1 00:00:08,600 --> 00:00:12,520 Speaker 1: Welcome, Welcome, Welcome back to the Bob left Stetts Podcast. 2 00:00:13,160 --> 00:00:17,760 Speaker 1: My guest today is CEO and President of Blave Nation, 3 00:00:18,480 --> 00:00:21,799 Speaker 1: one and only, Michael Rapino. Michael, good to have you 4 00:00:21,840 --> 00:00:26,439 Speaker 1: on the podcast. You just announced this new effort, Vibe. 5 00:00:26,880 --> 00:00:28,840 Speaker 1: What exactly is it? 6 00:00:28,920 --> 00:00:34,760 Speaker 2: Biby is a destination event company. As you know you've 7 00:00:34,760 --> 00:00:36,720 Speaker 2: probably read over the years, there's more and more of 8 00:00:36,720 --> 00:00:40,559 Speaker 2: these on location companies where they're kind of taking the 9 00:00:40,680 --> 00:00:45,720 Speaker 2: current events doing a special package VIP. Maybe it's a 10 00:00:45,760 --> 00:00:48,400 Speaker 2: destination to see Lionel Richie just in Cabbo for a 11 00:00:48,479 --> 00:00:52,120 Speaker 2: thousand people. So anyway, you can kind of create above 12 00:00:52,159 --> 00:00:57,400 Speaker 2: and beyond special experiences around an artist event. So it 13 00:00:57,440 --> 00:00:59,480 Speaker 2: could be a current event, meaning we could do it 14 00:00:59,480 --> 00:01:02,760 Speaker 2: at La La Lose and do a jet in a 15 00:01:02,840 --> 00:01:06,280 Speaker 2: backstage and a VIP package. But most of it is 16 00:01:06,319 --> 00:01:09,840 Speaker 2: trying to create destination events for artists and fans to 17 00:01:09,880 --> 00:01:12,440 Speaker 2: have kind of an exceptional VIP experience. 18 00:01:14,120 --> 00:01:18,040 Speaker 1: So what is already booked for Vibe? 19 00:01:18,240 --> 00:01:20,920 Speaker 2: Well, we got a few going on. We've got a 20 00:01:20,959 --> 00:01:25,680 Speaker 2: hotel in can Kun, Mexico, Moon Palace. Luke Bryan the 21 00:01:25,720 --> 00:01:28,000 Speaker 2: Grateful Dead have done it there where it's a kind 22 00:01:28,000 --> 00:01:31,440 Speaker 2: of a three thousand limited package for three thousand people, 23 00:01:31,520 --> 00:01:36,920 Speaker 2: take over the hotel special two days live performance just 24 00:01:36,920 --> 00:01:40,919 Speaker 2: for those fans merchandise parties. We've got a couple ship 25 00:01:40,920 --> 00:01:43,640 Speaker 2: ideas that we've been working on, Holy Ship, where you 26 00:01:43,640 --> 00:01:49,800 Speaker 2: can go on to an Insomniac DC ship for three days. 27 00:01:49,880 --> 00:01:52,080 Speaker 2: So you've seen some of these before where the artists 28 00:01:52,120 --> 00:01:55,840 Speaker 2: take over the ship and kind of have that destination idea. 29 00:01:55,920 --> 00:01:58,840 Speaker 2: So we've got three or four ship projects right now 30 00:01:58,880 --> 00:02:04,960 Speaker 2: with DC Insomnia, got some Cabo Mexican, Luke Bryan, Grateful 31 00:02:05,000 --> 00:02:09,400 Speaker 2: Dead Adventures, and now we've got Lallapalooza we launched today, 32 00:02:10,080 --> 00:02:13,600 Speaker 2: and some of Vegas ideas that I think they'll launch 33 00:02:13,680 --> 00:02:19,640 Speaker 2: this week around special Formula one concert VIP experiences, So 34 00:02:19,760 --> 00:02:23,120 Speaker 2: just taking the experience VIP above and beyond what you 35 00:02:23,160 --> 00:02:27,080 Speaker 2: currently can buy at a typical concert and delivering a 36 00:02:27,160 --> 00:02:28,800 Speaker 2: higher end experience to the fan. 37 00:02:30,200 --> 00:02:34,440 Speaker 1: You know, just staying on this. It appears most people 38 00:02:34,480 --> 00:02:39,000 Speaker 1: don't know, but the most expensive tickets go first on 39 00:02:39,080 --> 00:02:42,120 Speaker 1: most of these conferences. Is there any limit to what 40 00:02:42,200 --> 00:02:45,600 Speaker 1: people will pay for a VIP experience? 41 00:02:47,280 --> 00:02:49,560 Speaker 2: You know, I think it's all new territory. You were right, 42 00:02:49,639 --> 00:02:54,240 Speaker 2: the house always sells front to back, so you've never 43 00:02:54,360 --> 00:02:56,640 Speaker 2: heard me say, you know, I can't sell the front, 44 00:02:56,639 --> 00:03:00,440 Speaker 2: but the back sold out. So it's always front back. 45 00:03:01,080 --> 00:03:03,080 Speaker 2: And what you see a lot of artists doing today, 46 00:03:03,400 --> 00:03:05,800 Speaker 2: even though they get a little bit of press from it, 47 00:03:05,840 --> 00:03:08,000 Speaker 2: is charge a bit more for the front. So the 48 00:03:08,120 --> 00:03:10,000 Speaker 2: real theory is you can actually charge a bit less 49 00:03:10,000 --> 00:03:13,040 Speaker 2: on the back and make sure that last row does 50 00:03:13,080 --> 00:03:17,040 Speaker 2: sell out. But right now, Bob, we've seen coming out 51 00:03:17,040 --> 00:03:20,760 Speaker 2: of COVID price resistance is not We haven't seen it 52 00:03:20,800 --> 00:03:25,000 Speaker 2: anywhere yet. As crazy as some of the secondary stuff 53 00:03:25,000 --> 00:03:28,320 Speaker 2: you see online where there are two three hundred times 54 00:03:28,360 --> 00:03:31,880 Speaker 2: what a face value is. Those things are selling out instantly, 55 00:03:32,240 --> 00:03:35,240 Speaker 2: So we have not seen yet. I don't think the 56 00:03:35,280 --> 00:03:39,240 Speaker 2: top end of what does a concert VIP platinum experience 57 00:03:39,320 --> 00:03:42,880 Speaker 2: look like if you want to go see that show. 58 00:03:42,960 --> 00:03:44,880 Speaker 2: I think this is new. You know, as I say 59 00:03:44,880 --> 00:03:47,600 Speaker 2: to my team, we've kind of been operating like American 60 00:03:47,640 --> 00:03:50,720 Speaker 2: airlines for a long time. One price not that much 61 00:03:50,720 --> 00:03:54,440 Speaker 2: of a variance from top to bottom. Probably a warm 62 00:03:54,480 --> 00:03:58,080 Speaker 2: beer and a cold hot dog and good luck. But 63 00:03:58,160 --> 00:04:02,240 Speaker 2: the idea that a concert is a memorable experience and 64 00:04:02,240 --> 00:04:06,800 Speaker 2: and fans will will pay for an upgraded experience all fans, 65 00:04:06,880 --> 00:04:09,480 Speaker 2: not just this isn't just for the rich the one 66 00:04:09,600 --> 00:04:11,480 Speaker 2: or two times a year you'll go to that show. 67 00:04:12,200 --> 00:04:15,320 Speaker 2: Our fans want a better experience, they want a higher 68 00:04:15,400 --> 00:04:17,120 Speaker 2: end experience, and they'll pay for it if we can 69 00:04:17,160 --> 00:04:17,680 Speaker 2: deliver it. 70 00:04:19,200 --> 00:04:22,160 Speaker 1: Okay. Needless to say, ticket Master is a hot topic 71 00:04:22,600 --> 00:04:26,440 Speaker 1: in the news and Washington DC. You are literally at 72 00:04:26,440 --> 00:04:31,520 Speaker 1: the epicenter, So let's kind of drill down explain for 73 00:04:31,640 --> 00:04:37,159 Speaker 1: the average person how ticket fees are established. 74 00:04:38,279 --> 00:04:42,719 Speaker 2: Yeah, I'd say it's definitely been the year to start 75 00:04:42,760 --> 00:04:45,320 Speaker 2: talking about this because it's been As you you point 76 00:04:45,360 --> 00:04:48,240 Speaker 2: out on your newsletter, you kind of understand the inner work. 77 00:04:48,320 --> 00:04:51,240 Speaker 2: So if you step back in the simplest context, a 78 00:04:51,360 --> 00:04:54,720 Speaker 2: venue wherever you are decides who is going to be 79 00:04:54,760 --> 00:04:58,160 Speaker 2: their ticketing company. Generally that venue and the irony of 80 00:04:58,480 --> 00:05:01,520 Speaker 2: this idea that we have control generally that venue is 81 00:05:01,560 --> 00:05:05,080 Speaker 2: a billionaire that is building a billion dollar plus arena 82 00:05:05,440 --> 00:05:10,320 Speaker 2: or stadium, SOFI stadium here in LA. You name the place, 83 00:05:10,560 --> 00:05:13,680 Speaker 2: the San Francisco New Arena, So you're the you're you 84 00:05:13,720 --> 00:05:17,240 Speaker 2: have a sports team generally, and you call us, you 85 00:05:17,320 --> 00:05:19,960 Speaker 2: call seak Geek, you call Access and say I want 86 00:05:19,960 --> 00:05:22,360 Speaker 2: an RFP to be who's going to be the exclusive 87 00:05:22,400 --> 00:05:24,440 Speaker 2: ticketing company for my business? 88 00:05:25,680 --> 00:05:27,880 Speaker 1: Not not everybody knows what's an RFP is. 89 00:05:28,800 --> 00:05:30,920 Speaker 2: They're gonna they're gonna call all of us and say, 90 00:05:31,360 --> 00:05:33,240 Speaker 2: we want you to bid on the rights to be 91 00:05:33,320 --> 00:05:38,120 Speaker 2: the exclusive ticketing company for our venue. And generally ninety 92 00:05:38,120 --> 00:05:41,520 Speaker 2: percent of time, here are the terms you're We don't 93 00:05:41,520 --> 00:05:45,320 Speaker 2: get paid on season tickets. That's a big unknown to 94 00:05:45,360 --> 00:05:47,479 Speaker 2: the industry. So we do all that one hundred and 95 00:05:47,480 --> 00:05:51,120 Speaker 2: twenty five million tickets that are season tickets. Uh, we don't. 96 00:05:51,160 --> 00:05:53,440 Speaker 2: We don't get paid on as a ticketing company. And 97 00:05:53,480 --> 00:05:56,159 Speaker 2: you get paid on the single ticket, the the one 98 00:05:56,200 --> 00:05:59,640 Speaker 2: off ticket for the game or the concert, and the 99 00:05:59,800 --> 00:06:03,280 Speaker 2: van You then dictates how much of the ticket fee 100 00:06:03,279 --> 00:06:06,080 Speaker 2: they're going to keep and how much they'll pay you, 101 00:06:06,560 --> 00:06:09,120 Speaker 2: and how how big the ticket fee will be. And 102 00:06:09,160 --> 00:06:12,680 Speaker 2: that's kind of the let's let's go a little bit slower, right. 103 00:06:13,080 --> 00:06:18,279 Speaker 1: They stand out the RFP request request. We are basically bidding, Yes, 104 00:06:18,360 --> 00:06:21,880 Speaker 1: what would typically be in that bid and what would 105 00:06:21,880 --> 00:06:26,360 Speaker 1: the varying competitors put in the bid such that then 106 00:06:26,440 --> 00:06:28,159 Speaker 1: you might choose one one or the other. 107 00:06:29,120 --> 00:06:33,400 Speaker 2: Well, there's a there's a fundamental technology, basic program to it. 108 00:06:33,480 --> 00:06:38,160 Speaker 2: Can you do these things for my team, my venue. 109 00:06:38,200 --> 00:06:42,960 Speaker 2: Maybe it's multiple teams and and every team. Uh geez, 110 00:06:43,000 --> 00:06:45,719 Speaker 2: we're dealing with the Clippers right now. That's a very 111 00:06:45,800 --> 00:06:50,280 Speaker 2: technical r f P because Balmer and Microsoft background is 112 00:06:50,360 --> 00:06:54,359 Speaker 2: very different. Are working with Mark Cuban in in Dallas. 113 00:06:54,400 --> 00:06:58,760 Speaker 2: So it usually a technical basic basis to the to 114 00:06:58,839 --> 00:07:01,440 Speaker 2: the to the bid what they want to get done 115 00:07:01,480 --> 00:07:04,880 Speaker 2: with that. With the ticketing company, they's got to work 116 00:07:04,880 --> 00:07:07,240 Speaker 2: with this CRM company, it's got to work with their 117 00:07:07,279 --> 00:07:09,520 Speaker 2: food and beverage, it's got to work with their access, 118 00:07:10,360 --> 00:07:12,560 Speaker 2: it's got to work with their charity. So they kind 119 00:07:12,560 --> 00:07:16,760 Speaker 2: of a long technical spec on can your ticket company 120 00:07:16,920 --> 00:07:21,400 Speaker 2: deliver all of these different needs we have amongst our businesses. 121 00:07:21,960 --> 00:07:26,400 Speaker 2: That's the that's probably the fifty percent of it. Then 122 00:07:26,400 --> 00:07:28,120 Speaker 2: the next part is going to be how are you 123 00:07:28,160 --> 00:07:30,880 Speaker 2: going to how are you going to market and sell 124 00:07:31,120 --> 00:07:33,560 Speaker 2: incremental tickets for us? How are you going to help 125 00:07:33,640 --> 00:07:36,760 Speaker 2: us deliver our business? And again that's going to vary, Bob, 126 00:07:36,760 --> 00:07:39,840 Speaker 2: as you know, if you're the hot team that sells 127 00:07:39,840 --> 00:07:44,080 Speaker 2: out in a minute, that's different. If you're the Phoenix 128 00:07:44,080 --> 00:07:47,000 Speaker 2: hockey team, you're looking for the best marketing partner you 129 00:07:47,040 --> 00:07:49,640 Speaker 2: can to help you sell tickets. So again it'll vary 130 00:07:50,000 --> 00:07:53,440 Speaker 2: on how much the marketing and the and the marketplace 131 00:07:53,480 --> 00:07:56,880 Speaker 2: you have matters to the team. And then let's call 132 00:07:56,920 --> 00:08:02,280 Speaker 2: the final piece the financial. How much how low will 133 00:08:02,280 --> 00:08:05,720 Speaker 2: you deliver the business for? Will you give us an 134 00:08:05,720 --> 00:08:10,160 Speaker 2: advance against that a bonus? And is it three five years? 135 00:08:11,240 --> 00:08:16,040 Speaker 2: They'll they'll usually dictate those kind of terms. So it's technical, marketing, marketplace, 136 00:08:16,480 --> 00:08:17,480 Speaker 2: and then financial. 137 00:08:18,440 --> 00:08:23,480 Speaker 1: Okay, most venues, if not all, do want an advance, 138 00:08:23,640 --> 00:08:24,520 Speaker 1: isn't that correct? 139 00:08:25,800 --> 00:08:28,680 Speaker 2: Yeah, most of them are going to ask for some 140 00:08:28,880 --> 00:08:32,040 Speaker 2: version of an advance or a bonus based on getting 141 00:08:32,040 --> 00:08:32,640 Speaker 2: the contract. 142 00:08:33,679 --> 00:08:36,559 Speaker 1: Okay, And an advance would be recoupable and a bonus 143 00:08:36,600 --> 00:08:41,080 Speaker 1: would not be. Yes, okay. So going back to where 144 00:08:41,120 --> 00:08:45,760 Speaker 1: we were earlier, the venue is telling you how much 145 00:08:45,920 --> 00:08:49,720 Speaker 1: the fee is going to be. Yes, yeah, the venue 146 00:08:49,800 --> 00:08:52,640 Speaker 1: is going to define. You know, it's kind of evolved 147 00:08:52,679 --> 00:08:55,440 Speaker 1: over the last five ten years. It used to be, 148 00:08:55,520 --> 00:08:57,880 Speaker 1: you know, when Fred was on your call. You know, 149 00:08:57,960 --> 00:09:00,160 Speaker 1: it was easy in Fred's days. They would just say, 150 00:09:00,480 --> 00:09:03,280 Speaker 1: you know, add another dollar to the service fee and 151 00:09:03,840 --> 00:09:07,200 Speaker 1: we'll split it fifty to fifty. Today it's kind of 152 00:09:07,240 --> 00:09:11,520 Speaker 1: working backwards, where the venue says, I'll pay you three 153 00:09:11,600 --> 00:09:14,480 Speaker 1: four dollars a ticket, and then we're going to keep 154 00:09:14,480 --> 00:09:16,640 Speaker 1: all the upside and we're going to charge forty six 155 00:09:16,800 --> 00:09:21,240 Speaker 1: thirty seven whatever the service fee is. So it's still evolving, 156 00:09:21,320 --> 00:09:24,920 Speaker 1: but generally the net number is determined by the venue 157 00:09:25,240 --> 00:09:27,400 Speaker 1: because the venue has a net takeaway that they want 158 00:09:27,440 --> 00:09:30,480 Speaker 1: to take home from the ticketing business, whether it's a 159 00:09:30,520 --> 00:09:38,199 Speaker 1: percentage or whether it's a fee. Okay, and they established 160 00:09:38,280 --> 00:09:44,160 Speaker 1: it themselves and ticket Master has no negotiation with that 161 00:09:44,320 --> 00:09:45,920 Speaker 1: to raise it or lower it. 162 00:09:46,520 --> 00:09:49,120 Speaker 2: No, and again I'm you know, we can. We can 163 00:09:49,200 --> 00:09:51,280 Speaker 2: come to the part where I am the venue Live Nation, 164 00:09:51,400 --> 00:09:53,280 Speaker 2: so I can I can walk in that shoe later. 