PRESS RELEASE: “Ticket News Announces Top Ticket Sellers for Week Ending August 22, 2009”
August 26, 2009 (Vernon, CT) – In what appears to be a large-scale action against dozens of ticket brokers all at once, Ticketmaster has begun to systematically block access to its Web site for hours or days at a time. According to TicketNews, the blockages appear to be generally aimed at brokers who heavily access the site looking for tickets, which on the surface might indicate that Ticketmaster believes that these brokers may be using automated software to do so. TicketNews learned that dozens of brokers who claim that they are not using such software have also been blocked, which has taken place periodically over the last couple of weeks.
Ticketmaster’s potential merger partner, Live Nation, apparently believing that a recent Bonnie Raitt and Taj Mahal show in Boston wasn’t selling well enough, discounted tickets to the event without first notifying the artists, according to representatives of the performers. In an angry letter to influential music columnist Bob Lefsetz, Raitt’s manager Kathy Kane criticizes the Ticketmaster for its actions because it gave fans the impression that the show was not selling well. According to TicketNews, the email stated that the show ended up being a virtual sellout, and of the nearly 5,000 seats sold for the August 15 show Live Nation, only a couple of hundred tickets were sold for the discounted price.
The top ten Overall Sellers Rankings remained relatively constant this week with Ticketmaster remaining at number one with a power score of 30.68. The only noticeable change occurred at positions eight and nine, with Ticket Web and ETix swapping ranks.
TOP 20 OVERALL SELLERS
| Seller | WE 08-22-09 | WE 08-15-09 | 4 Week Avg | |||
| Rank | Power Score | Rank | Power Score | Rank | Power Score | |
| Ticketmaster.com | 1 | 30.68 | 1 | 30.03 | 1 | 30.62 |
| StubHub.com | 2 | 20.14 | 2 | 19.48 | 2 | 19.54 |
| LiveNation.com | 3 | 8.17 | 3 | 7.69 | 3.25 | 7.61 |
| TicketsNow.com | 4 | 5.48 | 4 | 5.73 | 3.75 | 5.97 |
| TicketLiquidator.com | 5 | 3.33 | 5 | 3.08 | 5 | 3.31 |
| Telecharge.com | 6 | 2.48 | 6 | 2.42 | 6.25 | 2.30 |
| TicketCity.com | 7 | 2.31 | 7 | 2.23 | 6.75 | 2.21 |
| TicketWeb.com | 8 | 1.77 | 9 | 1.53 | 8.5 | 1.66 |
| ETix.com | 9 | 1.60 | 8 | 1.77 | 8.5 | 1.64 |
| CoasttoCoastTickets.com | 10 | 1.16 | 10 | 1.27 | 10 | 1.23 |
Vivid Seats and TicketNetwork each ascended one position in this week’s Secondary Sellers Rankings, moving to numbers seven and eight, respectively. StubHub remained at number one this week, coming in with a power score of 38.37.
TOP 20 SECONDARY SELLERS
| Seller | WE 08-22-09 | WE 08-15-09 | 4 Week Avg | |||
| Rank | Power Score | Rank | Power Score | Rank | Power Score | |
| StubHub.com | 1 | 38.37 | 1 | 35.50 | 1 | 35.93 |
| TicketsNow.com | 2 | 10.53 | 2 | 10.78 | 2 | 11.23 |
| TicketLiquidator.com | 3 | 6.42 | 3 | 5.96 | 3 | 6.37 |
| TicketCity.com | 4 | 4.45 | 4 | 4.31 | 4 | 4.28 |
| CoasttoCoastTickets.com | 5 | 2.29 | 5 | 2.62 | 5 | 2.51 |
| RazorGator.com | 6 | 1.88 | 6 | 2.45 | 6.75 | 2.12 |
| Vividseats.com | 7 | 1.88 | 8 | 2.10 | 8 | 1.99 |
| TicketNetwork.com | 8 | 1.81 | 9 | 2.02 | 9.5 | 1.84 |
| GoTickets.com | 9 | 1.77 | 7 | 2.28 | 7.75 | 2.03 |
| TickCo.com | 10 | 1.64 | 10 | 1.88 | 8.5 | 1.91 |
Ticketmaster retained its dominance among the top primary sellers this week, finishing with a power score of 60.29. Ticket Web was able to move up in the top five rankings, landing at number four with a power score of 3.50. Smiths Tix entered the top ten list this week at number ten with a power score of 0.44.
