On September 12, 2012, AEG and Outbox Enterprises announced that they had formed a joint venture with C3 and would be purchasing Texas-based Front Gate Tickets.
AEG, currently one of the world’s foremost presenters in the world of sports and entertainment, has, of late, been making big moves within the ticketing world. In 2011, the company announced the launch of its new ticketing site axs.com, which has been branded as “the first phase of [AEG’s] new entertainment platform serving as the company’s primary consumer brand which will also feature a mobile service as well as a video content service now in development.”
In addition to the launch of axs ticketing, AEG also announced its partnership with Outbox Technologies in 2011. The two companies formed Outbox Enterprises, which manages Outbox Ticketing, a ticketing platform that is currently being implemented to AEG venues worldwide.
This latest foray into the world of ticketing world will allow both AEG and C3 the opportunity to branch off into festival ticketing through Front Gate Tickets. Front Gate currently specializes in providing ticketing options to music festivals, including Coachella Valley Music and Art’s Festival — which is run by AEG’s Goldenvoice — as well as Lollapalooza and the Austin City Limits Music Festival- both of which are operated by C3.
Under the new arrangement, Front Gate will now be run by Maura Gibson, who previously held the title of C3’s Director of Ticketing. Gibson will take the mantle of President of Front Gate.
Front Gate will also fit into the AEG family by handling ticketing for festivals, as well as specializing in ticketing for music clubs and theatres. AEG’s axs ticketing will remain the ticketing destination for arena and stadium events, including covering tickets for all AEG affiliated venues.
In addition to handling the ticketing for AEG and C3 music festivals, Front Gate is expected to remain the ticketing source for the many additional festivals it currently works with, including Telluride Blues and Brews festival and Hangout. Front Gate is also expected to continue adding events to its line-up as a stand-alone company apart from AEG.
Bryan Perez, president of Digital, Ticketing and Media for AEG, sees the acquisition of Front Gate as a win-win for all companies involved. “The Front Gate acquisition is a perfect complement to our axs Ticketing company. The festival experience is like no other and we believe is best served by a ticketing platform that understands and innovates around that uniqueness. With their large roster of existing festival clients, and now backed by the country’s leading festival promoters, C3 Presents and Goldenvoice, Front Gate will create a world-class solution for festivals of all sizes, that puts the needs of the fans and promoters at the forefront,” said Perez in a press release announcing the acquisition.
This acquisition has also further cemented AEG’s position as one of the titans of the entertainment world. Front Gate officially corners the ticketing market for AEG, giving the company a share of the ever increasing festival concert circuit. While it remains to be seen how Front Gate will impact AEG and C3’s overall profit margins, it is clear both companies are poised to give their fellow ticketing giants a run for their money.