165 00:09:54,440 --> 00:09:57,280 Speaker 2: But no, it is a you know, although it doesn't 166 00:09:57,640 --> 00:10:01,440 Speaker 2: seem like it on Twitter at times, it's a competitive process. 167 00:10:01,480 --> 00:10:03,800 Speaker 2: I mean, you have you know, we're just we just 168 00:10:03,880 --> 00:10:07,160 Speaker 2: lost the stadium in Washington. The seat geek. So what 169 00:10:07,240 --> 00:10:11,000 Speaker 2: they ask for someone will pay, whether it's US AEG 170 00:10:11,920 --> 00:10:17,880 Speaker 2: access to stub Hub seat geek. So if they want 171 00:10:17,880 --> 00:10:20,400 Speaker 2: to pay someone two dollars and fifty cents a ticket, 172 00:10:21,120 --> 00:10:22,880 Speaker 2: I can go back and say no, I want four 173 00:10:23,320 --> 00:10:25,600 Speaker 2: and I want the service fee to be lower, but 174 00:10:25,679 --> 00:10:28,160 Speaker 2: they'll go someone else will be standing next door to 175 00:10:28,160 --> 00:10:30,040 Speaker 2: me that says we'll do it for two fifty and 176 00:10:30,120 --> 00:10:31,480 Speaker 2: charge thirty six bucks. 177 00:10:31,640 --> 00:10:34,920 Speaker 1: So okay, if I own an arena in a major market, 178 00:10:35,000 --> 00:10:39,040 Speaker 1: generally speaking, what is the advance in dollars? 179 00:10:41,679 --> 00:10:45,360 Speaker 2: You know, on a it's the team part that's important 180 00:10:45,400 --> 00:10:49,199 Speaker 2: that drives most of the economics. So could be a 181 00:10:49,320 --> 00:10:55,120 Speaker 2: multi million dollar advance, anywhere from zero to ten million dollars, 182 00:10:55,160 --> 00:10:58,680 Speaker 2: could be over for longer term contract. 183 00:10:59,800 --> 00:11:05,319 Speaker 1: Okay, so they're telling you what the fee is going 184 00:11:05,400 --> 00:11:09,240 Speaker 1: to be. But if someone is buying, let's focus on 185 00:11:09,320 --> 00:11:13,360 Speaker 1: concert tickets, where most of the controversy is the fee 186 00:11:13,440 --> 00:11:17,520 Speaker 1: is not the same for every ticket. Usually more expensive 187 00:11:17,559 --> 00:11:21,040 Speaker 1: tickets have a higher fee. Can explain that. 188 00:11:21,240 --> 00:11:25,120 Speaker 2: Yeah, I think historically it's been a percentage. If you 189 00:11:25,160 --> 00:11:29,520 Speaker 2: look at Macro, the ticket percentage is somewhere in the 190 00:11:29,559 --> 00:11:32,640 Speaker 2: twenty to twenty five percent on average, So you're right. 191 00:11:32,679 --> 00:11:35,640 Speaker 2: If it's a ten dollars ticket, it's two fifty. If 192 00:11:35,640 --> 00:11:38,040 Speaker 2: it's a two hundred dollars ticket, it's twenty percent of that. 193 00:11:39,240 --> 00:11:43,080 Speaker 2: Sometimes it can scale from twenty to maybe thirty thirty 194 00:11:43,320 --> 00:11:48,079 Speaker 2: percent on the top end. But it's a percentage scaling 195 00:11:48,480 --> 00:11:51,320 Speaker 2: that's set out from the beginning, and it goes up 196 00:11:52,160 --> 00:11:53,320 Speaker 2: as the ticket price goes up. 197 00:11:54,200 --> 00:11:57,840 Speaker 1: Okay, so let's just say that you have round numbers 198 00:11:57,960 --> 00:12:01,880 Speaker 1: and this would be extremely low. The fee is out 199 00:12:01,920 --> 00:12:05,160 Speaker 1: of that ten dollars they are going to pay ticket 200 00:12:05,240 --> 00:12:09,760 Speaker 1: Master a certain number which is negotiated in advance. Yes, 201 00:12:11,480 --> 00:12:15,760 Speaker 1: and okay, so I buy a ticket. 202 00:12:15,400 --> 00:12:18,480 Speaker 2: Which, by the way, because republic we say it loud, 203 00:12:18,880 --> 00:12:20,960 Speaker 2: we would typically get two of that ten dollars. They 204 00:12:21,000 --> 00:12:25,400 Speaker 2: would get eight, right, which is the real unknown. Right, 205 00:12:25,400 --> 00:12:29,960 Speaker 2: that's where the you know you you would assume because 206 00:12:30,040 --> 00:12:31,920 Speaker 2: we have to take the punch that says it's the 207 00:12:32,000 --> 00:12:35,400 Speaker 2: ticket Master service fee, that we get more of it. 208 00:12:35,440 --> 00:12:38,000 Speaker 2: And that's the biggest kind of unknown to date. 209 00:12:38,600 --> 00:12:43,360 Speaker 1: Okay, when I buy a ticket, there are multiple fees. 210 00:12:44,600 --> 00:12:47,800 Speaker 1: There is you know, the convenience fee and other fees. 211 00:12:48,000 --> 00:12:53,000 Speaker 1: So typically under this paradigm where you have given it 212 00:12:53,080 --> 00:12:56,640 Speaker 1: advance to an arena, what would be all the fees 213 00:12:57,040 --> 00:13:00,600 Speaker 1: in the ticket as a percentage? 214 00:13:00,880 --> 00:13:01,120 Speaker 2: No? 215 00:13:01,120 --> 00:13:04,760 Speaker 1: No, when you have negotiated with a building. We're using 216 00:13:04,760 --> 00:13:07,439 Speaker 1: the example of ten dollars, which is low, you get 217 00:13:07,520 --> 00:13:11,200 Speaker 1: two dollars. Let's say but when the customer goes to 218 00:13:11,200 --> 00:13:15,120 Speaker 1: buy the ticket, there are more fees than ten dollars. 219 00:13:15,480 --> 00:13:16,880 Speaker 1: There are additional fees. 220 00:13:16,960 --> 00:13:21,120 Speaker 2: What are those could depend You could have a facility 221 00:13:21,160 --> 00:13:23,719 Speaker 2: fee which the venue would charge. That would be all 222 00:13:23,720 --> 00:13:29,559 Speaker 2: of their fee. So venues have a facility fee. Credit 223 00:13:29,640 --> 00:13:33,320 Speaker 2: card fee is separate. That's a small percentage that is 224 00:13:33,360 --> 00:13:35,640 Speaker 2: exactly what it is. It goes to the credit card company, 225 00:13:36,920 --> 00:13:38,920 Speaker 2: and it might there might be or it might be 226 00:13:39,040 --> 00:13:43,160 Speaker 2: dressed in a ordering fee which covers the ordering fee, 227 00:13:43,200 --> 00:13:46,400 Speaker 2: which would be the credit card fee within that that 228 00:13:46,480 --> 00:13:50,800 Speaker 2: might be three four percent as an ordering fee where 229 00:13:51,480 --> 00:13:54,400 Speaker 2: covers a credit card fee, and the venue and ticket 230 00:13:54,400 --> 00:13:56,960 Speaker 2: master would split that on that same kind of percentage. 231 00:13:57,640 --> 00:14:01,040 Speaker 2: So facility fee, ordering fee, service fee would be your 232 00:14:01,080 --> 00:14:02,720 Speaker 2: three typical fees. 233 00:14:04,040 --> 00:14:06,679 Speaker 1: And since the building is really at the heart of this, 234 00:14:07,240 --> 00:14:10,240 Speaker 1: why would there be a facility fee in addition? 235 00:14:12,960 --> 00:14:16,880 Speaker 2: I think that's just another way the venues have looked 236 00:14:16,880 --> 00:14:18,920 Speaker 2: to say, how can I get some revenue per ticket? 237 00:14:19,520 --> 00:14:21,280 Speaker 2: And we could. We're going to come later to whether 238 00:14:21,320 --> 00:14:23,160 Speaker 2: this is just or not, but I'm so now we'll 239 00:14:23,200 --> 00:14:26,000 Speaker 2: just talk to the technical part. But I think it's 240 00:14:26,000 --> 00:14:28,760 Speaker 2: a revenue stream that the venues put in place years 241 00:14:28,800 --> 00:14:31,720 Speaker 2: ago to gather revenue per ticket. 242 00:14:32,280 --> 00:14:35,400 Speaker 1: And that is determined in advance. And is that a 243 00:14:35,440 --> 00:14:36,400 Speaker 1: percentage number? 244 00:14:36,480 --> 00:14:37,960 Speaker 2: Now that's the venue add on. 245 00:14:38,640 --> 00:14:40,840 Speaker 1: That would be with the venue of charge, and that 246 00:14:40,880 --> 00:14:45,440 Speaker 1: would be across all events sports, concerts, rodio. 247 00:14:46,280 --> 00:14:49,320 Speaker 2: Generally. Yes, you know, again there's always going to be 248 00:14:49,360 --> 00:14:51,400 Speaker 2: someone going to tweet exceptions to the rules to all 249 00:14:51,440 --> 00:14:54,360 Speaker 2: of this, but yes, in generality, generally you would have 250 00:14:54,400 --> 00:14:56,640 Speaker 2: a facility fee on all your events. If you were 251 00:14:56,720 --> 00:14:57,840 Speaker 2: charging facility fees. 252 00:14:58,320 --> 00:15:03,160 Speaker 1: Okay, using this ten dollars, ticket master gets two dollars. 253 00:15:03,920 --> 00:15:07,000 Speaker 1: Doesn't the promoter also share in the fees? 254 00:15:07,880 --> 00:15:12,320 Speaker 2: No? Now you know this is like pulling one block 255 00:15:12,360 --> 00:15:15,640 Speaker 2: of jingle right, where does one? Where? Does? Where? Does 256 00:15:15,640 --> 00:15:19,600 Speaker 2: one get paid? Typically the venue is paying the promoter, 257 00:15:20,520 --> 00:15:23,080 Speaker 2: so you can in theory say did he pay the venue? 258 00:15:23,400 --> 00:15:25,320 Speaker 2: Did he pay the promoter out of his eight dollars, 259 00:15:25,400 --> 00:15:27,120 Speaker 2: or did he pay it out of his facility fee, 260 00:15:27,200 --> 00:15:28,800 Speaker 2: or did he pay it out of his parking fee? 261 00:15:29,680 --> 00:15:34,440 Speaker 2: But generally a venue has to incentivize the promoter to 262 00:15:34,520 --> 00:15:38,480 Speaker 2: bring shows, so there would be a promoter fee at 263 00:15:38,480 --> 00:15:41,080 Speaker 2: some sometimes that the venue would pay that would come 264 00:15:41,080 --> 00:15:43,840 Speaker 2: out of some version of their of their fees or 265 00:15:43,880 --> 00:15:47,680 Speaker 2: their revenue line, but we don't see it. And you know, 266 00:15:47,720 --> 00:15:49,760 Speaker 2: when you're doing a settlement at the end of the night, 267 00:15:50,160 --> 00:15:53,160 Speaker 2: the promoter doesn't have a cut of the fees. That's 268 00:15:53,520 --> 00:15:56,640 Speaker 2: that goes to the venue direct, and then whatever rent 269 00:15:56,680 --> 00:15:58,800 Speaker 2: and venue deal you have with the venue is separate. 270 00:16:00,600 --> 00:16:04,680 Speaker 1: Okay, but the rent in the there's rent, right, But 271 00:16:04,840 --> 00:16:09,240 Speaker 1: you're also saying there's another line item where essentially the 272 00:16:09,320 --> 00:16:13,280 Speaker 1: building is paying you to have your concert in that building. 273 00:16:14,040 --> 00:16:16,520 Speaker 2: They're called rebates. You've probably heard of them over time. 274 00:16:16,880 --> 00:16:19,200 Speaker 2: You know. The way the venue would work is if 275 00:16:19,240 --> 00:16:22,400 Speaker 2: you have a big arena and probably three arenas maybe 276 00:16:22,440 --> 00:16:25,360 Speaker 2: in town, it's competitive. So you would come to me, 277 00:16:25,520 --> 00:16:28,240 Speaker 2: you'd come to aeg, you would come to any promoter, 278 00:16:28,680 --> 00:16:30,680 Speaker 2: and you would try to incentivize them and say, listen, 279 00:16:30,760 --> 00:16:33,520 Speaker 2: if you could bring ten shows a year, we'll pay 280 00:16:33,520 --> 00:16:36,120 Speaker 2: you five dollars a ticket. If you could bring twenty 281 00:16:36,200 --> 00:16:38,840 Speaker 2: shows and thirty shows. So they're going to try to 282 00:16:38,880 --> 00:16:43,160 Speaker 2: provide an incentive or rebate to bring scale and more 283 00:16:43,200 --> 00:16:47,760 Speaker 2: shows to their venue if you can as an added incentive. 284 00:16:48,720 --> 00:16:53,480 Speaker 1: Okay, So let's just use the concert example. Ticket Master 285 00:16:54,520 --> 00:16:58,120 Speaker 1: revenue stream other than the percentage other than a couple 286 00:16:58,160 --> 00:17:01,600 Speaker 1: of dollars on the then you feed, are there any 287 00:17:01,640 --> 00:17:04,399 Speaker 1: other income streams for ticket Master? 288 00:17:06,240 --> 00:17:11,199 Speaker 2: No, that's the complete business model is a percentage of 289 00:17:11,200 --> 00:17:11,639 Speaker 2: the fees. 290 00:17:12,600 --> 00:17:15,480 Speaker 1: Okay, needless to say what you have saying, these are 291 00:17:15,560 --> 00:17:17,320 Speaker 1: costs that are going to be built in. The costs 292 00:17:17,359 --> 00:17:22,000 Speaker 1: are never going to go away. Just for some people, understand, 293 00:17:22,040 --> 00:17:25,200 Speaker 1: even though you and we have discussed this, the position 294 00:17:25,960 --> 00:17:30,240 Speaker 1: of ticket Master Live Nation is you're all for an 295 00:17:30,320 --> 00:17:31,440 Speaker 1: all in ticket price. 296 00:17:32,720 --> 00:17:34,800 Speaker 2: Yeah, I would say that if you were a you know, 297 00:17:35,400 --> 00:17:37,360 Speaker 2: whether you're a small club owner or a Live Nation 298 00:17:37,560 --> 00:17:39,800 Speaker 2: you have a venue or these arenas that are spending 299 00:17:39,840 --> 00:17:44,679 Speaker 2: a billion dollars on their venues. The reality is the 300 00:17:44,800 --> 00:17:47,000 Speaker 2: artist has done a great job over the last ten 301 00:17:47,080 --> 00:17:49,639 Speaker 2: years or taking more of the door as you know, 302 00:17:50,440 --> 00:17:53,240 Speaker 2: so there's not any dollars left on the gross ticket. 303 00:17:53,359 --> 00:17:57,160 Speaker 2: The ticket goes to the artist. So as that kind 304 00:17:57,160 --> 00:18:00,879 Speaker 2: of has expanded. In order to pay for the venue, 305 00:18:00,920 --> 00:18:03,120 Speaker 2: to pay for the staff, to pay for your costs, 306 00:18:03,760 --> 00:18:07,560 Speaker 2: the service fees have become the revenue line. But you're right, 307 00:18:07,640 --> 00:18:10,840 Speaker 2: if you you couldn't take the service fee away and 308 00:18:10,880 --> 00:18:12,960 Speaker 2: then stay to the venue. Let's put the show on 309 00:18:13,040 --> 00:18:15,159 Speaker 2: the venue would say, well, who's paying all the costs? 