Secretly Recorded Phone Call Offers Window Into How Live Nation Helped Artists Place Tickets Directly On Resale Market

Billboard (07/19/2019)
  • Billboard obtained a phone conversation between Live Nation (promoter) President Bob Roux and a Metallica (band) associate about selling 88,000 concert tickets directly on resale sites such as Stubhub.
  • The recording revealed how tickets can be sold directly on the secondary market at huge price markups.
  • Artists often feel pressured by fans to keep tickets affordable, yet lose out on millions from resellers.
  • Live Nation claims very few artists sell tickets directly on resale platforms.
  • An industry expert suggests artists should just be transparent.