As Ticketmaster fights to end the use of software that allows ticket brokers to purchase blocks of tickets from their site, such as ones developed by RMG Technologies, a recent feature by the ESPN program “E:60” revealed that the ticketing giant has profited from the use of the same technology.
Ticketmaster’s highly publicized purchase of TicketsNow has led many to question whether there is a conflict of interest involved in the deal. Ticketmaster stands to profit from both the primary sale of the ticket and its resale on its secondary site.
At a broker meeting held in Las Vegas, NV yesterday, ticket brokers expressed their concerns about whether or not Ticketmaster had their best interest at heart. “We were fed what they thought we wanted to hear,” said one East Coast broker who requested anonymity.
Now, there might be more reason for this skepticism. When Ticketmaster spokesman Joe Freeman was informed by the reporter that a ticket purchased on TicketsNow was originally purchased through the use of RMG Technology’s software, which ultimately generated a profit for Ticketmaster, he responded with a strong message.
“I’d love to have the brokers name because I can almost guarantee you we would look to have that broker taken off of TicketsNow,” Freeman said. “We don’t support the use of automation.”
Ticketmaster’s acquisition of TicketsNow has been constantly under fire from brokers with growing concerns about the company’s intentions, which led to a meeting between Ticketmaster CEO Sean Moriarty, TicketsNow CEO Cheryl Rosner and over 100 brokers in Las Vegas this week.
The ESPN feature explains that up to five entities stand to profit from the sale of a ticket on the secondary market: the team or artist, the primary seller, software developers, the brokers, and the secondary sites that it’s sold on.
