; not with artists. The real star power in this deal
is Irving Azoff.
A shrewed negotiator who always comes out on top, Azoff has deep connections
thorughout the music industry. This deal certainly represents a payday
for him, as well as, a major challenge: how to stem the tide of ticketing
clients to Live Nation when at the same time cutting the best deals
he can for his management clients with the largest promoter in th
world.
But what Irving giveth; Irving can also taketh away. What is to prevent
Ticketmaster from becoming a national concert promoter? They have
deep pockets, relationships with venues and a rich database of concertgoers.
Now Ticketmaster also has the 100 top artists represented by Frontline
Management and most of all they have Irving Azoff.
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