CTS Eventim takes Swiss competitor Ticketcorner to task

CTS Eventim, the leading European ticket marketer and promoter, Monday brought an action against the prime Swiss ticket agent, Ticketcorner, before the Swiss Competition Commission (Comco) arguing that its competitor was contravening Swiss antitrust laws.

Comco is now examining whether an agreement for Ticketcorner to sell at least 50 percent of tickets for Zurich’s concert arena, the Hallenstadion, has breached antitrust laws.

The deal with the stadium, which has hosted numerous high profile sport events and seen performances from Beyonce, AC/DC and the Rolling Stones, among others, has kept Eventim at a disadvantage in the Swiss ticket market. Now, Eventim is seeking to gain leverage via the authorities.

A preliminary investigation has already shown that the stadium deal could be deemed illegal under Swiss law, according to Comco.

Eventim’s partner, in bringing the action, is Ringier, the largest private media company in Switzerland. In December, the two compnies formed a joint venture with the goal of market leadership in the Swiss state, trading under the name ‘EVENTIM CH AG’.

The new company combines and concentrates Eventim and Ringier’s various media and ticketing activities. As the biggest Swiss media enterprise with international presence, Ringier brings multimedia capability, customer relationships, and infrastructure, such as call centres, into the joint venture. Ringier benefits by reinforcing its entertainment, electronic media & events division, which also includes Good News, the leading Swiss promoter of concerts and events.

Read the original story on EUTicketNews.com.