This website uses cookies so that we can provide you with the best user experience possible. Cookie information is stored in your browser and performs functions such as recognising you when you return to our website and helping our team to understand which sections of the website you find most interesting and useful.
Business News Live Business
Aussies hate gig ticketing, says new gig ticketing company
By CMU Editorial | Published on Wednesday 20 October 2010
I think we all know that, despite the boom in live music in many territories in recent years, consumers generally resent a lot about the way gig ticketing works, something that became particularly apparent in the US recently from the strength of the backlash against Ticketmaster following revelations about the ways it promoted its secondary ticket sales website.
Such resentments almost certainly exist in the UK as well, and we can be certain Australian music fans have lots of gripes about ticketing too, thanks to a bit of research published this week by Foxtix, a new offshoot of Rupert Murdoch’s business empire down under that is vowing to “shake up the ticket duopoly” that exists in Australia just now.
According to the survey of over 2000 gig goers, conducted by research firm CoreDate for the new ticketing company, only 10% of customers felt they got good value for money when buying tickets, with fees, website crashes and missing out on tickets altogether among the grievances stated (some more justified than others, obviously). Over three quarters said they felt the government should do more to regulate ticket sales.
Additional research of key players in the live sector also found grievances with the way ticket firms work, with a focus group round up reporting promoters wanted more choice in ticketing providers, and better access to the customer data ticket sellers sit on. Of course, this is a convenient result given Foxtix provides this alternative.
Commenting on the research, Foxtix General Manager Adam McArthur told reporters: “While conducting this research, what we found was a market crying for change. What Foxtix is offering the market is a solution. For consumers, we are improving the ticket purchasing process significantly through lower fees and easier ticket delivery. For promoters and venue managers, we are offering greater control, both around customer data and service. In addition, with the backing of News Limited, we are able to provide them with greater marketing reach for their events through News Limited’s websites, newspapers and apps”.
The Australian ticketing market is currently dominated by the ubiquitous Ticketmaster and Aussie firm Ticketek.