310 00:18:15,400 --> 00:18:18,480 Speaker 2: I got to get paid, so they could crank up 311 00:18:18,520 --> 00:18:20,600 Speaker 2: the rent and stay to the artist. Hey, now the 312 00:18:20,640 --> 00:18:23,119 Speaker 2: rent's going to be a lot more money. And then 313 00:18:22,960 --> 00:18:24,639 Speaker 2: then the artist is going to say, okay, they're not 314 00:18:24,680 --> 00:18:26,639 Speaker 2: to charge higher ticket prices, so you wouldn't net it. 315 00:18:26,720 --> 00:18:29,640 Speaker 2: The same result is there is I think I think 316 00:18:29,680 --> 00:18:32,960 Speaker 2: Garstad at best on stage, there's one pizza to get 317 00:18:32,960 --> 00:18:36,119 Speaker 2: the show done. It isn't forty eight dollars, it's seventy six. 318 00:18:37,000 --> 00:18:39,120 Speaker 2: So the quicker we decide that it's a seventy six 319 00:18:39,160 --> 00:18:43,640 Speaker 2: dollars experience, the better will be as an industry than 320 00:18:43,680 --> 00:18:45,879 Speaker 2: what we're doing today. And you know, I use example 321 00:18:45,880 --> 00:18:48,840 Speaker 2: of Amazon. When I buy that hammer at Amazon, I 322 00:18:48,840 --> 00:18:52,119 Speaker 2: think it's a great deal. Now if I if they 323 00:18:52,119 --> 00:18:55,200 Speaker 2: said to me the hammer's five dollars, but the Amazon 324 00:18:55,280 --> 00:18:58,919 Speaker 2: service fee is four, I would think that's horrible. But 325 00:18:59,200 --> 00:19:03,320 Speaker 2: you know Amazon, Apple charge thirty to fifty percent distribution fees, 326 00:19:03,880 --> 00:19:07,560 Speaker 2: So call this fees the distribution fee the margin. The 327 00:19:07,960 --> 00:19:11,560 Speaker 2: challenge in our industry is we have we have kept 328 00:19:11,640 --> 00:19:14,440 Speaker 2: the margin the distribution cost, if you want to call it, 329 00:19:14,640 --> 00:19:18,480 Speaker 2: outside of the price generally in industries, when you buy 330 00:19:18,520 --> 00:19:22,800 Speaker 2: something at Walmart or Target, it's all built in the north. 331 00:19:22,840 --> 00:19:26,480 Speaker 2: Stroms gets paid that the Calvin client gets paid, the 332 00:19:26,520 --> 00:19:29,359 Speaker 2: distribution costs are paid, and it's ninety nine dollars to 333 00:19:29,359 --> 00:19:33,240 Speaker 2: buy the jenes our business for many reasons, it's stayed outside. So, yes, 334 00:19:33,280 --> 00:19:35,800 Speaker 2: we are, we as an industry think the We don't 335 00:19:35,840 --> 00:19:38,240 Speaker 2: think they're junk fees. We don't think there's service fees 336 00:19:38,280 --> 00:19:41,000 Speaker 2: that are just beautiful add ons to make a ton 337 00:19:41,040 --> 00:19:44,359 Speaker 2: of money. We're a very low margin company, so we 338 00:19:44,600 --> 00:19:47,520 Speaker 2: we we certainly are. Our numbers are public and financial 339 00:19:47,640 --> 00:19:50,240 Speaker 2: show you that we're not. We're not making a ton 340 00:19:50,240 --> 00:19:53,600 Speaker 2: of money on service fees other than the what you 341 00:19:53,640 --> 00:19:56,959 Speaker 2: need to pay for staff costs, structure and then have 342 00:19:57,000 --> 00:19:58,120 Speaker 2: a return on your capital. 343 00:19:58,880 --> 00:20:02,479 Speaker 1: Okay, just to get this nailed down, your position is 344 00:20:02,600 --> 00:20:06,600 Speaker 1: you would go to an all in ticket price. You're 345 00:20:06,760 --> 00:20:07,840 Speaker 1: pro that position. 346 00:20:08,359 --> 00:20:11,720 Speaker 2: Yes, we're we're happy pro Jam announced it today on 347 00:20:11,760 --> 00:20:15,800 Speaker 2: their tour. We're we're talking to others. We would we 348 00:20:15,840 --> 00:20:20,800 Speaker 2: would tomorrow go all in pricing. We need we would 349 00:20:20,840 --> 00:20:23,320 Speaker 2: love the industry to do it. I mean New York 350 00:20:23,480 --> 00:20:27,120 Speaker 2: went to all in pricing. We're the only person doing 351 00:20:27,160 --> 00:20:30,240 Speaker 2: all in pricing right now, no one's monitoring it. You 352 00:20:30,320 --> 00:20:31,680 Speaker 2: go go to New York right now and try to 353 00:20:31,680 --> 00:20:34,360 Speaker 2: buy a ticket at subhub or seek geek, No one's 354 00:20:34,600 --> 00:20:37,880 Speaker 2: No one's following the all in pricing mandate law that's 355 00:20:37,880 --> 00:20:41,280 Speaker 2: been put in place there. Because we know, if you 356 00:20:41,800 --> 00:20:44,280 Speaker 2: one guy says it's seventy six dollars and one person 357 00:20:44,359 --> 00:20:46,920 Speaker 2: said it's forty two, but really seventy six, check out, 358 00:20:47,240 --> 00:20:48,879 Speaker 2: you're going to win on Google every day of the 359 00:20:48,880 --> 00:20:51,879 Speaker 2: week on the forty two dollars ticket. So to be 360 00:20:52,119 --> 00:20:55,520 Speaker 2: to be a level playing field for everybody, you would 361 00:20:55,560 --> 00:20:58,359 Speaker 2: want everyone to have to show the right price upfront. 362 00:20:58,960 --> 00:21:01,359 Speaker 2: So yes, we think that. We think showing the fan 363 00:21:01,440 --> 00:21:03,520 Speaker 2: the real price to go to the show upfront is 364 00:21:03,560 --> 00:21:04,679 Speaker 2: better for everybody. 365 00:21:05,520 --> 00:21:12,159 Speaker 1: Okay, what is impeding this process? Why can't it happen? 366 00:21:14,359 --> 00:21:17,240 Speaker 2: Well, I think, you know, I think his StubHub tried 367 00:21:17,240 --> 00:21:19,960 Speaker 2: it a few years ago, five years ago, six years ago, 368 00:21:21,200 --> 00:21:23,600 Speaker 2: you know, and they ended up pulling out of it 369 00:21:23,960 --> 00:21:27,000 Speaker 2: and inciting that their business went down fifteen to twenty percent. 370 00:21:27,720 --> 00:21:29,760 Speaker 2: I think that's scared most people. You looked at that 371 00:21:29,840 --> 00:21:32,600 Speaker 2: and went, geez, if I'm going to be the only 372 00:21:32,760 --> 00:21:38,560 Speaker 2: solo player moving. That's a big hit. So I think 373 00:21:38,600 --> 00:21:41,639 Speaker 2: the date we all have probably been scared of. Do 374 00:21:41,720 --> 00:21:46,040 Speaker 2: I want to absorb any of the leakage in that 375 00:21:46,160 --> 00:21:47,960 Speaker 2: mission because you're going to do it on your own. 376 00:21:48,000 --> 00:21:49,680 Speaker 2: The artists aren't going to give you a break. Then 377 00:21:49,680 --> 00:21:51,199 Speaker 2: no one's going to give you a break that the 378 00:21:51,280 --> 00:21:53,360 Speaker 2: venue's not going to say that's too bad. Will help 379 00:21:53,400 --> 00:21:55,320 Speaker 2: you out here? If you're going to go, you're going 380 00:21:55,359 --> 00:21:58,040 Speaker 2: to go. I think we've been scared to date, and 381 00:21:58,080 --> 00:22:00,280 Speaker 2: then obviously COVID came. We all just had to get 382 00:22:00,280 --> 00:22:04,600 Speaker 2: ourselves back together and back on the horse. So I 383 00:22:04,600 --> 00:22:06,960 Speaker 2: think to date it's been the fear of the unknown. 384 00:22:07,200 --> 00:22:10,160 Speaker 2: Will it hurt your sales? Will the agent artists ask 385 00:22:10,240 --> 00:22:12,520 Speaker 2: for more money because they now say it's all one? 386 00:22:13,200 --> 00:22:15,359 Speaker 2: Is it better to keep it separate? I think the 387 00:22:15,400 --> 00:22:18,280 Speaker 2: sports teams have always done it separate for different reasons too, 388 00:22:19,440 --> 00:22:23,479 Speaker 2: So I think to date there's been a fear of 389 00:22:23,520 --> 00:22:27,239 Speaker 2: the unknown if you went all in. I think at 390 00:22:27,240 --> 00:22:29,919 Speaker 2: this point though, we have to start acting more like 391 00:22:29,920 --> 00:22:33,560 Speaker 2: the leader and standing stronger and taking some of the 392 00:22:33,600 --> 00:22:35,600 Speaker 2: short term pain for the longer term win. 393 00:22:36,119 --> 00:22:39,119 Speaker 1: Well forgetting the resale market, which is where stub Hubbs 394 00:22:39,280 --> 00:22:43,600 Speaker 1: experience was and still is. You have all these acts 395 00:22:43,720 --> 00:22:47,840 Speaker 1: using round numbers, once again saying I said the price 396 00:22:47,960 --> 00:22:52,080 Speaker 1: was fifty dollars, but the checkout price was eighty dollars, 397 00:22:52,520 --> 00:22:58,280 Speaker 1: and that's terrible. So to what degree do the artists 398 00:22:58,520 --> 00:23:00,720 Speaker 1: not want all inke at pricing. 399 00:23:01,680 --> 00:23:04,240 Speaker 2: I think it's I think it's split. I mean, as 400 00:23:04,240 --> 00:23:08,640 Speaker 2: you know, there's no one artist. There's you know, some 401 00:23:08,720 --> 00:23:12,400 Speaker 2: want the money and and some want twenty dollars tickets. 402 00:23:12,400 --> 00:23:14,920 Speaker 2: And there's a spectrum, right, there's no there's no I 403 00:23:14,960 --> 00:23:17,600 Speaker 2: wish I always joke I wish I saw Adam Silver yesterday. 404 00:23:17,640 --> 00:23:19,199 Speaker 2: I wish I had a I wish I was a 405 00:23:19,200 --> 00:23:22,320 Speaker 2: commissioner and can mandate a few a few few things 406 00:23:22,320 --> 00:23:24,960 Speaker 2: here and there. But we're dealing with fifteen hundred different 407 00:23:25,000 --> 00:23:28,439 Speaker 2: managers and artists a year, and they all have different 408 00:23:28,440 --> 00:23:31,720 Speaker 2: agendas and different parts of their life cycle. And and 409 00:23:32,680 --> 00:23:34,280 Speaker 2: so you're right, there are going to be some artists 410 00:23:34,320 --> 00:23:36,920 Speaker 2: that say, no, screw you. I'm not going to say 411 00:23:36,920 --> 00:23:40,520 Speaker 2: it's an eighty dollars ticket, it's fifty. Some artists like 412 00:23:40,520 --> 00:23:42,480 Speaker 2: Pear Jam, we're gonna say, I get it, let's let's 413 00:23:42,560 --> 00:23:46,359 Speaker 2: let's make it fair and do what's right. So you're right, 414 00:23:46,400 --> 00:23:48,960 Speaker 2: it hasn't been something to date. You know, this is 415 00:23:49,000 --> 00:23:53,320 Speaker 2: an industry we talk about is Live. It's very very unorganized. 416 00:23:53,359 --> 00:23:56,520 Speaker 2: As you know. The recording side is a bit more organized. 417 00:23:56,560 --> 00:23:59,320 Speaker 2: They've got you know, they got lobbyists, they've got kind 418 00:23:59,320 --> 00:24:03,560 Speaker 2: of organized, the Grammy's, the Riria. There's really no there's 419 00:24:03,560 --> 00:24:06,639 Speaker 2: no organization and Live we always joke the only actual 420 00:24:06,720 --> 00:24:10,639 Speaker 2: organization is the Ticket Broker Association. We're a really good lobbyists, 421 00:24:10,640 --> 00:24:12,680 Speaker 2: but there is not even a lobbyist group for us 422 00:24:12,760 --> 00:24:15,479 Speaker 2: as an industry, so we don't do well as an 423 00:24:15,520 --> 00:24:21,400 Speaker 2: industry making smart moves holistically. You're right. So I think 424 00:24:21,440 --> 00:24:24,159 Speaker 2: we're going to have to just move forward Live with 425 00:24:24,240 --> 00:24:27,679 Speaker 2: some short term pain of some artists or others, but 426 00:24:27,720 --> 00:24:31,200 Speaker 2: I think it's right for the fan and the experience overall. Now, Bob, 427 00:24:31,320 --> 00:24:33,600 Speaker 2: I would say, I don't want to you know, let's 428 00:24:33,640 --> 00:24:35,160 Speaker 2: go to the second part. I don't want to say 429 00:24:35,200 --> 00:24:37,560 Speaker 2: that there aren't times when the service fee is too 430 00:24:37,640 --> 00:24:40,080 Speaker 2: high and that doesn't have to be addressed too. This 431 00:24:40,119 --> 00:24:43,000 Speaker 2: isn't just jam all the service fees in. Put it 432 00:24:43,000 --> 00:24:44,760 Speaker 2: in one price so we can hide it there are 433 00:24:45,280 --> 00:24:47,439 Speaker 2: as you saw with the Cure. I think we do 434 00:24:47,560 --> 00:24:49,760 Speaker 2: have to look at some of our businesses on the 435 00:24:49,800 --> 00:24:53,480 Speaker 2: lower end ticket prices, the clubs, theater. I do think 436 00:24:53,480 --> 00:24:55,919 Speaker 2: as an industry we probably do have to absorb a 437 00:24:55,920 --> 00:24:58,639 Speaker 2: bit better and think a little smarter at what is 438 00:24:58,680 --> 00:25:02,160 Speaker 2: the add on fee because I think I think although 439 00:25:02,200 --> 00:25:04,840 Speaker 2: it's justified, I don't think it's justified probably at every 440 00:25:04,840 --> 00:25:07,479 Speaker 2: ticket price point. So we probably as an industry need 441 00:25:07,520 --> 00:25:08,359 Speaker 2: to be smarter there. 442 00:25:15,400 --> 00:25:17,679 Speaker 1: Okay, let's be very specific since you brought it up, 443 00:25:18,480 --> 00:25:22,240 Speaker 1: what exactly happened with the cure because ten dollars were 444 00:25:22,280 --> 00:25:26,040 Speaker 1: given back, which is a first, right, you. 445 00:25:26,000 --> 00:25:28,560 Speaker 2: Know, it was again when you you know, the system 446 00:25:28,760 --> 00:25:31,919 Speaker 2: isn't really built for artists like Robert the cure, right, 447 00:25:31,960 --> 00:25:35,520 Speaker 2: We're usually do a running fast put the ticket on sale, 448 00:25:36,560 --> 00:25:40,240 Speaker 2: and we kind of are proud of the ticketmaster's side. 449 00:25:40,280 --> 00:25:42,560 Speaker 2: We did a ton of work with Robert making sure 450 00:25:43,280 --> 00:25:46,280 Speaker 2: it was a non transferable, that it would be then 451 00:25:46,359 --> 00:25:50,679 Speaker 2: face valued exchange, and we kind of got verified and 452 00:25:50,680 --> 00:25:52,840 Speaker 2: doing all we could to put all the roadblocks to 453 00:25:52,880 --> 00:25:58,040 Speaker 2: help him deliver his ticket price to the fan. But 454 00:25:58,119 --> 00:26:00,240 Speaker 2: he's so active on Twitter, as you know, there was 455 00:26:00,280 --> 00:26:02,840 Speaker 2: a screenshot of a venue which wasn't even a Live 456 00:26:02,920 --> 00:26:05,640 Speaker 2: Nation venue. It was an amphitheater that we don't own 457 00:26:06,640 --> 00:26:09,719 Speaker 2: that showed a the ticket service fee of the twenty 458 00:26:09,760 --> 00:26:13,639 Speaker 2: on the twenty. Which it doesn't matter whether we justify 459 00:26:13,760 --> 00:26:15,800 Speaker 2: that the service fee is a good idea or not. 460 00:26:16,480 --> 00:26:18,399 Speaker 2: We have an industry where we got to build some 461 00:26:18,400 --> 00:26:22,720 Speaker 2: credibility back. So Robert reached out to me. We talked 462 00:26:22,720 --> 00:26:27,120 Speaker 2: about it. I couldn't defend that in any version of life, 463 00:26:27,200 --> 00:26:28,800 Speaker 2: we were going to add a twenty dollars service fee 464 00:26:28,840 --> 00:26:32,240 Speaker 2: to a twenty dollars ticket. So I made the decision 465 00:26:32,240 --> 00:26:34,359 Speaker 2: that we would go in, spend some money and help 466 00:26:35,080 --> 00:26:38,040 Speaker 2: on this case, give back the ten dollars, and get 467 00:26:38,040 --> 00:26:41,440 Speaker 2: it to a reasonable place for those fans. 468 00:26:42,760 --> 00:26:46,440 Speaker 1: Okay, let's be very specific where did the ten dollars 469 00:26:46,480 --> 00:26:51,200 Speaker 1: come from? Because using the earlier paradigm on the fees, 470 00:26:51,920 --> 00:26:53,840 Speaker 1: the venue takes most of the money. 