TOP 10 PRIMARY SELLERS
| Seller | WE 08-22-09 | WE 08-15-09 | 4 Week Avg | |||
| Rank | Power Score | Rank | Power Score | Rank | Power Score | |
| Ticketmaster.com | 1 | 60.29 | 1 | 59.79 | 1 | 60.85 |
| LiveNation.com | 2 | 16.11 | 2 | 15.28 | 2 | 15.12 |
| Telecharge.com | 3 | 4.89 | 3 | 4.80 | 3 | 4.55 |
| TicketWeb.com | 4 | 3.50 | 5 | 3.06 | 4.5 | 3.32 |
| ETix.com | 5 | 3.16 | 4 | 3.69 | 4.5 | 3.37 |
| BrownPaperTickets.com | 6 | 1.82 | 8 | 1.77 | 7.25 | 1.68 |
| Tix.com | 7 | 1.80 | 7 | 1.94 | 7.5 | 1.76 |
| Tickets.com | 8 | 1.20 | 6 | 2.25 | 6.5 | 2.04 |
| Wantickets.com | 9 | 0.96 | 9 | 1.36 | 8.75 | 1.15 |
| SmithsTix.com | 10 | 0.44 | 14 | 0.32 | 12.5 | 0.38 |
TicketNews.com developed the algorithm for the exclusive weekly rankings of the industry’s ticket sellers. Top sellers rankings and power scores are based on web traffic received by a ticket seller’s website. The power score is highly correlated with the number of transactions from the TicketNetwork Exchange™, the world’s largest secondary ticket market exchange. A top seller power score illustrates a given seller’s category-specific significance. Three factors obtained from multiple independent resources are used to compare sellers within a particular category.
1. Number of unique visitors (IP addresses visiting a website in a
24-hour period).
2. Number of visits (a series of one or more page requests by a visitor
without 30 consecutive minutes of inactivity).
3. Page views (the average number of unique pages viewed by a unique
visitor).
Top seller power scores should only be used to compare sellers within a particular category. TicketNews.com also ranks the top events weekly. For more information, visit www.ticketnews.com/ticket_industry_rankings.
Get smart about buying tickets!
Getting the best tickets is all about smart shopping — and we’re here to help! If you’re thinking of buying tickets to a concert, sporting, or theater event, here are some tips to enhance your shopping experience, and help you save money!
(1) Buy your tickets from a reputable distributor. If you opt to
purchase your tickets from an unknown vendor, be sure to research
customer reviews and/or call their customer service line to get a
sense of their level of service. Any reputable vendor should provide
customer service Mon-Fri 9 a.m.-5 p.m., at minimum. The
TicketNetwork customer service center is open seven days a week from
7 a.m. – 1 a.m.
(2) Confirm the website check-out is secure. It is not enough for an
online retailer to “say” their website is secure – it needs to be
certified by an approved scanning vendor (ASV). TicketNetwork, for
example, is certified by ControlScan. In addition, it has added
EVSSL (Extended Verification Secure Socket Layer) check-out
security. You know a site is EVSSL secure when the URL bar at the
top turns GREEN.
(3) Always check the purchase guarantee. Any online purchase, from a
toaster to a car, has some type of purchase guarantee. While it may
seem tedious, it is in every shopper’s interest to read the fine
print. When purchasing tickets through TicketNetwork.com, customers
are guaranteed a 100% refund in the event the requested seats are no
longer available.
About TicketNews
TicketNews is a comprehensive resource for news, market analysis, event announcements, and information relating to the ticket industry. TicketNews keeps industry professionals and fans informed about tour dates, current and pending ticket resale legislation, rankings, ticket “steals and deals”, and more! TicketNews developed the algorithm for the exclusive weekly rankings of the industry’s top events and ticket sellers. The content is updated daily, with original articles from TicketNews reporters and an aggregation of 3rd party sources.
With more than 120,000 unique visitors per month TicketNews has enjoyed a steady increase in web traffic. Ticket brokers, venues, affiliate marketing professionals, TicketNetwork retail customers, sports management professionals, concert/event promoters and software vendors are some examples of TicketNews readers.
TicketNetwork is the parent company of TicketNews. TicketNetwork is the leading-edge technology solutions provider in the ticket industry. With its Point-of-Sale software and real-time inventory, TicketNetwork provides the best and most efficient solutions for ticket buyers and ticket sellers.
Contact:
Crystal Astrachan
Ticket News
(p) 860.870.3400 x127
[email protected]
Viveca Woods
VMW Public Relations, LLC
646-418-6934
[email protected]
Last Updated on September 1, 2009
