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Live Nation, Ticketmaster merge after approval


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Let me preface this thread by saying that I may have had a few drinks this evening. I may even be drunk... but that's all relative.

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/Live-Nation-Ticketmaster-apf-412949360.html?x=0&sec=topStories&pos=1&asset=80f178ad117abf3d2460441332a9a241&ccode=rd

Anyone seen this bullshit? They're arguing that this merger will actually bring ticket prices DOWN! Are you fucking kidding me? This is the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard. When you restrict competition (let's not fool ourselves into thinking that's not what they're doing) it allows a company like this to set whatever price or charge whatever fees it wants.

Personally, I prefer seeing shows at venues that are able to avoid using these price gouging assholes.

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This definitely sucks. Maybe ticket prices will go down slightly (so they say) but surcharges will probably increase. All the other sites, tickets.com or ducatking don't have small fees either. It can still be 25-40% of the ticket price. I buy almost all my tickets at the box office nowadays unless it is a show that will sell out the day it goes on sale.

Also, I really hope this doesn't mean all tickets will be those ridiculous jumbo Livenation tickets.

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agreed. It sucks...but it's not a monopoly

It might not be a complete monopoly but its too close to one for the good of the consumer.

maybe? i'll reply more later, but I dont see that big of an issue with the merger since a.) there are a ton of other ticket services out there, and b.) the opportunity for venues/vendors/events to dump ticketmaster/livenation for other services is becoming more and more frequent.

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For me it should be a lesson of the bailout. Large companies merging together doesn't create competition it thwarts it and creates mega-corps that are honestly bad for everyone. Its not a straight monopoly but a single entity controlling 50, 60, or 70 percent of a market is a bad thing.

Not to mention, while Ticketbastard may not be a monopoly it certainly has monopolistic practices. Fees for causing them to do less work, i.e. a convenience fee for using their website, screams monopolistic practice to me.

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This doesn't really affect me, as I haven't ordered tickets from ticketmaster in years, or ever from livenation, but it's a bummer that the music industry is digging itself into an even bigger hole. I will never understand where they came up with the 'demand is down, so increase prices' model of economics that they are employing.

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Just the simple fact that this is part of the deal scares the hell out of me:

"Under the deal, the merged entity will be under a 10-year court order prohibiting it from retaliating against venues that choose to sign ticket-selling contracts with competitors. It also must allow venues that sign deals elsewhere to take consumer ticketing data with them."

I enjoy going to the House of Blues but I utterly despise ticketmaster. Other venues (The Metro in Chicago) have moved to smaller ticket vendors, which gives me hope.

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