471 00:26:54,040 --> 00:26:57,080 Speaker 2: Right, we went to the venues and said we're going 472 00:26:57,119 --> 00:26:59,760 Speaker 2: to reduce it by ten and we will eat the 473 00:26:59,840 --> 00:27:02,360 Speaker 2: car if you don't want to join us well as 474 00:27:02,359 --> 00:27:06,440 Speaker 2: a one time hit, we'll take the cost to make 475 00:27:06,480 --> 00:27:10,160 Speaker 2: this right. And I'd say half the venue said listen, 476 00:27:10,200 --> 00:27:13,520 Speaker 2: will help you out. The other other half said good luck, 477 00:27:13,600 --> 00:27:17,920 Speaker 2: eat it. So it was a fast, moved, fast decision, 478 00:27:18,520 --> 00:27:21,560 Speaker 2: and we thought it was worth the million dollars or 479 00:27:21,600 --> 00:27:24,280 Speaker 2: so to say, let's let's let's make the right message 480 00:27:24,400 --> 00:27:26,600 Speaker 2: with an artist that does care to this level. 481 00:27:28,440 --> 00:27:33,680 Speaker 1: But if you leave all emotions out, is it reasonable 482 00:27:33,760 --> 00:27:37,240 Speaker 1: to expect to see the Cure for twenty dollars in 483 00:27:37,280 --> 00:27:40,679 Speaker 1: an arena which only holds fifteen to twenty thousand people. 484 00:27:42,480 --> 00:27:46,840 Speaker 2: No, I think you're I think the you know, I 485 00:27:46,880 --> 00:27:51,160 Speaker 2: think the pricing of concerts in general, I don't think 486 00:27:51,160 --> 00:27:53,240 Speaker 2: we should. I think there's this fine line between yes, 487 00:27:53,280 --> 00:27:55,520 Speaker 2: we want it accessible, but I think it's a great 488 00:27:55,680 --> 00:27:58,480 Speaker 2: art and I think there's a price to it, and 489 00:27:58,760 --> 00:28:00,880 Speaker 2: I don't think we should fool ourselves. The fans will 490 00:28:00,920 --> 00:28:03,760 Speaker 2: not pay, especially the cure age fans that will not 491 00:28:03,880 --> 00:28:07,639 Speaker 2: pay for the great show. But as I said, my 492 00:28:07,760 --> 00:28:10,240 Speaker 2: job isn't a debate whether the artist wants to take 493 00:28:10,240 --> 00:28:12,840 Speaker 2: all the money or give or or or or or 494 00:28:12,960 --> 00:28:16,359 Speaker 2: Zach or Cure want to charge too little. I'm just trying. 495 00:28:16,400 --> 00:28:19,280 Speaker 2: My job is just deliver that platform for them. In 496 00:28:19,320 --> 00:28:23,600 Speaker 2: this case, I think I think we were we thought 497 00:28:23,600 --> 00:28:26,479 Speaker 2: we'd be better off to respond and address it than 498 00:28:26,600 --> 00:28:27,800 Speaker 2: leave it. Leave it as is. 499 00:28:28,640 --> 00:28:36,359 Speaker 1: Okay, now Live Nation owns, clubs and smaller venues. Based 500 00:28:36,400 --> 00:28:40,560 Speaker 1: on what you just said, you believe in your owned 501 00:28:40,720 --> 00:28:45,880 Speaker 1: venues that you should address the fees because in some 502 00:28:46,040 --> 00:28:50,520 Speaker 1: cases you think they're inappropriate and too high. 503 00:28:50,680 --> 00:28:52,920 Speaker 2: Yeah, listen, I think as a I think we are. 504 00:28:52,920 --> 00:28:55,840 Speaker 2: If you look at our fee structure, we're no different 505 00:28:55,880 --> 00:29:00,880 Speaker 2: than AG or Independence anywhere else. Sports concerts, nine to thirty, 506 00:29:00,960 --> 00:29:04,360 Speaker 2: club AG, We're all in the same ballparks. We're all 507 00:29:04,440 --> 00:29:07,720 Speaker 2: charging facility fee, service fees. We all have the same 508 00:29:07,840 --> 00:29:12,560 Speaker 2: economic challenge of running a venue, paying staff and as 509 00:29:12,600 --> 00:29:15,760 Speaker 2: you read about inflation, staff costs up, insurance costs, So 510 00:29:15,760 --> 00:29:19,080 Speaker 2: we're all in the same predicament. But I do think 511 00:29:19,560 --> 00:29:22,360 Speaker 2: as the leader, we probably have to make we have 512 00:29:22,440 --> 00:29:25,920 Speaker 2: to start acting and moving a little bit more on 513 00:29:26,000 --> 00:29:31,840 Speaker 2: the younger developing artists club and low ticket price. So yes, 514 00:29:31,920 --> 00:29:35,120 Speaker 2: I do look at my twenty dollars amphitheater tickets or 515 00:29:35,160 --> 00:29:39,040 Speaker 2: a twenty dollars ticket in general, and I don't care 516 00:29:39,080 --> 00:29:42,600 Speaker 2: if it's rational right now that we got to pay 517 00:29:42,640 --> 00:29:45,440 Speaker 2: staff and we have costs and the service fees should 518 00:29:45,440 --> 00:29:47,680 Speaker 2: be what it should be to a fan right now, 519 00:29:47,680 --> 00:29:50,360 Speaker 2: We've got to build some trust back, So I think 520 00:29:50,360 --> 00:29:52,200 Speaker 2: we got to go all in pricing. But I do 521 00:29:52,240 --> 00:29:54,560 Speaker 2: think at Live Nation we'll look at the lower end 522 00:29:54,560 --> 00:29:57,880 Speaker 2: ticket prices in the theater and clubs and say, can 523 00:29:57,920 --> 00:30:00,360 Speaker 2: we also scale them back and make sure or we're 524 00:30:01,560 --> 00:30:07,160 Speaker 2: a defendable fee on a service on a ticket price. Okay, well, 525 00:30:07,200 --> 00:30:09,000 Speaker 2: now we might have allay other ways Bob to get 526 00:30:09,040 --> 00:30:11,880 Speaker 2: revenue to pubblement that. But I think it's been too 527 00:30:11,920 --> 00:30:14,360 Speaker 2: easy to add a dollar to the service fee. And 528 00:30:14,480 --> 00:30:16,160 Speaker 2: I think I think at a certain point of fans 529 00:30:16,160 --> 00:30:18,760 Speaker 2: says listen, I get it. I even get a twenty percent. 530 00:30:18,760 --> 00:30:21,480 Speaker 2: We've done the research. I understand the service fee paid staff, 531 00:30:21,520 --> 00:30:24,200 Speaker 2: and I understand it. One, don't surprise me at the end. 532 00:30:24,280 --> 00:30:28,320 Speaker 2: Please tell me upfront. Two if it's more than twenty percent, 533 00:30:28,520 --> 00:30:32,120 Speaker 2: I don't understand it. Where's it going doesn't seem fair. 534 00:30:32,640 --> 00:30:35,400 Speaker 2: So I think we are looking at we got to 535 00:30:35,400 --> 00:30:38,040 Speaker 2: do a better job of saying where it's going and 536 00:30:38,080 --> 00:30:40,800 Speaker 2: how it's broken out. That would be a start. But 537 00:30:40,920 --> 00:30:42,680 Speaker 2: if we go all in pricing, I do think we 538 00:30:42,720 --> 00:30:44,760 Speaker 2: still also have to look at the bottom end of 539 00:30:44,800 --> 00:30:46,360 Speaker 2: the lower end and make it more accessible. 540 00:30:47,200 --> 00:30:49,880 Speaker 1: Okay, as I say, a lot of people listening to 541 00:30:49,960 --> 00:30:54,360 Speaker 1: this are emotionally invested but don't know all of the process. 542 00:30:55,120 --> 00:30:59,720 Speaker 1: So let's start with the process of how Live Nation 543 00:31:00,120 --> 00:31:04,400 Speaker 1: gets a date or a tour and how the money 544 00:31:04,760 --> 00:31:08,040 Speaker 1: is established, both the paybact and what the ticket prices 545 00:31:08,080 --> 00:31:08,400 Speaker 1: will be. 546 00:31:11,440 --> 00:31:16,760 Speaker 2: So an artist has an agent, and whether they are 547 00:31:17,880 --> 00:31:21,080 Speaker 2: selling a local date to an arena or a club 548 00:31:21,120 --> 00:31:24,240 Speaker 2: show in Philadelphia, or maybe the agent is trying to 549 00:31:24,280 --> 00:31:27,280 Speaker 2: sell twenty or thirty dates together as a tour. That 550 00:31:27,360 --> 00:31:31,200 Speaker 2: agent's going to call the promoters. Whether it's Live Nation, 551 00:31:31,440 --> 00:31:33,280 Speaker 2: it's going to be aeg, it's going to be the 552 00:31:33,320 --> 00:31:39,479 Speaker 2: local promoter, seth another planet. There's always a local promoter. 553 00:31:40,000 --> 00:31:42,960 Speaker 2: So the agent's going to call three promoters and say, 554 00:31:44,000 --> 00:31:49,040 Speaker 2: bandex wants to play October one in Chicago. Make us 555 00:31:49,080 --> 00:31:53,840 Speaker 2: an offer, and they might you know, they might say 556 00:31:53,840 --> 00:31:57,000 Speaker 2: here's the ticket price or not at the beginning, it'll 557 00:31:57,000 --> 00:32:00,600 Speaker 2: depend on the artist. But we want to an arena 558 00:32:00,880 --> 00:32:04,880 Speaker 2: or a theater on October one in San Francisco. Make 559 00:32:04,960 --> 00:32:08,280 Speaker 2: us an offer. We'll come in, we'll come we'll run 560 00:32:08,320 --> 00:32:11,200 Speaker 2: the math. Look at the arena. Thirteen thousand seats what 561 00:32:11,200 --> 00:32:14,360 Speaker 2: did they do last time, sixty nine, thirty nine, one 562 00:32:14,440 --> 00:32:17,479 Speaker 2: hundred and ten. Look at their scaling, they sold out, 563 00:32:17,560 --> 00:32:20,560 Speaker 2: didn't sell out. Put that math together and say, you know, 564 00:32:20,600 --> 00:32:23,920 Speaker 2: we think we think there's this business that is going 565 00:32:24,000 --> 00:32:25,880 Speaker 2: to sell eighty percent of the tickets. We think it's 566 00:32:25,880 --> 00:32:29,600 Speaker 2: a four hundred thousand dollars guarantee. And we'll send back 567 00:32:29,640 --> 00:32:33,040 Speaker 2: that guarantee and say four hundred thousand dollars against a 568 00:32:33,200 --> 00:32:37,160 Speaker 2: thirty fifty and one hundred and ten dollars scaling agent 569 00:32:37,200 --> 00:32:41,840 Speaker 2: will take all three of those. Generally come back to 570 00:32:42,200 --> 00:32:46,240 Speaker 2: all three of us and say we want four fifty. 571 00:32:46,440 --> 00:32:52,360 Speaker 2: Highest bid is four fifty, And now the ticket prices 572 00:32:52,400 --> 00:32:55,280 Speaker 2: gets rescaled based on the guarantee. So now your ticket 573 00:32:55,280 --> 00:32:57,240 Speaker 2: price will go to one twenty and seventy nine and 574 00:32:57,280 --> 00:33:01,120 Speaker 2: sixty nine. So you can look to scale and gross 575 00:33:01,600 --> 00:33:02,720 Speaker 2: that number at the door. 576 00:33:03,520 --> 00:33:07,920 Speaker 1: So in your original bit, your original offer, you do 577 00:33:08,000 --> 00:33:10,800 Speaker 1: put in ticket price points. 578 00:33:10,840 --> 00:33:14,320 Speaker 2: As I said, it's it's it's both ways. Sometimes the 579 00:33:14,400 --> 00:33:17,240 Speaker 2: artist is clear on what. The agent will say, you know, 580 00:33:18,000 --> 00:33:20,480 Speaker 2: here's what we here's the maximum he'll charge. Here's the 581 00:33:20,480 --> 00:33:23,120 Speaker 2: ticket prices he'll charge it. Usually only the top end 582 00:33:23,120 --> 00:33:26,720 Speaker 2: they worry about. So they'll probably say, listen, historically he's 583 00:33:26,720 --> 00:33:30,240 Speaker 2: never gone above one twenty for a P one, so 584 00:33:30,360 --> 00:33:32,640 Speaker 2: come back with the scaling. There's some version of a 585 00:33:33,200 --> 00:33:36,840 Speaker 2: of a top end established by the artist, so we'll 586 00:33:36,880 --> 00:33:40,000 Speaker 2: come back with that scaling in it. Typically that scaleing 587 00:33:40,040 --> 00:33:42,040 Speaker 2: will spit out a number less than they want, and 588 00:33:42,080 --> 00:33:44,760 Speaker 2: we'll all probably sharpen our pencils, the eight promoters and 589 00:33:44,800 --> 00:33:47,600 Speaker 2: come back and say, listen, if you go to one forty, 590 00:33:47,960 --> 00:33:49,480 Speaker 2: we can pay you a four to fifty a night. 591 00:33:50,240 --> 00:33:52,640 Speaker 2: And that tends to be how it gets defined. So 592 00:33:53,280 --> 00:33:57,520 Speaker 2: the guarantee drives the ticket scaling. It's just math. Just back, 593 00:33:57,560 --> 00:34:00,120 Speaker 2: you're just dividing thirteen thousand seats by the guarantee and 594 00:34:00,160 --> 00:34:02,840 Speaker 2: then debating how many are each in each level. 595 00:34:03,320 --> 00:34:06,680 Speaker 1: Well, let's be very clear, at the end of the day, 596 00:34:08,800 --> 00:34:14,880 Speaker 1: the act, through his agent, establishes the price of the ticket. 597 00:34:16,160 --> 00:34:20,799 Speaker 2: Yes, why the cure decided he would have a low price, right, 598 00:34:20,800 --> 00:34:22,839 Speaker 2: he would have. We wouldn't have we wouldn't have put 599 00:34:22,880 --> 00:34:25,040 Speaker 2: an offer in those low prices. That wouldn't have been 600 00:34:25,120 --> 00:34:27,480 Speaker 2: historically what you do that would have came back and said, 601 00:34:27,520 --> 00:34:30,200 Speaker 2: I want to charge twenty dollars and I'll live with 602 00:34:30,239 --> 00:34:32,759 Speaker 2: a lower gross and a lower walk out, or other 603 00:34:32,880 --> 00:34:35,879 Speaker 2: artists will say, agents will say I want I want 604 00:34:35,880 --> 00:34:38,799 Speaker 2: a million dollar guarantee. Come back with the math. 605 00:34:39,920 --> 00:34:43,719 Speaker 1: Okay, so let's just assume, based on your example, you're 606 00:34:43,760 --> 00:34:48,720 Speaker 1: paying the act four hundred thousand dollars. Now, just for 607 00:34:49,080 --> 00:34:53,720 Speaker 1: the newbies, there is a potential back end, an additional payment. 608 00:34:54,160 --> 00:34:55,279 Speaker 1: Explain that. 609 00:34:56,640 --> 00:34:59,200 Speaker 2: Again. I'm going to use generalities, but typically you're going 610 00:34:59,239 --> 00:35:02,560 Speaker 2: to pay an artist a guarantee versus a ninety ten. 611 00:35:03,200 --> 00:35:06,000 Speaker 2: Maybe it's a ninety five to five. So if you 612 00:35:07,160 --> 00:35:10,359 Speaker 2: sell out whatever tickets you sell that night, you're going 613 00:35:10,400 --> 00:35:14,439 Speaker 2: to get your total gross. And if you grossed five 614 00:35:14,560 --> 00:35:18,399 Speaker 2: hundred and ten thousand dollars after at the top end, 615 00:35:18,719 --> 00:35:23,480 Speaker 2: you're going to take expenses out rent local, local ushers, 616 00:35:23,560 --> 00:35:27,520 Speaker 2: local security, local venue costs, and then you might end 617 00:35:27,600 --> 00:35:32,400 Speaker 2: up at four hundred thousand dollars net after venue costs. 618 00:35:32,800 --> 00:35:35,080 Speaker 2: If you guarantee them four fifty, you write to check 619 00:35:35,120 --> 00:35:40,080 Speaker 2: for four fifty, regardless if after costs it's five hundred, 620 00:35:40,719 --> 00:35:43,120 Speaker 2: they're going to get ninety percent of that five hundred 621 00:35:43,200 --> 00:35:45,480 Speaker 2: versus their guarantee of four fifty, So they're going to 622 00:35:45,480 --> 00:35:48,640 Speaker 2: get four seventy five and you'll make your your ten percent. 623 00:35:49,360 --> 00:35:52,520 Speaker 2: So at minimum they got a floor. Their job is 624 00:35:52,560 --> 00:35:57,920 Speaker 2: then to push us to keep expenses down, sell as 625 00:35:57,960 --> 00:35:59,600 Speaker 2: many tickets as we can, and try to get that 626 00:35:59,680 --> 00:36:01,359 Speaker 2: artist to what they call percentages. 