iTunes Chart-Toppers (a/o February 21st):
Now there's even more to love! But is this good for music fans, artists, or even the broader concert industry? According to partnership details disclosed Wednesday afternoon, Ticketmaster is now installing touchscreen ticket-selling kiosks in hundreds of Wal-Mart locations, with initial concentrations in Texas, New York, New England, and Los Angeles.
This has already been deployed in many locations, and the
rollout appears well underway. "By integrating ticketing into Wal-Mart stores, we are able to offer fans this very convenient way to learn about upcoming events, purchase and take home tickets without leaving their neighborhood," said Ticketmaster CEO Nathan Hubbard.
But wait: isn't Wal-Mart all about lowering prices? Maybe this isn't too big to fail after all, thanks to a possible mismatch in corporate cultures. Wal-Mart is the low-cost leader, and a corporation notorious for squeezing suppliers to ensure rock-bottom price tags. But Ticketmaster is notorious for driving prices the other way, with sneaky levers like hidden surcharges and sketchy aftermarket sales allocations to maximize profits. That is arguably a significant contributor to an absolutely abysmal 2010 for Ticketmaster parent Live Nation, as consumers considered easier, more transparent entertainment options.
But another reason is easy to spot: the economy. Consumers are increasingly strapped, and walking into Wal-Marts with bargains on their mind - not expensive front-row seats and jacked-up service fees. And that is a dynamic that now appears to be getting worse, not better.
Comments Closed
@Randy_Matthews Thursday, August 04, 2011
Randy Matthews
Before you know it Walmart will have casinos and chickens in boxes playing tick tack toe and a amusement park.
@kellyransford Thursday, August 04, 2011
kelly ransford
Can't people already do all of this without leaving their *home*?
@rondavismusic Thursday, August 04, 2011
Ron Davis
WalMaster
kthomson Thursday, August 04, 2011
I'm not a fan of Ticketmaster or Wal-Mart, but this makes business sense to me for two reasons:
1. Re-establishing a retail footprint for ticket sales. Remember where Ticketmaster used to have their retail outlets? In Tower Records and other stores? Well, those are all gone. It just makes sense they'd try to get themselves into a retailer that sells music, which includes Wal-Mart.
2. Ticketmaster is more than concerts. They also sell tickets to NASCAR, college football, comedy shows, pro wrestling. So why not have a visible presence in a generic retailer like Wal-Mart.
Yes, people can print out tickets at home, but it probably doesn't hurt to have a kiosk in a big retail space to remind shoppers about upcoming shows and events, and make it easy for them to purchase tickets.
JBH Thursday, August 04, 2011
Spot on. Like everyone, I think WalMart and Ticketmaster are the pits, but this is a logical marriage, as it creates exposure. Some analysts speculate that up to 40% of all concert tickets go unsold.
If only Paul R. wasn't such a Negative Nancy all the time, he would understand that this union makes sense for the industry and fans on a whole.
Maxwellian Thursday, August 04, 2011
Agreed. I think this article could have focused more on the 40% problem and getting in front of more potential buyers, but maybe that part is obvious. But I would say you're missing a big point: is exposure really the issue here or are there fundamental problems happening in the way music fans are looking at tickets and shows? Remember Live Nation is absolutely hemorrhaging (sp) cash here, they are really in a bad place and I think it has to do with this service fee, consumer-unfriendly, charge the highest rate mentality that is very short term in the end.
ramble. over.
:MW
roosterweb Thursday, August 04, 2011
Bestbuy seems like a better choice. I guess you can call me a "hater", but because I "hate" Walmart AND Ticketmaster, I'm hoping for an "epic fail".
CraigDiPaolo Thursday, August 04, 2011
Completely unhealthy.
Ticketmaster is not good for the music fan, music fans go to Ticketmaster ticketed shows in spite of Ticketmaster. It's a barrier or wall to cross to get to the music, and fans are saying "NO" to this wall more of the time now.
Pumping this into Walmarts across the nation just reinforces and helps this problem. Instead of forcing "low cost leader" cuts it's just more of the same so I question why Walmart made this deal without getting the lowest cost tickets.
Consumers are not stupid as we can see.
imjustinbber Thursday, August 04, 2011
JU$TIN MON3¥TIM€
@mattlip Thursday, August 04, 2011
Matt Lip
Wow!! Speak of the devil.....
@kimddavis Thursday, August 04, 2011
Kim Davis
Wrong or right, bad or good, I would have KILLED for a Walmart Ticketmaster kiosk in high school.
@Farradelica Thursday, August 04, 2011
Mike Vavrek
Somethings going wrong...
Olie Thursday, August 04, 2011
Huh?
Anyone, Anyplace, Anytime, Anywa, Anywhere
As they say....go to where the masses are with buying on their minds....
you know you can't rely on the digital hype to pay the bills, as there's nothing left on the table when they take it all.
mainstream media and the bricks still account for heavy consumption
Q: next to iTunes who sells the most music?
Brilliant strategically, and sound...
Kamal Francis Thursday, August 04, 2011
Read the book ticketmasters on bn.com. Its how the big concert ticketing business first started.
@lassial Thursday, August 04, 2011
Lassi A Liikkanen
Concert tickets in US now sold from super market shelves...
@Phamucci_Ent Friday, August 05, 2011
Phamucci Ent.
WTF???
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