Live Nation: Walmartizing the concert industry...

Seriously.


Some of us have used this language before when talking about LN on here. Now, it has more merit than ever.


Wal-Mart, Now with Live Nation Ticketing Outlets!


by
ERIKA H
on 02-19-2010

Personally, I blame online ticketing for missing out on Lady Gaga's Monster Ball tour. I despise waiting for the site to load, nervously refreshing the
page after I've already entered my credit card information, and panicking as the phone rings right when the site says I have five minutes to finalize my
order.

A new partnership between TMT favorites Live Nation Entertainment and Wal-Mart gives you another option. Live Nation executive chairman Irving Azoff announced
at the recent NBA Technology Summit in Dallas that ticketing outlets will open in select Wal-Mart stores across the US (about 500, in major cities). Rather
than go online, shoppers will be able to head to Wal-Mart's entertainment section for tickets to local concerts, sporting events, and other Ticketmaster
offerings.

$9.99 DVDs and Nickelback tickets in one shopping trip? Given the similar deal between Live Nation and Blockbuster, settled late last year, this might not
seem that special. But does Blockbuster have in-store fast food?

Sounds convenient.

It would be cool if the 930 had some outlets.. 

has anyone used one of the blockbuster ticket dispensers?  i wonder if they're fast, and how tedious it is to throw back crappy seats and request new ones.

i'd hate to get to a blockbuster or walmart just before an onsale, and discover that there are 100 people in line in front of me. 

i'm guessing these machines are best for slower-selling shows… then again, i doubt tickets would be any cheaper so why not just order online?  (from TM/LN's perspective it would open up ticket sale to people who aren't accustomed to ordering tickets online, but i'm asking about ME!)

I personally think laying in bed, grabbing your laptop from off a nearby table and clicking a few buttons and typing in a few characters is more convenient. Especially if the price is the same.

hutch wrote:
Sounds convenient.

For some of us, going to Wal Mart is way more inconvenient than the issues one might have with hitting refresh.  I think they need to put one in my apartment complex, that would be the best for me.

but the ticket booths in walmart . . . will they censor the music you want to see in concert??

hutch wrote:
Sounds convenient.

It would be cool if the 930 had some outlets.. 

I do wish the same about 930. In regard to LN - I'm not stepping in my local Wal-Mart - that place (including the parking lot) is nuts and the workers are rude and less than helpful (can't imagine how long it would take to transact a ticket!). The one time I'd rather by online. ;)

More like the 7-11 of ticket sales.

Seems to me that using self service terminals for  quick selling shows is a bit of a disaster… 

For one all it would take is a ticket broker and some muscle in order to monopolize one these terminals.

And you know everyone who does manage to be first at one of these is going to be expecting front row seats.

and have you ever gone to walmart to ask for help in the electronics sections.  crickets . . . and when you do get somebody, they don't know shit besides the fact they hate their job and "why are you talking to me?"

walkonby wrote:
and have you ever gone to walmart

Hell no.

Julian, wrote:

walkonby wrote:
and have you ever gone to walmart

Hell no.

oh please . . . we all know your life consists of wiping down wet carts and saying, "welcome to walmart."

azaghal1981 wrote:
Given the similar deal between Live Nation and Blockbuster, settled late last year, this might not
seem that special.

I didn't even know that Blockbuster had something in-store. Has anyone used it?
sweetcell - it's a ticket dispenser (walk up to a computer and generate tickets)?
Are fees reduced at all?

walkonby wrote:

Julian, wrote:

walkonby wrote:
and have you ever gone to walmart

Hell no.

oh please . . . we all know your life consists of wiping down wet carts and saying, "welcome to walmart."

LOL, no wonder Julie is mad on this board. Flashbacks of that Wal-Mart job got him buggin' out.

at walmart, if you're not happy with a purchase you can return it and get a refund.

livenation is now like walmart.

both local LN venues (warner & the lube) are participating in the 3-day return offer.

sweetcell wrote:
at walmart, if you're not happy with a purchase you can return it and get a refund.

livenation is now like walmart.

both local LN venues (warner & the lube) are participating in the 3-day return offer.

great idea . . . but stills smells like sign of the times.  which smells like prince.

I suspect that prince smells impecably good at all times… I fear that your analogy has broken down. But agreed, sign o' the times.

This sounds like a gravy train for ticket brokers who over buy for shows and it allows LiveNation to re-sell tickets and collect service fees again…

And I bet that the list of different fragrances that Prince has on hand to make him smell good at all times is longer than the JA thread.

POTW @azaghal.