627 00:36:02,719 --> 00:36:10,000 Speaker 1: Okay, overall, what is Live Nations profit percentage? And where 628 00:36:10,080 --> 00:36:12,959 Speaker 1: do you actually make the money since the acts get 629 00:36:13,040 --> 00:36:15,080 Speaker 1: most of the ticket revenue. 630 00:36:17,120 --> 00:36:20,000 Speaker 2: Well, listen at the core. This is a scale business, right, 631 00:36:20,160 --> 00:36:21,960 Speaker 2: you know, I had to build this over the last 632 00:36:22,000 --> 00:36:25,360 Speaker 2: fifteen years because you don't get rich on any one show. 633 00:36:25,880 --> 00:36:28,240 Speaker 2: It's the service global business. We're going to do forty 634 00:36:28,320 --> 00:36:33,920 Speaker 2: thousand shows in one hundred cities and forty countries. So 635 00:36:34,280 --> 00:36:37,680 Speaker 2: I remember an analyst wayback said it's the river and nickels, right, 636 00:36:37,719 --> 00:36:39,360 Speaker 2: So you have to build a business that has a 637 00:36:39,400 --> 00:36:44,160 Speaker 2: lot of ongoing nickels of revenue streams around that flywheel 638 00:36:44,200 --> 00:36:46,759 Speaker 2: called the show. So you know, if you kind of 639 00:36:46,760 --> 00:36:49,400 Speaker 2: look at our model, we're going to do forty thousand shows, 640 00:36:49,400 --> 00:36:52,399 Speaker 2: We'll spend about ten billion dollars on guarantees or those 641 00:36:52,520 --> 00:36:56,400 Speaker 2: walkouts at midnight. We'll make a bit. We'll make a 642 00:36:56,600 --> 00:37:01,920 Speaker 2: small percentage on that so called door where we're going 643 00:37:01,960 --> 00:37:04,080 Speaker 2: to make our money now is okay, we have one 644 00:37:04,160 --> 00:37:07,160 Speaker 2: hundred million people walked into the door, so we're going 645 00:37:07,200 --> 00:37:09,640 Speaker 2: to one We have one hundred and thirty one hundred 646 00:37:09,640 --> 00:37:14,000 Speaker 2: and fifty of our own venues, amphitheaters, clubs, theaters, three 647 00:37:14,080 --> 00:37:17,640 Speaker 2: hundred festivals, so in those places will be the venue 648 00:37:17,640 --> 00:37:20,840 Speaker 2: we're going to make the food and beverage, the parking, 649 00:37:21,000 --> 00:37:26,320 Speaker 2: the service fees, and the sponsorship. So you're kind of 650 00:37:26,400 --> 00:37:30,000 Speaker 2: vertical on the non live nation shows. We're going to 651 00:37:30,040 --> 00:37:34,200 Speaker 2: make money on those rebates as we talk about bring 652 00:37:34,200 --> 00:37:37,240 Speaker 2: our content to the arena, bring them forty to fifty 653 00:37:37,239 --> 00:37:42,600 Speaker 2: shows and get paid a rebate. And then third is 654 00:37:42,640 --> 00:37:45,839 Speaker 2: we're going to spoil our global sponsorship business just in 655 00:37:45,920 --> 00:37:51,400 Speaker 2: general delivering global sponsorships to our shows, our festivals, our venues, 656 00:37:51,440 --> 00:37:57,759 Speaker 2: our access, image programs, pre sale programs, all of those 657 00:37:57,800 --> 00:38:03,319 Speaker 2: ways that we can deliver sponsorships to big brands. And 658 00:38:03,360 --> 00:38:08,200 Speaker 2: then Ticketmaster service fees those twenty percent that they're going 659 00:38:08,239 --> 00:38:10,520 Speaker 2: to make on that side. So those are the main 660 00:38:10,680 --> 00:38:14,520 Speaker 2: buckets that you're going to put together that deliver your 661 00:38:14,560 --> 00:38:18,560 Speaker 2: profitability above your on your forty thousand shows. 662 00:38:19,080 --> 00:38:21,360 Speaker 1: And at the end of the day, what's the margin 663 00:38:23,960 --> 00:38:24,319 Speaker 1: we're at. 664 00:38:25,040 --> 00:38:28,320 Speaker 2: You know, we're a combined basis. We're a ten eleven 665 00:38:28,360 --> 00:38:32,919 Speaker 2: percent margin business. Concert business is a low margin two 666 00:38:33,360 --> 00:38:37,960 Speaker 2: two percent margin, could be four. Sponsorship is a high 667 00:38:38,000 --> 00:38:42,520 Speaker 2: margin business. And ticketings it's thirty five percent business. But 668 00:38:42,600 --> 00:38:48,040 Speaker 2: you're netting out to a ten eleven percent margin business overall. 669 00:38:46,520 --> 00:38:53,000 Speaker 1: And compared to other companies. Apple strives for thirty percent margin. 670 00:38:54,880 --> 00:38:56,480 Speaker 2: Yeah, if you're a tech company, you're going to be 671 00:38:56,480 --> 00:39:00,120 Speaker 2: in your thirty forty plus percent margins. You would You 672 00:39:00,120 --> 00:39:02,279 Speaker 2: wouldn't find a monopoly in history that had a ten 673 00:39:02,320 --> 00:39:04,759 Speaker 2: eleven percent margin, if you want to kind of use 674 00:39:04,800 --> 00:39:10,279 Speaker 2: that analogy. Typically, monopoly means you've exerted, you have enough 675 00:39:10,320 --> 00:39:12,880 Speaker 2: power and pricing power, et cetera. You probably have a 676 00:39:12,960 --> 00:39:15,920 Speaker 2: very high margin return. So you're right, it is a 677 00:39:17,520 --> 00:39:20,799 Speaker 2: low margin business. At the core. You have to have 678 00:39:20,880 --> 00:39:24,880 Speaker 2: global scale like we built ultimately deliver a consistent, global 679 00:39:25,080 --> 00:39:28,280 Speaker 2: good business. But it's a it's a hand to hand combat. 680 00:39:29,000 --> 00:39:32,240 Speaker 1: How much of the income is from sponsorship. 681 00:39:34,520 --> 00:39:39,799 Speaker 2: You know what is ballpark? Were about forty percent sponsorship. 682 00:39:40,120 --> 00:39:45,080 Speaker 2: It's a big business for us in our festivals. 683 00:39:45,680 --> 00:39:50,360 Speaker 1: Okay, let's talk superstar acts and I'm gonna speak English. 684 00:39:50,440 --> 00:39:54,120 Speaker 1: Here there are a number of superstar acts, some of 685 00:39:54,160 --> 00:39:58,040 Speaker 1: them who used to be with AEG eight. But Live 686 00:39:58,200 --> 00:40:02,160 Speaker 1: Nation pays more, and sometimes the act goes with Live 687 00:40:02,280 --> 00:40:03,960 Speaker 1: Most of the time the act goes with Live Nation. 688 00:40:04,520 --> 00:40:06,959 Speaker 1: How can Live Nation pay more? 689 00:40:09,800 --> 00:40:13,040 Speaker 2: Yeah, I don't. I don't go the pay more route. 690 00:40:13,160 --> 00:40:17,200 Speaker 2: I wouldn't say that's fair fair all the time as 691 00:40:17,239 --> 00:40:21,000 Speaker 2: I went to that earlier bidding process. When there's a 692 00:40:21,040 --> 00:40:24,120 Speaker 2: big global tour that AG and Live Nation are bidding on, 693 00:40:26,600 --> 00:40:30,600 Speaker 2: I can't remember the last latest one. We're both we're 694 00:40:30,600 --> 00:40:32,920 Speaker 2: both neck to neck. I mean, there's never a version 695 00:40:32,920 --> 00:40:36,160 Speaker 2: that a G they're calling me saying, oh god, you 696 00:40:36,640 --> 00:40:39,600 Speaker 2: so overpaid. It's yours. I mean, god, we're just we're 697 00:40:39,640 --> 00:40:41,520 Speaker 2: just too good as a company as is a G. 698 00:40:42,000 --> 00:40:44,600 Speaker 2: Nor are they overpaid. I mean, you're literally going to 699 00:40:44,640 --> 00:40:47,640 Speaker 2: win by a dollar either way. You're you you at 700 00:40:47,640 --> 00:40:50,719 Speaker 2: that point though, you're you're selling your global business, you're 701 00:40:50,719 --> 00:40:54,279 Speaker 2: selling your relationships, you're selling your marketing, you're you know, 702 00:40:54,320 --> 00:40:57,080 Speaker 2: so you're you're you're selling a bundle. But I wouldn't 703 00:40:57,080 --> 00:40:59,840 Speaker 2: tell you that we There would be no version that 704 00:40:59,840 --> 00:41:02,640 Speaker 2: we are waking up and stealing a tour from them 705 00:41:02,760 --> 00:41:05,719 Speaker 2: or winning a tour from them because we dramatically overpaid. 706 00:41:06,000 --> 00:41:07,719 Speaker 2: It's an inside baseball negotiating. 707 00:41:07,840 --> 00:41:10,800 Speaker 1: Wait wait, wait, wait, there's a lot of dollars involved here, 708 00:41:11,520 --> 00:41:15,600 Speaker 1: and I certainly know specific cases. At the end of 709 00:41:15,719 --> 00:41:21,120 Speaker 1: the day, Live Nation paid more than AG was willing 710 00:41:21,280 --> 00:41:26,279 Speaker 1: to pay, and the act went with Live Nation, let 711 00:41:26,280 --> 00:41:29,840 Speaker 1: me let me, let let me go to a different spot. 712 00:41:29,920 --> 00:41:33,040 Speaker 2: And while addressed, well, just I joke with my team, 713 00:41:33,120 --> 00:41:37,040 Speaker 2: right when we lose a tour, Age overpaid when we 714 00:41:37,080 --> 00:41:40,200 Speaker 2: went a tour for geniuses, right, So I deal with 715 00:41:40,239 --> 00:41:43,080 Speaker 2: this every day when when when we losed AG, my 716 00:41:43,160 --> 00:41:44,799 Speaker 2: promoter will come to me go, oh my god, they 717 00:41:44,880 --> 00:41:49,319 Speaker 2: so overpaid. They didn't you know. That's that's that's what 718 00:41:49,960 --> 00:41:53,439 Speaker 2: competitively wise, that's typically what you do is the only 719 00:41:53,480 --> 00:41:55,359 Speaker 2: way you must have lost is the other guy must 720 00:41:55,400 --> 00:42:00,279 Speaker 2: have dramatically overpaid. Most of us are every negotiation with 721 00:42:00,320 --> 00:42:04,000 Speaker 2: that agent, it's inside baseball. That agent is calling you 722 00:42:04,120 --> 00:42:08,200 Speaker 2: saying Age's at forty one million and you're at thirty 723 00:42:08,280 --> 00:42:11,839 Speaker 2: nine eight These calling Age saying they're at thirty nine Like, 724 00:42:12,120 --> 00:42:14,719 Speaker 2: it's not like we're at fifty and they're at forty two. 725 00:42:14,920 --> 00:42:18,600 Speaker 2: There's there's no version of that we're all it's none 726 00:42:18,600 --> 00:42:21,600 Speaker 2: of us and Nora's age. When they beat me, it's 727 00:42:21,640 --> 00:42:25,600 Speaker 2: not because they dramatically overpaid. You know, they won the 728 00:42:25,719 --> 00:42:29,920 Speaker 2: Luke Combs tour. They's got a good relationship with Capian 729 00:42:30,200 --> 00:42:33,680 Speaker 2: won that in the US, and and and and and 730 00:42:33,800 --> 00:42:36,280 Speaker 2: you know, there's kind of a combination of relationship meets 731 00:42:36,680 --> 00:42:40,640 Speaker 2: money meets you know, their package. But so I just 732 00:42:40,680 --> 00:42:43,399 Speaker 2: say that because I definitely don't believe that when we 733 00:42:43,440 --> 00:42:46,239 Speaker 2: win it's because we overpaid. We typically win because we 734 00:42:46,320 --> 00:42:50,480 Speaker 2: have a global business different than theirs. We have been 735 00:42:50,520 --> 00:42:55,160 Speaker 2: able to generally make artists more money overall, which really 736 00:42:55,160 --> 00:42:57,000 Speaker 2: matters not what you pay them. What the artist cares 737 00:42:57,000 --> 00:43:01,040 Speaker 2: about is what's the walkout in the end. And we 738 00:43:01,040 --> 00:43:04,719 Speaker 2: were the author of platinum and Dynamic Pricing and and 739 00:43:05,280 --> 00:43:07,799 Speaker 2: and VIP. So I do believe we've been able to 740 00:43:08,080 --> 00:43:11,040 Speaker 2: help deliver for the artists, but wouldn't say we overpay 741 00:43:11,520 --> 00:43:17,200 Speaker 2: to win. I think we both win on price, but 742 00:43:17,200 --> 00:43:18,799 Speaker 2: but there's always a package around it. 743 00:43:19,640 --> 00:43:25,880 Speaker 1: Okay, let's talk specifically about Ticketmaster. Ticket Master is also 744 00:43:26,000 --> 00:43:31,520 Speaker 1: a secondary platform, okay, meaning the ticket's already been sold, 745 00:43:31,680 --> 00:43:36,400 Speaker 1: it can be resold on ticket Master. Let's start first, 746 00:43:38,160 --> 00:43:42,680 Speaker 1: the fact that the ticket cannot be resold at less 747 00:43:43,120 --> 00:43:47,040 Speaker 1: than in the original price. Is that a Ticketmaster policy 748 00:43:47,160 --> 00:43:49,160 Speaker 1: or is that an act policy? 749 00:43:49,960 --> 00:43:58,320 Speaker 2: That's Ticketmaster. So when I took over Ticketmaster, our biggest 750 00:43:58,400 --> 00:44:00,520 Speaker 2: challenge of Ticketmaster and the reason it was to declining 751 00:44:00,760 --> 00:44:03,880 Speaker 2: five years in a row, Well, stubbub was kicking its 752 00:44:03,920 --> 00:44:07,240 Speaker 2: ass at ten o'clock. When you went to ticket Master 753 00:44:07,520 --> 00:44:10,279 Speaker 2: to buy that Tour of the Day ten years ago, 754 00:44:10,840 --> 00:44:15,239 Speaker 2: we said no tickets available, literally, and I followed it 755 00:44:15,280 --> 00:44:17,680 Speaker 2: one day and for the next six months, like eighty 756 00:44:17,719 --> 00:44:21,319 Speaker 2: six million people came to the page which we basically said, 757 00:44:21,320 --> 00:44:25,840 Speaker 2: go to stubhubb. So our sports clients then also our team, 758 00:44:26,400 --> 00:44:31,839 Speaker 2: team owners, NBA, NHL adopted exchanges and secondary fully at 759 00:44:31,840 --> 00:44:35,480 Speaker 2: that point. So number one reality was we need to 760 00:44:35,520 --> 00:44:37,360 Speaker 2: be able to say we need to open our platform 761 00:44:37,400 --> 00:44:41,560 Speaker 2: and let secondary dots live. We can't keep telling customers 762 00:44:41,880 --> 00:44:45,279 Speaker 2: we have no tickets at ten am. Well Secondary is 763 00:44:45,320 --> 00:44:47,040 Speaker 2: alive and well down the street. 764 00:44:48,800 --> 00:44:49,680 Speaker 1: But one of the. 765 00:44:49,640 --> 00:44:52,680 Speaker 2: Realities was what were we going to do that we 766 00:44:52,719 --> 00:44:56,719 Speaker 2: believe for the team and the artist would still be 767 00:44:56,880 --> 00:45:00,880 Speaker 2: something that is right for their business. Things we don't 768 00:45:00,920 --> 00:45:04,240 Speaker 2: do which hurt us overall market share is we don't 769 00:45:04,239 --> 00:45:09,680 Speaker 2: do spec selling and we don't underprice face. That probably 770 00:45:09,719 --> 00:45:12,399 Speaker 2: means at any given time we have fifty percent less 771 00:45:12,400 --> 00:45:15,719 Speaker 2: inventory than sea geek and stub Hub because, as you see, 772 00:45:15,800 --> 00:45:18,239 Speaker 2: a lot of this game that go on now is 773 00:45:18,320 --> 00:45:20,600 Speaker 2: spec selling where they don't have the seats, they don't 774 00:45:20,600 --> 00:45:24,800 Speaker 2: really have the ticket. They're masterful, they're very good marketers. 