AEG, a leading sports and entertainment presenter and the world’s second-largest daily deal website LivingSocial announced a partnership which will provide consumers with access to premium packages and experiences for live entertainment events such as concerts and sporting events at AEG owned venues throughout the country.
The partnership, announced via press release on May 31, which will allow members to purchase tickets to events at AEG venues through LivingSocial as part of LivingSocial Live Events, is the next logical step for the discount discovery website which already offers deals on travel, entertainment, and unique adventures. According to Reuters, AEG owns or is affiliated with more than 100 venues, including the Staples Center in Los Angeles and the XL Center in Hartford, CT — through their partnership LivingSocial will be able to reach the vast audience that attends events at these venues.
According to their live events website, AEG has promoted tours for artists and events like Bon Jovi, Coachella, Kenny Chesney, Carrie Underwood, and Alicia Keys and the company owns such sports teams as the Los Angeles Galaxy and the Los Angeles Kings and has a stake in the Los Angeles Lakers. In partnering with the entertainment giant, LivingSocial will be able to provide its members with a variety of bundles in order to enhance their concert or event experience.
Fellow daily deal site and industry leader Groupon launched their own live events business GrouponLive last year, providing members with discounts on concerts and events and helping clients to move unsold inventory in an industry where an estimated 40 percent of seats go unsold, according to Billboard.biz. Although similar, LivingSocial Live Events will focus on offering unique experiences for live events rather than discounted tickets.
Although daily deal sites like LivingSocial and industry leader Groupon typically offer deals on local offers, often at half of the original price, the companies have been expanding beyond the daily deal approach to offer members access to unique experiences and live entertainment packages that they are not able to purchase from anywhere else, according to Reuters.
“With this partnership, LivingSocial will be able to offer our members exclusive packages and tickets to music festivals, concerts, sporting, and cultural events unavailable for purchase anywhere else, including LivingSocial-created events,” said Alex Michael, general manager of Live Events for LivingSocial in a recent email to TicketNews. “Additionally, partnering with AEG introduces to our brand to existing AEG customers who might not already be a LivingSocial member.”
In addition to tickets and premium packages, AEG and LivingSocial will also offer bundles that may include VIP entrances, limited edition merchandise, and early entry to select events. LivingSocial Live Events will offer full-priced vouchers and is not a conventional inventory-dump relationship that provides live event tickets at half the face value. “Like LivingSocial’s other category-specific offerings, including LivingSocial Adventures and Escapes, the partnership will offer unique, curated entertainment offerings at great value,” said Michael to TicketNews.
The partnership will allow LivingSocial to provide their more than 60 million members with new experiences they can enjoy with their friends and family, both in their neighborhoods and around the world, Michael told TicketNews. “Partnering with AEG provides us with a marquee foundation for a new avenue — live events — to help our members discover and do great things around them,” added Michael.
