Secondary ticketer TicketsNow, responding to questions concerning its parent company Ticketmaster directing Radiohead fans to TicketsNow for sold-out tickets, said its entire inventory of tickets for the tour came from brokers and not Ticketmaster.
A TicketsNow spokesperson, who did not wish to be identified, told TicketNews that all tickets “listed on TicketsNow are owned and supplied by vetted, professional resellers. TicketsNow does not receive inventory directly from Ticketmaster or individual performers.”
Earlier today, TicketNews reported that fans seeking tickets on Ticketmaster to some of Radiohead’s sold out shows were being directed to the TicketsNow website where secondary tickets are available. Ticketmaster completed its acquisition of TicketsNow in February, and TicketsNow is considered a standalone, but wholly owned, subsidiary of Ticketmaster.
Carole Kinzel, senior agent in the music department of Creative Artists Agency, Radiohead’s U.S.-based representative, could not be reached for comment. Laura Eldeiry of the PR firm Nasty Little Man Public Relations, which handles publicity for Radiohead, also could not be reached for comment. Ticketmaster did not reply to a request seeking comment.
In recent years, the relationship between artists, promoters, venues, and primary and secondary ticket sellers has slowly changed as album sales have decreased and more acts look to tour to make up lost revenue. Ticketmaster and StubHub are currently embroiled in a legal tussle over artists selling premium tickets on StubHub, and late last year Van Halen and others began scalping tickets to their own shows through auctions.
“As we shared in our acquisition announcement, one of the many benefits of combining assets of TicketsNow and Ticketmaster is the increased access our broker partners now have to consumer demand for tickets,” the TicketsNow spokesperson said. “Along with that, consumers now enjoy a wider range of purchase options. TicketsNow’s extensive, nationwide network of partners provides consumers an alternative way to safely secure tickets.”
“Bottom line is that TicketsNow and Ticketmaster together are connecting consumers to the very best seats through our broker partner network — and to the fun and excitement of live entertainment,” the spokesperson added.