775 00:45:24,880 --> 00:45:27,520 Speaker 2: They'll put three seats together at eight hundred dollars and 776 00:45:27,600 --> 00:45:29,920 Speaker 2: two seats at two thousand, but they don't have any 777 00:45:30,000 --> 00:45:32,239 Speaker 2: of those. But if you buy the eight hundred because 778 00:45:32,280 --> 00:45:34,719 Speaker 2: it seems cheaper than the two, they'll email you and 779 00:45:34,719 --> 00:45:38,120 Speaker 2: they'll find seats a row difference and you'll buy them. Anyways, 780 00:45:38,480 --> 00:45:41,520 Speaker 2: So we don't do spec selling, and we decided that 781 00:45:41,560 --> 00:45:44,320 Speaker 2: we would always say we don't ever think content should 782 00:45:44,320 --> 00:45:47,880 Speaker 2: be underpriced from whatever the artist or team said it at. 783 00:45:48,000 --> 00:45:50,520 Speaker 2: So that's been our philosophy and we've stayed true to 784 00:45:50,560 --> 00:45:51,440 Speaker 2: that so far. 785 00:45:59,000 --> 00:46:03,000 Speaker 1: Okay, what is the payment to ticket Master when a 786 00:46:03,080 --> 00:46:04,960 Speaker 1: ticket is re sold on its platform. 787 00:46:06,320 --> 00:46:10,040 Speaker 2: It's the same. So the secondary has to be approved 788 00:46:10,040 --> 00:46:14,240 Speaker 2: by the venue because the venue, again when they select 789 00:46:14,280 --> 00:46:17,640 Speaker 2: a ticketing company, they mandate what the secondary is or 790 00:46:17,719 --> 00:46:23,480 Speaker 2: isn't so it's the same split basically the secondary. I 791 00:46:23,520 --> 00:46:26,640 Speaker 2: can't turn on the secondary and that venue without the 792 00:46:26,760 --> 00:46:31,400 Speaker 2: venue approving it. And the third thing that we do 793 00:46:31,640 --> 00:46:35,800 Speaker 2: that scalpers I guess don't do is we get approval 794 00:46:35,840 --> 00:46:38,400 Speaker 2: from the artist. So again, a lot of times if 795 00:46:38,400 --> 00:46:41,400 Speaker 2: the artist says I don't want TM to turn on secondary, 796 00:46:41,400 --> 00:46:46,400 Speaker 2: we don't, even though Seekeek and others will, well, you know, 797 00:46:46,480 --> 00:46:49,080 Speaker 2: we'll fill up Taylor Swift for example, we didn't turn 798 00:46:49,120 --> 00:46:52,759 Speaker 2: on DM plus and Seekeek and others made a fortune. 799 00:46:53,480 --> 00:46:55,840 Speaker 2: But but the ultimate is the reality is the venue 800 00:46:56,040 --> 00:47:01,759 Speaker 2: controls the ticket secondary and turning on and turning off 801 00:47:01,920 --> 00:47:02,640 Speaker 2: for their teams. 802 00:47:03,560 --> 00:47:09,279 Speaker 1: Uh So on a concert, if the on a secondary 803 00:47:10,040 --> 00:47:12,480 Speaker 1: is the split similar to the. 804 00:47:12,320 --> 00:47:15,200 Speaker 2: Primary, similar prime? Yeah, they're all the similar. 805 00:47:16,000 --> 00:47:20,800 Speaker 1: And then to what degree does the fee change based 806 00:47:21,040 --> 00:47:22,680 Speaker 1: on the price of the ticket? 807 00:47:25,320 --> 00:47:27,799 Speaker 2: I would assume it has the same up scales up 808 00:47:27,800 --> 00:47:32,440 Speaker 2: as the ticket goes up twenty, twenty five, thirty, whatever 809 00:47:32,440 --> 00:47:33,040 Speaker 2: the actual. 810 00:47:32,840 --> 00:47:36,000 Speaker 1: St Okay, So Nicholas to say, on the secondary, the 811 00:47:36,200 --> 00:47:39,600 Speaker 1: venue is making the majority of the money's supposed a 812 00:47:39,600 --> 00:47:41,160 Speaker 1: ticket master, but. 813 00:47:41,760 --> 00:47:44,080 Speaker 2: Just the fees, not the yes, just for the unknown 814 00:47:44,120 --> 00:47:46,280 Speaker 2: there for the people out there it's not. The face 815 00:47:46,360 --> 00:47:49,680 Speaker 2: is the third party person making the real money. The 816 00:47:49,719 --> 00:47:52,320 Speaker 2: fee is then just split between the venue and TM. 817 00:47:52,840 --> 00:47:58,520 Speaker 1: Okay, there are many events the ticket master is the 818 00:47:58,560 --> 00:48:05,000 Speaker 1: ticketing company, but Live Nation is not the promoter. Yes, correct, Yes, 819 00:48:05,719 --> 00:48:10,640 Speaker 1: So if I am a promoter and Ticketmaster is the 820 00:48:10,680 --> 00:48:16,560 Speaker 1: platform I'm using for the gig, I would say, hey, 821 00:48:17,360 --> 00:48:22,839 Speaker 1: if their secondary market, why can't I share in that 822 00:48:22,960 --> 00:48:28,000 Speaker 1: income because Live Nation is sharing in the upscale upsell 823 00:48:28,600 --> 00:48:31,759 Speaker 1: on Live Nation shows, but they're also making money on 824 00:48:31,800 --> 00:48:33,640 Speaker 1: my show. 825 00:48:34,760 --> 00:48:36,640 Speaker 2: Yeah, but you, as the promoter can say I don't 826 00:48:36,640 --> 00:48:39,200 Speaker 2: want to turn it on. So typically AG won't turn 827 00:48:39,239 --> 00:48:42,680 Speaker 2: it on. They'll say it's my show and we don't 828 00:48:42,680 --> 00:48:46,200 Speaker 2: want to turn on secondary in that venue. So the 829 00:48:46,239 --> 00:48:50,400 Speaker 2: promoter has the right with his show in that venue 830 00:48:50,440 --> 00:48:53,320 Speaker 2: to determine if if if TM does get turned on 831 00:48:53,480 --> 00:48:57,719 Speaker 2: for the platform and well and the promoter. You know, 832 00:48:57,880 --> 00:48:59,920 Speaker 2: remember the promoter is always going to go to the 833 00:49:00,160 --> 00:49:04,320 Speaker 2: venue and say, in general, I want to get paid 834 00:49:04,560 --> 00:49:07,600 Speaker 2: my rebate. So you know, his motive is always going 835 00:49:07,640 --> 00:49:12,080 Speaker 2: to be whether however much money the venue makes. Your 836 00:49:12,160 --> 00:49:14,120 Speaker 2: job is the promoter is to figure out how to 837 00:49:14,560 --> 00:49:15,640 Speaker 2: increase your rebates. 838 00:49:16,920 --> 00:49:19,800 Speaker 1: So theoretically, if you know it's an in demand show. 839 00:49:20,239 --> 00:49:23,440 Speaker 1: The promoter would be aware of this and say I 840 00:49:23,520 --> 00:49:26,600 Speaker 1: want to payment that in essence would be percentage of 841 00:49:26,640 --> 00:49:28,960 Speaker 1: your fees that you're making on the resale. 842 00:49:30,400 --> 00:49:31,839 Speaker 2: Yeah, I just want to make clear we don't get 843 00:49:31,840 --> 00:49:38,120 Speaker 2: that misstated. The promoter in general isn't specifically saying give 844 00:49:38,160 --> 00:49:43,480 Speaker 2: me The artist or the promoter aren't specifically saying give 845 00:49:43,520 --> 00:49:47,879 Speaker 2: me some of that eight dollars or two dollars. That 846 00:49:47,920 --> 00:49:52,440 Speaker 2: conversation doesn't happen. The venue has already got a relationship 847 00:49:52,440 --> 00:49:55,839 Speaker 2: with the venue or the promoter, and the promoter is 848 00:49:55,840 --> 00:50:00,200 Speaker 2: getting his five, eight, nine dollars rebate as a business overall. 849 00:50:01,800 --> 00:50:04,440 Speaker 2: So if you are the venue and you want to 850 00:50:04,440 --> 00:50:07,359 Speaker 2: turn it on, the promoter isn't going to worry about 851 00:50:07,400 --> 00:50:10,799 Speaker 2: that one revenue stream that night. You're playing for the 852 00:50:10,880 --> 00:50:14,320 Speaker 2: full year, and there are some days where the show 853 00:50:14,400 --> 00:50:16,919 Speaker 2: loses money and the venues are great partners and help 854 00:50:17,000 --> 00:50:18,839 Speaker 2: you out on the rent or help you out on 855 00:50:19,280 --> 00:50:22,160 Speaker 2: you know, it's the bad shows. You want to save 856 00:50:22,239 --> 00:50:25,560 Speaker 2: the good days for the venue, not the days they 857 00:50:25,560 --> 00:50:26,400 Speaker 2: can make some money. 858 00:50:27,239 --> 00:50:30,360 Speaker 1: Okay, let's talk about ticket prices. You know there have 859 00:50:30,400 --> 00:50:37,640 Speaker 1: been some amplified examples like Springsteen. Okay, you mentioned Pearl Jam. 860 00:50:37,880 --> 00:50:42,440 Speaker 1: It's a non transferable ticket. They're establishing the price. That's 861 00:50:42,480 --> 00:50:47,399 Speaker 1: what it costs. But there are other acts. Let's use 862 00:50:47,440 --> 00:50:51,320 Speaker 1: Springsteen who went over one hundred dollars, and people say, 863 00:50:51,920 --> 00:50:56,000 Speaker 1: I am a die hard fan, i am entitled to 864 00:50:56,080 --> 00:50:58,640 Speaker 1: be in the building. I'm entitled to get a good 865 00:50:58,719 --> 00:51:01,600 Speaker 1: seat at a low price. These are the same. No, 866 00:51:01,719 --> 00:51:05,080 Speaker 1: these are boomers mostly going to a Springstein show. If 867 00:51:05,080 --> 00:51:09,719 Speaker 1: they go to dinner, it's one hundred dollars a person. Yeah, 868 00:51:09,920 --> 00:51:13,880 Speaker 1: but for somehow to go to see Springsteen, one hundred 869 00:51:13,880 --> 00:51:19,239 Speaker 1: dollars is too much. What's the reality of pricing and 870 00:51:19,400 --> 00:51:22,560 Speaker 1: is it different for younger acts? And is it really 871 00:51:23,000 --> 00:51:25,280 Speaker 1: we should just charge what the ticket is worth. 872 00:51:27,560 --> 00:51:31,440 Speaker 2: It's a it's a really interesting complex problem, right. You 873 00:51:31,520 --> 00:51:35,920 Speaker 2: have this fandom, as you know, that fan is so 874 00:51:36,080 --> 00:51:39,560 Speaker 2: emotionally connected to that artist. They've listened a thousand times 875 00:51:41,160 --> 00:51:44,160 Speaker 2: and they really believe they have rights. It's very different 876 00:51:44,719 --> 00:51:48,760 Speaker 2: than sports, which is a badge of honor to say 877 00:51:48,960 --> 00:51:53,120 Speaker 2: this court side's cost sixteen thousand dollars. You know, I 878 00:51:53,160 --> 00:51:55,799 Speaker 2: was talking. I was talking little bron James the night 879 00:51:55,880 --> 00:52:00,399 Speaker 2: he broke the record and ticket on points and I said, 880 00:52:00,440 --> 00:52:04,120 Speaker 2: you know, lebron tonight to sit courtside Laker games ten 881 00:52:04,160 --> 00:52:07,160 Speaker 2: to twenty thousand dollars, but they're mad. Beyonce's charge in 882 00:52:07,200 --> 00:52:11,799 Speaker 2: eight hundred for one tour every five years. But it's 883 00:52:11,840 --> 00:52:14,319 Speaker 2: a you know, the super Bowl. The sports business is 884 00:52:14,640 --> 00:52:17,440 Speaker 2: kind of embraced. It's expensive and for some reason that 885 00:52:17,600 --> 00:52:21,719 Speaker 2: Diehart fan doesn't get on Twitter and say that team 886 00:52:21,760 --> 00:52:25,760 Speaker 2: owner is an asshole because I can't see the Lakers 887 00:52:25,800 --> 00:52:29,560 Speaker 2: for sixty six dollars. So you're right, the fan is 888 00:52:29,760 --> 00:52:33,600 Speaker 2: very mostly connected. They've got great outlets now on Twitter 889 00:52:33,640 --> 00:52:36,160 Speaker 2: and other ways. They really believe that they have the 890 00:52:36,239 --> 00:52:39,640 Speaker 2: right to see that artist. But the reality, as you said, Bob, 891 00:52:39,719 --> 00:52:44,920 Speaker 2: then in this scarcity world of birkin bags and lbmhs 892 00:52:44,960 --> 00:52:48,640 Speaker 2: that you wrote about last week, the live experience is 893 00:52:48,680 --> 00:52:52,719 Speaker 2: a absolutely special moment in time. That front row is 894 00:52:52,760 --> 00:52:56,320 Speaker 2: a birkin bag and more. It's a an exceptional product. 895 00:52:57,680 --> 00:52:59,960 Speaker 2: And you're right, I do think the quicker the artists 896 00:53:00,040 --> 00:53:03,160 Speaker 2: figure out that we got to charge closer to market 897 00:53:03,920 --> 00:53:06,239 Speaker 2: for some of the seats. You know, Springsteen was a 898 00:53:06,239 --> 00:53:08,920 Speaker 2: great example. It was only one percent of the seats 899 00:53:09,320 --> 00:53:12,400 Speaker 2: were over one thousand dollars. All we did was transfer. 900 00:53:13,040 --> 00:53:16,359 Speaker 2: Last tour, the tickets went right to the scalper and 901 00:53:16,400 --> 00:53:19,560 Speaker 2: resold to the fan for two thousand dollars. So this 902 00:53:19,640 --> 00:53:21,600 Speaker 2: time we just took those same tickets and said, Bruce, 903 00:53:21,600 --> 00:53:24,279 Speaker 2: you should actually get the money, but let's make sure 904 00:53:24,320 --> 00:53:27,440 Speaker 2: we keep the rest of the house cheap. But the 905 00:53:27,480 --> 00:53:30,800 Speaker 2: stories don't get that headline. You know, ninety eight percent 906 00:53:30,800 --> 00:53:34,080 Speaker 2: of my shows don't sell out. Most shows are very affordable, 907 00:53:34,480 --> 00:53:36,799 Speaker 2: but you're going to have some burking bags in the 908 00:53:36,840 --> 00:53:39,720 Speaker 2: Beyonces and the Drakes and the bad Bunnies and these 909 00:53:39,960 --> 00:53:43,960 Speaker 2: these artists and the front rows are scarce business commodities. 910 00:53:45,520 --> 00:53:50,080 Speaker 2: And I do think that, well the secondary exists free 911 00:53:50,160 --> 00:53:53,719 Speaker 2: and free and clear in America, that you do have 912 00:53:53,800 --> 00:53:56,160 Speaker 2: to start saying, then, if the fan is buying it 913 00:53:56,200 --> 00:53:59,960 Speaker 2: from stub hub, they are fans, why wouldn't the artists 914 00:54:00,080 --> 00:54:04,440 Speaker 2: participate in that art and have more of it? So 915 00:54:04,480 --> 00:54:07,040 Speaker 2: I do think I think that they have to slowly 916 00:54:07,080 --> 00:54:10,640 Speaker 2: start charging closer to market at the front end. Now 917 00:54:11,920 --> 00:54:13,960 Speaker 2: you know, you know, we launched a fare ticket act, 918 00:54:13,960 --> 00:54:15,880 Speaker 2: and I'm sure you'll mention all that, you know. I 919 00:54:15,880 --> 00:54:19,759 Speaker 2: do believe that the reality is the Digital ticket is 920 00:54:19,800 --> 00:54:22,520 Speaker 2: a great tool that could help us out in this mess. 921 00:54:22,880 --> 00:54:25,279 Speaker 2: I mean, the mess we have right now is that 922 00:54:25,400 --> 00:54:29,160 Speaker 2: creates the Twitter storms, is that fan comes at ten 923 00:54:29,200 --> 00:54:33,439 Speaker 2: am and they're pissed off because at ten oh one 924 00:54:33,880 --> 00:54:37,640 Speaker 2: it's sold out and there's ten pages of scalpers selling 925 00:54:37,680 --> 00:54:40,800 Speaker 2: tickets for three hundred times face and I get the 926 00:54:40,880 --> 00:54:43,080 Speaker 2: d ms and the hate mail and the and the 927 00:54:43,120 --> 00:54:44,880 Speaker 2: death threats that say, you know you asked whole you 928 00:54:44,920 --> 00:54:46,879 Speaker 2: must have given all those tickets to the scalper at 929 00:54:46,880 --> 00:54:51,000 Speaker 2: ten o'clock. It's not fair. That's the drama that we created, 930 00:54:51,280 --> 00:54:53,600 Speaker 2: right and we do our best with verified fan and 931 00:54:53,640 --> 00:54:56,200 Speaker 2: speed bumps and it's but it's a it's an arms 932 00:54:56,280 --> 00:54:59,920 Speaker 2: race because it's five billion dollars in secondary of vail 933 00:55:00,680 --> 00:55:04,319 Speaker 2: to make a very very very high margin business. So 934 00:55:04,760 --> 00:55:08,000 Speaker 2: while we're letting that run wild, then you either have 935 00:55:08,080 --> 00:55:10,719 Speaker 2: to control it or you have to price to it. 936 00:55:11,200 --> 00:55:13,480 Speaker 2: But I think if we let it run wild like 937 00:55:13,520 --> 00:55:16,399 Speaker 2: we are today and then it's silly of us then 938 00:55:16,480 --> 00:55:18,680 Speaker 2: not to let the artists participate in some of that 939 00:55:19,760 --> 00:55:22,080 Speaker 2: and price it better. Or we got to control it, 940 00:55:22,120 --> 00:55:25,400 Speaker 2: and we could with digital ticketing. We could tomorrow just 941 00:55:25,440 --> 00:55:27,880 Speaker 2: say there's a cap on it, or there's some rules 942 00:55:27,880 --> 00:55:30,120 Speaker 2: around it. A lot of countries in the world have 943 00:55:30,560 --> 00:55:32,960 Speaker 2: figured out this is probably not a great idea to 944 00:55:33,080 --> 00:55:36,880 Speaker 2: run wild and have fans have to pay these prices. 