The aggressive expansion of the Ticketmaster and Live Nation grip on the live entertainment space in North America continues, as the ticketing giant announced an increased partnership with Groupe CH, a Montreal, Quebec-based organization managing 20 venues and festival sites, comprising of more than 1,500 events every year.

As part of the deal, Ticketmaster will serve as the official partner for both primary sales and resale tickets with the Montreal Canadiens, Bell Centre, Place Bell, MTelus, Corona Theatre and other venues, as well as festivals including Osheaga, Heavy Montreal and Ile Soniq. The partnership will include integration with Ticketmaster’s “Presence” system, granting extensive buyer data through mobile-locked tickets.

“We could not be more excited to expand our partnership with Groupe CH, a global leader in sports and entertainment, and to deliver the best experience possible to their millions of fans,” says Patti-Anne Tarlton, Chairman of Ticketmaster Canada in a press release announcing the partnership. “We know that Ticketmaster’s scale, coupled with our state-of-the-art products and services will support Groupe CH’s phenomenal number of events while providing fans with a seamless ticketing experience. We’re looking forward to working together as we enter this new era of ticketing.”

Ticketmaster already employs some 600 people in Canada, including some 240 in Quebec between facilities based in Montreal and Quebec City.

“Groupe CH has experienced tremendous growth over recent years, and we’re excited to partner with a global leader like Ticketmaster who will not only provide the technology and scale to power the ticketing of our teams, venues and events, but also help us amplify our digital marketing capabilities,” said France Margaret Bélanger, EVP Commercial and Corporate Affairs of the Montreal Canadiens. “Ticketmaster’s digital entry experience will be of particular interest to our fans based on its success in dramatically reducing fraudulent tickets while also delivering creative fan engagement opportunities.”

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