Who’s The Winner Here? Probably Not You

This week’s announcement that the US Justice Dept. would allow the merger of Live Nation and Ticketmaster is a game changer for the entertainment industry.

If you’ve attended a major concert or other arena event recently, you realize that you can’t turn around without someone sticking their hand in  your pocket, even though you’ve already bought a ticket for the event.

Start with the ticket service fee.  You can’t buy a ticket without paying that, even if you purchase at the box office.

Next comes parking.  $7.00 is the going rate around here, and some tickets automatically add a parking surcharge to every ticket, regardless of how many patrons might share a ride.

Next comes concessions.  Mandatory purse and backpack checks assure that you won’t bring in so much as a bottle of water.  Once you’re inside, prices range from $4.00 up for a simple snack to as much as $11.00 for a beer.  If you’re covering the cost for a family of four, your out of pocket expenses can easily double the ticket price.

Ticketmaster and Live Nation share the credit for devising this system, and the Justice Department decisions means that it is now open season on event patrons.

By allowing these two companies to combine forces there is no longer any reason for one to try to gain a competitive advantage over the other by pricing tickets or add ons more competitively.

If you are concerned about this pending monopoly, you might find this web site interesting.

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