945 00:55:38,239 --> 00:55:40,720 Speaker 2: So I do think that it should be some control 946 00:55:40,760 --> 00:55:44,600 Speaker 2: put in place, so we could put some limits on it. 947 00:55:45,320 --> 00:55:46,560 Speaker 2: I don't have a lot of faith that we can 948 00:55:46,560 --> 00:55:49,440 Speaker 2: get much done in the government probably right now, or monitored, 949 00:55:49,600 --> 00:55:53,560 Speaker 2: or actually execute it properly. So I think you do 950 00:55:53,600 --> 00:55:56,239 Speaker 2: then have to say, probably have to price closer to 951 00:55:56,320 --> 00:55:58,719 Speaker 2: market for some of those front rows and some of 952 00:55:58,719 --> 00:56:03,560 Speaker 2: those seats. So the artist who's already paying that anyways, 953 00:56:03,560 --> 00:56:06,360 Speaker 2: they're paying it today. It's not that it gets not 954 00:56:06,440 --> 00:56:09,160 Speaker 2: being paid, it's just not being monetized by the artist. 955 00:56:10,719 --> 00:56:16,279 Speaker 1: Would you say people complaining about excessive ticket prices is 956 00:56:16,400 --> 00:56:20,160 Speaker 1: more of a boomer gen X phenomenon as opposed to 957 00:56:20,320 --> 00:56:21,760 Speaker 1: younger acts. 958 00:56:23,200 --> 00:56:26,439 Speaker 2: Yeah, it's this. It's an interesting you know, to see 959 00:56:26,440 --> 00:56:30,760 Speaker 2: that which ones do flare up? As you're right. I 960 00:56:30,920 --> 00:56:33,239 Speaker 2: sat at the Bad Bunny Stadium show here in La 961 00:56:34,280 --> 00:56:40,200 Speaker 2: credible show, credible performer with the third highest grossing stadium 962 00:56:40,280 --> 00:56:46,160 Speaker 2: in history. He broke most records, and I said, I 963 00:56:46,200 --> 00:56:50,000 Speaker 2: said to his manager, credible. The fans are, they're dancing, 964 00:56:50,040 --> 00:56:52,719 Speaker 2: they're having their blast, they dressed up. This is a 965 00:56:52,760 --> 00:56:56,040 Speaker 2: party tonight. And the tickets were you know, price well, 966 00:56:57,160 --> 00:56:59,880 Speaker 2: but there was no social about it. But but definitely 967 00:56:59,920 --> 00:57:02,480 Speaker 2: the the Springsteen fans seem to get really upset, even 968 00:57:02,480 --> 00:57:05,560 Speaker 2: though it was probably much older and richer. So it 969 00:57:05,600 --> 00:57:07,200 Speaker 2: did seem a bit ironic that week. 970 00:57:08,239 --> 00:57:12,200 Speaker 1: The other thing that people don't realize is the very 971 00:57:12,280 --> 00:57:15,960 Speaker 1: expensive tickets are not only going to the rich. The 972 00:57:16,160 --> 00:57:20,320 Speaker 1: hardcore fan will pay that price, even if I hear 973 00:57:20,320 --> 00:57:23,160 Speaker 1: from them all the time, even I'm stubum, and they're 974 00:57:23,360 --> 00:57:25,320 Speaker 1: very happy about being that close. 975 00:57:26,000 --> 00:57:27,440 Speaker 2: I so agree with you, Bob. I said this to 976 00:57:27,480 --> 00:57:30,920 Speaker 2: an artist last week who went on this low ticket price, 977 00:57:30,960 --> 00:57:34,280 Speaker 2: and I just like you, just you know, you're missing it. 978 00:57:34,840 --> 00:57:37,440 Speaker 2: I came from no money and I remember going to 979 00:57:37,480 --> 00:57:42,560 Speaker 2: my Robert Plant tour in uh In, Toronto from Thunder 980 00:57:42,560 --> 00:57:45,720 Speaker 2: Bay on a bus and yes, I saved my money 981 00:57:45,720 --> 00:57:48,400 Speaker 2: and I worked hard and it was all my money 982 00:57:48,400 --> 00:57:50,400 Speaker 2: for that month or whatever it was. But that was 983 00:57:50,440 --> 00:57:53,640 Speaker 2: a great experience. And you know, I get these emails 984 00:57:53,640 --> 00:57:55,160 Speaker 2: now from someone that says, oh my god, I had 985 00:57:55,200 --> 00:57:57,919 Speaker 2: to work two jobs to get to the Bad Bunny Show. 986 00:57:58,000 --> 00:58:02,240 Speaker 2: And yeah, you know most most people look at concerts 987 00:58:02,240 --> 00:58:05,400 Speaker 2: as a really special moment in their kodact life. It's 988 00:58:05,920 --> 00:58:09,880 Speaker 2: it's magic moment maybe twice a year. Way cheaper than 989 00:58:10,040 --> 00:58:13,000 Speaker 2: Disneyland or the super Bowl, or the NFL or the 990 00:58:13,080 --> 00:58:16,560 Speaker 2: NBA playoffs or or an expensive night out. So it's 991 00:58:16,760 --> 00:58:20,960 Speaker 2: really cheap overall considering. And you're right, this is not 992 00:58:21,160 --> 00:58:24,400 Speaker 2: that the that the this just the rich people. This 993 00:58:24,520 --> 00:58:27,160 Speaker 2: is a great, great product that people will buy as 994 00:58:27,160 --> 00:58:29,480 Speaker 2: they're going to buy the Gucci bag. They're going to 995 00:58:29,560 --> 00:58:33,560 Speaker 2: buy moments in life where they will step up and 996 00:58:33,720 --> 00:58:36,400 Speaker 2: spoil themselves at the big screen TV or whatever it 997 00:58:36,400 --> 00:58:38,720 Speaker 2: may be. But you're right, this is a business where 998 00:58:38,880 --> 00:58:41,680 Speaker 2: we can charge a bit more. I'm not saying excessively, 999 00:58:42,160 --> 00:58:45,200 Speaker 2: but it's it's a great two hour performance of a 1000 00:58:45,240 --> 00:58:49,400 Speaker 2: lifetime that happens once every three four years in that market. 1001 00:58:50,320 --> 00:58:53,480 Speaker 2: You don't have to underprice yourself. Low low to middle 1002 00:58:54,360 --> 00:58:56,680 Speaker 2: income we'll we'll, we'll, we'll make their way to that 1003 00:58:56,720 --> 00:58:57,919 Speaker 2: arena for that special night. 1004 00:58:59,080 --> 00:59:03,400 Speaker 1: About twenty years ago, the concept of platinum started. You 1005 00:59:03,480 --> 00:59:06,640 Speaker 1: got a seat very close to the stage, you might 1006 00:59:06,680 --> 00:59:08,960 Speaker 1: get to eat meat, a member of the band, you 1007 00:59:09,040 --> 00:59:12,800 Speaker 1: might get to hear a sound check, whatever. We learned 1008 00:59:12,800 --> 00:59:15,600 Speaker 1: that the extras weren't what we're selling the tickets. People 1009 00:59:15,640 --> 00:59:20,400 Speaker 1: just wanted the good seats. But when it came to Springsteen, 1010 00:59:20,560 --> 00:59:25,200 Speaker 1: the term platinum was used for tickets that were not 1011 00:59:25,520 --> 00:59:30,800 Speaker 1: right up front, and in addition, those were dynamically priced. 1012 00:59:31,560 --> 00:59:32,680 Speaker 1: How did we get there? 1013 00:59:34,800 --> 00:59:41,720 Speaker 2: Yeah, you're right, the platinum, the VIP tickets, no different 1014 00:59:41,760 --> 00:59:46,240 Speaker 2: ways where there were higher ticket prices outside of thep ones, 1015 00:59:46,760 --> 00:59:49,600 Speaker 2: And you're right, they all got bought, regardless of whether 1016 00:59:49,600 --> 00:59:52,880 Speaker 2: it was a cocktail, shrimp and a laminate. It was 1017 00:59:52,960 --> 00:59:57,720 Speaker 2: just the good seats and they bought them. So recently, 1018 00:59:57,840 --> 01:00:01,160 Speaker 2: over the last five years a those sound checks and 1019 01:00:01,200 --> 01:00:05,040 Speaker 2: meet and greets and VIPs, especially through COVID, before and 1020 01:00:05,120 --> 01:00:07,720 Speaker 2: after it started to wean out, they were the cost 1021 01:00:07,800 --> 01:00:12,800 Speaker 2: to execute. They weren't that special anymore, and the business 1022 01:00:12,800 --> 01:00:15,880 Speaker 2: converted to more of a platinum ticket. Let's just charge 1023 01:00:15,920 --> 01:00:20,400 Speaker 2: for those good seats. Let's put some seats into an 1024 01:00:20,440 --> 01:00:24,320 Speaker 2: allocation where they're more than the pre ones and we 1025 01:00:24,360 --> 01:00:30,360 Speaker 2: can price them better. Started five eight years ago, band 1026 01:00:30,400 --> 01:00:32,560 Speaker 2: started to embrace this idea that there was an idea 1027 01:00:32,560 --> 01:00:35,480 Speaker 2: and again, artists are always just looking at the other 1028 01:00:35,520 --> 01:00:39,800 Speaker 2: side of the equation. As everyday secondary got more sunlight 1029 01:00:40,360 --> 01:00:43,400 Speaker 2: and went from the streets to the internet, and you 1030 01:00:43,440 --> 01:00:48,160 Speaker 2: could start seeing what they were paying the obviously the artist, 1031 01:00:48,200 --> 01:00:49,960 Speaker 2: the manager of the agent, promoter. We all looked at 1032 01:00:49,960 --> 01:00:52,600 Speaker 2: that and went, geez, look what's happening over here. How 1033 01:00:52,640 --> 01:00:55,520 Speaker 2: are we going to get the artists to charge closer 1034 01:00:56,640 --> 01:00:58,920 Speaker 2: to market on some of the good seats. So that 1035 01:00:59,200 --> 01:01:04,960 Speaker 2: that's when Platinum launched. It's done really well. Dynamics started 1036 01:01:06,360 --> 01:01:08,280 Speaker 2: same thing eight nine years ago when you started just 1037 01:01:08,360 --> 01:01:10,720 Speaker 2: we started with price Master, where you started to say, 1038 01:01:10,720 --> 01:01:14,200 Speaker 2: there's different you know, this scaling shouldn't be the same 1039 01:01:14,520 --> 01:01:19,440 Speaker 2: most dynamic products, hotels, airlines aren't sergeant the same on 1040 01:01:19,520 --> 01:01:21,520 Speaker 2: the last day, in the first day of the middle seat. 1041 01:01:22,080 --> 01:01:24,240 Speaker 2: So we started price Master years ago to say to 1042 01:01:24,280 --> 01:01:26,400 Speaker 2: the artist, you know, a Friday night in New York 1043 01:01:26,440 --> 01:01:28,400 Speaker 2: should not be the same ticket price as a Tuesday 1044 01:01:28,400 --> 01:01:31,400 Speaker 2: in Cleveland. The aisle seat's worth more than the middle 1045 01:01:31,680 --> 01:01:34,959 Speaker 2: You can monetize the house smarter, you can sell it out, 1046 01:01:35,840 --> 01:01:38,800 Speaker 2: set charge less for the back seats more for the front. 1047 01:01:40,040 --> 01:01:42,520 Speaker 2: Said it as three scalings, which was always kind of 1048 01:01:42,520 --> 01:01:46,360 Speaker 2: the thirty years of doing three scalings and same markets 1049 01:01:46,400 --> 01:01:50,000 Speaker 2: all the time. So dynamic price Master had been used 1050 01:01:50,040 --> 01:01:53,840 Speaker 2: for the last probably eight years. And I think coming 1051 01:01:53,840 --> 01:01:59,040 Speaker 2: out of COVID dynamic platinum adding more increasing the allocation, 1052 01:01:59,640 --> 01:02:02,400 Speaker 2: the dry got a little sexy, and more and more 1053 01:02:02,480 --> 01:02:05,320 Speaker 2: artists started putting and promoters we started putting more in 1054 01:02:05,400 --> 01:02:12,120 Speaker 2: the platinum allocation to increase the gross and I think we're, uh, 1055 01:02:13,040 --> 01:02:16,360 Speaker 2: you know, I think we're learning now. H We've we've 1056 01:02:16,360 --> 01:02:18,880 Speaker 2: got to watch. If the definition of platinum is going 1057 01:02:18,920 --> 01:02:22,240 Speaker 2: to be platinum, we better make sure it's a platinum seat. 1058 01:02:22,920 --> 01:02:25,920 Speaker 2: And if we're gonna dynamic, we better put better rules 1059 01:02:25,960 --> 01:02:31,720 Speaker 2: in place on when we change ticket pricing, not not 1060 01:02:31,720 --> 01:02:33,640 Speaker 2: not in the price sale not or not in the 1061 01:02:33,680 --> 01:02:37,920 Speaker 2: on sale. So we're I think we're I think we're 1062 01:02:37,920 --> 01:02:41,120 Speaker 2: as an industry or learning how to price dynamic tickets 1063 01:02:41,160 --> 01:02:45,480 Speaker 2: to demand. And that's kind of what's been going on today. 1064 01:02:45,560 --> 01:02:48,120 Speaker 2: I think we're slowly putting better rules in place to 1065 01:02:48,120 --> 01:02:49,680 Speaker 2: figure out how to do it smartly. 1066 01:02:50,360 --> 01:02:56,760 Speaker 1: Let's use Springsteen as an example. Demand was heavy and 1067 01:02:56,920 --> 01:03:01,280 Speaker 1: tickets in the platinum area spike to momultiple four figures. 1068 01:03:01,760 --> 01:03:06,280 Speaker 1: Anybody experienced in the business knows. No one's buying those 1069 01:03:06,280 --> 01:03:09,560 Speaker 1: tickets at those excessive prices. They're waiting for them to 1070 01:03:09,600 --> 01:03:16,840 Speaker 1: come down. What happened there was that purely a program, 1071 01:03:16,840 --> 01:03:21,440 Speaker 1: an algorithm. Was that something Spreedsteam was aware of in 1072 01:03:21,520 --> 01:03:26,280 Speaker 1: advance how expensive the ticket should be. Is this something 1073 01:03:26,280 --> 01:03:28,640 Speaker 1: that needs to be done by hand? Was it done 1074 01:03:28,640 --> 01:03:31,480 Speaker 1: by hand? Yeah? 1075 01:03:31,520 --> 01:03:34,720 Speaker 2: Again, artists are you know, as you and I talked 1076 01:03:34,720 --> 01:03:37,520 Speaker 2: about there, there's nothing done in price in that a agent, 1077 01:03:37,640 --> 01:03:41,680 Speaker 2: artist manager aren't agreeing too. There's no no promoter gets 1078 01:03:41,720 --> 01:03:45,680 Speaker 2: to just run the clock. It's all part of your plan. Listen. 1079 01:03:45,720 --> 01:03:49,880 Speaker 2: I think we're as an industry, we're still learning what 1080 01:03:49,920 --> 01:03:53,320 Speaker 2: it means to dynamic and platinum. And you're right, there 1081 01:03:53,360 --> 01:03:56,760 Speaker 2: are a few tours where you put a few tickets 1082 01:03:56,760 --> 01:04:00,000 Speaker 2: in this twenty five hundred up to five thousand dollars 1083 01:04:00,040 --> 01:04:02,280 Speaker 2: limit and said, let's put some platinums at that price. 