TodayTix, a producer-backed ticket resale operation focusing on theatrical performances in New York and 16 other cities, acquired theater review aggregator Show-Score. The transaction was completed this month, but the integration is expected to begin in September, with theater largely shut down across the globe due to the coronavirus pandemic. The acquisition is the second for TodayTix in 2020, after its acquisition of London-based Encore in February. The company saw a large influx of cash a year ago, receiving a $73 million investment from Great Hill Partners in 2019.
Show-Score will retain its existing branding and website following the transaction, with chief executive Deeksha Gaur remaining with the company as TodayTix takes over. The website, which features and ranks theatrical shows based on reviews from both members and professional critics, has been dark since March when the coronvirus largely halted live entertainment.
“From our point of view, Tom [Melcher] and I wanted to find a strong partner for when we came out of intermission and into our Act 2,” Gaur told reporters.
TodayTix offers consumers tickets to live shows across a number of markets, starting with its New York home base. It currently shows listings in 11 U.S. areas, as well as London, Melbourne, Sydney and Toronto.
“As of now, our plan is really to make and continue what Show-Score is doing within its own silo and make sure it exists in a broader geographic footprint,” Fenty said.
Assuming the integration process will involve linking content from Show-Score to ticket listings on TodayTix, the move will likely be designed in large part to supercharge the search engine results for the ticket listings the company offers, with reviews laden with high-intent keywords linking to its e-commerce engine for google search to index. The pause on live events, slated to last on Broadway through at least early 2021, will give both companies time to optimize operations for when the curtain goes back up on live entertainment.
“I’m also excited about the fact that we can take this moment to reimagine how the theater can be,” Gaur said. “I think there’s a silver lining here.”