1084 01:04:03,480 --> 01:04:07,040 Speaker 2: Reality is ten of those sell. It's not a smart 1085 01:04:07,040 --> 01:04:09,520 Speaker 2: strategy because the headline's so bad, but the volume is 1086 01:04:09,560 --> 01:04:13,480 Speaker 2: not there. I think that's a lesson quickly learned. I 1087 01:04:13,480 --> 01:04:16,000 Speaker 2: don't think you're seeing a lot of platinum now. That's 1088 01:04:16,000 --> 01:04:18,600 Speaker 2: probably more than a thousand seems to be the quick 1089 01:04:18,680 --> 01:04:22,600 Speaker 2: learning curve. I know we did it in Vegas and others, 1090 01:04:22,640 --> 01:04:26,600 Speaker 2: So I think the imperfect science of how do we 1091 01:04:27,200 --> 01:04:31,760 Speaker 2: manage the secondary business that's going to boom instantly at 1092 01:04:31,760 --> 01:04:35,480 Speaker 2: ten o'clock, how do we get some of that captured 1093 01:04:35,480 --> 01:04:39,200 Speaker 2: on this side of the ledger. The pricing isn't perfect 1094 01:04:39,320 --> 01:04:44,000 Speaker 2: right now, and it is manually done, not complete algorithms. 1095 01:04:44,240 --> 01:04:46,640 Speaker 2: You're looking at algorithms to figure out the pricing of 1096 01:04:46,680 --> 01:04:51,080 Speaker 2: secondary and demand to come up with a range. But 1097 01:04:51,160 --> 01:04:55,120 Speaker 2: I think we're quickly learning on platinum. Any major tour, 1098 01:04:55,800 --> 01:04:58,200 Speaker 2: whether you can really sell a thirty three hundred dollars 1099 01:04:58,200 --> 01:05:01,560 Speaker 2: ticket or a twenty seven isn't worth the small upside 1100 01:05:01,920 --> 01:05:04,440 Speaker 2: You probably should just put some good platinum somewhere in 1101 01:05:04,480 --> 01:05:07,120 Speaker 2: the five to one thousand dollars range seems to be 1102 01:05:07,160 --> 01:05:09,920 Speaker 2: the sweet spot right now where you can sell a 1103 01:05:09,960 --> 01:05:12,680 Speaker 2: decent scale of those in the good seats and the 1104 01:05:12,680 --> 01:05:16,200 Speaker 2: good sections and be happy with that uplift that didn't 1105 01:05:16,200 --> 01:05:17,280 Speaker 2: go to the secondary. 1106 01:05:24,720 --> 01:05:31,080 Speaker 1: Okay, conventional wisdom is that ticket Master is a monopoly. 1107 01:05:31,640 --> 01:05:35,520 Speaker 1: You hear this from elected officials, you hear this from 1108 01:05:35,960 --> 01:05:38,600 Speaker 1: ticket buyers. What is your response to that. 1109 01:05:41,240 --> 01:05:45,600 Speaker 2: You know, it's a it's a business that when we 1110 01:05:45,720 --> 01:05:51,480 Speaker 2: merged ten years ago, the DOJ in there. I think 1111 01:05:51,720 --> 01:05:55,400 Speaker 2: IRV and I spent eighteen months going through that process 1112 01:05:56,000 --> 01:06:00,880 Speaker 2: of the DJ digging in deep. So and when the 1113 01:06:00,920 --> 01:06:05,040 Speaker 2: DOJ digs in deep, I mean there's ten thousand emails later. 1114 01:06:05,200 --> 01:06:10,000 Speaker 2: So they did that when we merged and let the 1115 01:06:10,480 --> 01:06:13,160 Speaker 2: let the let the acquisition go through. They let the 1116 01:06:13,240 --> 01:06:16,560 Speaker 2: merger happen. So that that's step one that says they 1117 01:06:16,560 --> 01:06:18,680 Speaker 2: didn't believe it was a monopoly. You know, it couldn't 1118 01:06:18,720 --> 01:06:21,320 Speaker 2: find facts that said Ticketmaster was a monopoly, or they 1119 01:06:21,320 --> 01:06:26,440 Speaker 2: wouldn't approved it. We agreed to a dissent degree for 1120 01:06:26,480 --> 01:06:29,240 Speaker 2: ten years that said we will absolutely then if there 1121 01:06:29,280 --> 01:06:37,280 Speaker 2: is concern, we won't leverage. We won't punish any venue 1122 01:06:37,280 --> 01:06:41,320 Speaker 2: that doesn't use Ticketmaster. And that went on for ten years. 1123 01:06:43,120 --> 01:06:45,640 Speaker 2: I think it was the ninth year. DJ opened up 1124 01:06:45,680 --> 01:06:49,160 Speaker 2: the case again four or five years ago now said 1125 01:06:49,160 --> 01:06:51,680 Speaker 2: we have a couple of cases where we think you 1126 01:06:54,040 --> 01:06:56,760 Speaker 2: threaten threaten the venue and front of the venue means 1127 01:06:56,800 --> 01:07:00,680 Speaker 2: you know, a random promoter. And of my nine said 1128 01:07:00,720 --> 01:07:02,520 Speaker 2: you should renew a Ticketmaster. You're not going to get 1129 01:07:02,520 --> 01:07:04,680 Speaker 2: a show. I mean, this isn't like you know of 1130 01:07:04,760 --> 01:07:07,840 Speaker 2: thousands and thousands of shows, and nine years later, this 1131 01:07:07,880 --> 01:07:11,080 Speaker 2: isn't as we always said, this isn't an ongoing structural 1132 01:07:11,320 --> 01:07:14,920 Speaker 2: reality doesn't happen. And by the way, those venues when 1133 01:07:14,960 --> 01:07:17,120 Speaker 2: you looked at him, they didn't actually get reduced. Show 1134 01:07:17,160 --> 01:07:21,080 Speaker 2: camp facts didn't support that, so there was no real 1135 01:07:21,360 --> 01:07:25,760 Speaker 2: actual venue that got punished. We just decided at that 1136 01:07:25,800 --> 01:07:28,720 Speaker 2: point that we would extend the decree for five years, 1137 01:07:29,880 --> 01:07:31,600 Speaker 2: as you always do, to make sure you just kind 1138 01:07:31,600 --> 01:07:34,720 Speaker 2: of simplify this case and move on. But they spent 1139 01:07:34,800 --> 01:07:38,800 Speaker 2: a year deposing me and going through it again. That 1140 01:07:38,920 --> 01:07:41,200 Speaker 2: was the three or four years ago. So again I 1141 01:07:41,200 --> 01:07:45,240 Speaker 2: would say to you, if we were the monopoly a 1142 01:07:45,320 --> 01:07:48,040 Speaker 2: year after the DOJ probing, you trust me, if there 1143 01:07:48,080 --> 01:07:52,959 Speaker 2: was real structural legal data that said Live Live Nation, 1144 01:07:53,160 --> 01:07:59,560 Speaker 2: Ticketmaster together, single or momopoly, they would have sued us, 1145 01:07:59,720 --> 01:08:03,680 Speaker 2: done something, gave us a five year extension, and moved on. 1146 01:08:04,280 --> 01:08:08,080 Speaker 2: So you know, it's not like we haven't been already 1147 01:08:08,120 --> 01:08:11,760 Speaker 2: investigated deep and haven't seen every email I've ever written 1148 01:08:11,800 --> 01:08:14,760 Speaker 2: and everyone else's and all of our promoters and ticket Master, 1149 01:08:15,200 --> 01:08:18,280 Speaker 2: they've been down the deep dive many times. So I 1150 01:08:18,360 --> 01:08:21,040 Speaker 2: say that in the sense of, you know, that's kind 1151 01:08:21,040 --> 01:08:24,559 Speaker 2: of a clean bill of health to date. Now I 1152 01:08:24,640 --> 01:08:28,640 Speaker 2: understand why it's easy to jump on the wagon. The 1153 01:08:28,720 --> 01:08:31,240 Speaker 2: ticket master and the service fees and what you and 1154 01:08:31,320 --> 01:08:33,200 Speaker 2: I've been talking about. We haven't done a good job 1155 01:08:33,640 --> 01:08:36,920 Speaker 2: as an industry, especially on my front as Live Nation Ticketmaster, 1156 01:08:37,640 --> 01:08:41,920 Speaker 2: explaining out loud what happens to fees, how they're set, 1157 01:08:42,439 --> 01:08:44,920 Speaker 2: what happens. It hasn't been a It hasn't been a 1158 01:08:44,920 --> 01:08:47,360 Speaker 2: big motive historically for me to kind of go out 1159 01:08:47,400 --> 01:08:49,479 Speaker 2: loud and say, hey, the venue, my client has taken 1160 01:08:49,520 --> 01:08:51,200 Speaker 2: most of the money, or the artist is setting the 1161 01:08:51,200 --> 01:08:53,880 Speaker 2: ticket price. I'm a B to B business. I serviced 1162 01:08:53,880 --> 01:08:56,800 Speaker 2: the artists and venue and Ticketmaster's job is to been 1163 01:08:56,960 --> 01:08:59,240 Speaker 2: to take that punch in the head for the industry. 1164 01:08:59,520 --> 01:09:03,040 Speaker 2: That's been part of what people do why they hire you. 1165 01:09:03,560 --> 01:09:06,240 Speaker 2: There's no glory in being the ticketing company who no 1166 01:09:06,280 --> 01:09:10,599 Speaker 2: matter who you are, Sea Geek, Access, anyone, they all 1167 01:09:10,640 --> 01:09:13,720 Speaker 2: have the same challenges when there's ten million fans that 1168 01:09:13,800 --> 01:09:18,519 Speaker 2: want a million tickets and then secondary So I understand 1169 01:09:18,520 --> 01:09:21,400 Speaker 2: why the flurry of energy can be spent on it 1170 01:09:21,600 --> 01:09:24,080 Speaker 2: because it looks big and it looks like there's service 1171 01:09:24,160 --> 01:09:27,760 Speaker 2: ticket master fees and challenges, but we don't think there's 1172 01:09:27,760 --> 01:09:30,360 Speaker 2: any basis to a legal challenge that says in any 1173 01:09:30,400 --> 01:09:35,320 Speaker 2: way we're monopoly. Our margins prove that our daily battles 1174 01:09:35,360 --> 01:09:37,840 Speaker 2: to win that venue or lose that venue or win 1175 01:09:37,920 --> 01:09:43,679 Speaker 2: that tour are live and well that's well documented. There's 1176 01:09:43,680 --> 01:09:46,120 Speaker 2: nothing wrong with being big, nothing wrong with being great, 1177 01:09:46,200 --> 01:09:48,519 Speaker 2: nothing wrong with offering a great product and being better 1178 01:09:48,560 --> 01:09:51,559 Speaker 2: than the other guy and winning. We don't set ticket prices. 1179 01:09:51,560 --> 01:09:55,080 Speaker 2: We're not harming fans. Artists have all the options in 1180 01:09:55,120 --> 01:09:56,519 Speaker 2: the world. Do you know that as well as I do. 1181 01:09:56,560 --> 01:09:59,840 Speaker 2: There's only one aerosmith that has one hundred dates of 1182 01:09:59,840 --> 01:10:03,720 Speaker 2: a and a thousand venues that want those dates and 1183 01:10:03,760 --> 01:10:08,760 Speaker 2: every promoter and partner that wants it. So the business is, 1184 01:10:09,000 --> 01:10:12,240 Speaker 2: you know, widely misunderstood. As you know outside of the industry, 1185 01:10:13,720 --> 01:10:16,400 Speaker 2: big as big as an easy target. Ticketing is an 1186 01:10:16,400 --> 01:10:20,720 Speaker 2: easy target. But on the fundamentals on a monopoly, no, 1187 01:10:21,040 --> 01:10:22,960 Speaker 2: we're We're far from that. 1188 01:10:25,080 --> 01:10:32,000 Speaker 1: So let's go a little deeper here. Administrations change, and 1189 01:10:32,200 --> 01:10:36,320 Speaker 1: presently under Biden, the woman who's head of the FTC 1190 01:10:36,560 --> 01:10:41,000 Speaker 1: lead at Khan is very active. Everything that she has 1191 01:10:41,200 --> 01:10:46,320 Speaker 1: tried to uh get through has not ultimately passed. But 1192 01:10:46,600 --> 01:10:50,639 Speaker 1: inside the business, it's well known that she is looking 1193 01:10:51,080 --> 01:10:57,680 Speaker 1: at ticket Master in Live Nation questions of monopoly antitrust? 1194 01:10:58,240 --> 01:11:01,360 Speaker 1: Are they asking you for information? Do you have a 1195 01:11:01,479 --> 01:11:04,160 Speaker 1: team at Live Nation who is dealing with this? 1196 01:11:06,080 --> 01:11:08,400 Speaker 2: Yeah, just to be clear, though they there tends to 1197 01:11:08,439 --> 01:11:11,280 Speaker 2: be you tend to either deal with the FTC or 1198 01:11:11,320 --> 01:11:13,720 Speaker 2: the DOJ, and they kind of split it up. If 1199 01:11:13,760 --> 01:11:17,400 Speaker 2: they're going to probe, it's the DOJ that are doing 1200 01:11:17,439 --> 01:11:19,880 Speaker 2: the investigation on us right now, not the FTC. So 1201 01:11:21,120 --> 01:11:23,519 Speaker 2: that wouldn't be in not that she couldn't, but she 1202 01:11:23,600 --> 01:11:25,800 Speaker 2: wouldn't be doing it if they're doing it. So right now, 1203 01:11:25,840 --> 01:11:30,799 Speaker 2: we have been working with the DOJ since November, providing 1204 01:11:30,840 --> 01:11:32,960 Speaker 2: them all of the data. They want to take a 1205 01:11:32,960 --> 01:11:35,840 Speaker 2: look at our business and see if there's any new 1206 01:11:35,920 --> 01:11:40,639 Speaker 2: data that would support any thesises around our ticket monopoly 1207 01:11:41,120 --> 01:11:45,639 Speaker 2: or descent decree. So we're working with them and that's 1208 01:11:45,840 --> 01:11:48,639 Speaker 2: that'll be an ongoing process and somewhere in the next 1209 01:11:49,080 --> 01:11:52,160 Speaker 2: somewhere this year. The sad part about the DJ is 1210 01:11:52,160 --> 01:11:54,280 Speaker 2: they get to kind of leak when they're looking at you, 1211 01:11:54,320 --> 01:11:56,599 Speaker 2: but you don't really get a final date when you're 1212 01:11:56,640 --> 01:11:58,519 Speaker 2: going to be done with it. So we'll live that 1213 01:11:58,600 --> 01:12:00,920 Speaker 2: this year and be cooperative with them, But we don't 1214 01:12:01,200 --> 01:12:04,519 Speaker 2: we think legally. Dan Wall, who now works for US 1215 01:12:04,560 --> 01:12:07,000 Speaker 2: full time, has not a great great article on kind 1216 01:12:07,000 --> 01:12:10,240 Speaker 2: of the technical legal part the DOJ and the case. 1217 01:12:10,280 --> 01:12:15,000 Speaker 2: So we think we're complying and we'll we'll get through this. 1218 01:12:15,760 --> 01:12:18,639 Speaker 1: What do you say to the people who say, since 1219 01:12:18,640 --> 01:12:22,240 Speaker 1: you have an excess of fifty percent market share, you're 1220 01:12:22,320 --> 01:12:23,760 Speaker 1: inherently a monopoly. 1221 01:12:27,200 --> 01:12:30,200 Speaker 2: Yeah, don't. I don't you know the market share? You know? 1222 01:12:30,240 --> 01:12:32,200 Speaker 2: I could go down a whole bunch of you're a lawyer, 1223 01:12:32,240 --> 01:12:33,920 Speaker 2: so I could go down a whole bunch of paths 1224 01:12:33,960 --> 01:12:37,640 Speaker 2: on how big a market how big is the competition 1225 01:12:37,720 --> 01:12:40,599 Speaker 2: today versus when we merged. I don't have fifty percent 1226 01:12:40,680 --> 01:12:42,439 Speaker 2: market share with you, and I can debate how to 1227 01:12:42,479 --> 01:12:47,080 Speaker 2: define market share. There's thousands of venues, there's lots of promoters. 1228 01:12:48,080 --> 01:12:50,479 Speaker 2: The math will say on promoting side, I don't have 1229 01:12:50,560 --> 01:12:55,240 Speaker 2: fifty percent in America. And when you look at the festivals, 1230 01:12:55,240 --> 01:12:59,360 Speaker 2: the ticketing, the arenas, the theaters, the clubs, there's more 1231 01:12:59,360 --> 01:13:03,360 Speaker 2: competition ticketing today than there was ten years ago. Seakeek 1232 01:13:03,360 --> 01:13:07,280 Speaker 2: today announcing going public. Stub Hub Access didn't exist. I 1233 01:13:07,320 --> 01:13:10,680 Speaker 2: mean when we merged this company, there was nobody. We 1234 01:13:10,760 --> 01:13:14,320 Speaker 2: had to white label our software to AEG for three 1235 01:13:14,400 --> 01:13:18,880 Speaker 2: years so we could start a competitor called Access. That 1236 01:13:19,000 --> 01:13:23,040 Speaker 2: was the mandate from the DOJ. But that was at 1237 01:13:23,080 --> 01:13:24,559 Speaker 2: a time when they didn't think we're and they didn't 1238 01:13:24,560 --> 01:13:26,960 Speaker 2: think we're operly. Then there wasn't even close to the 1239 01:13:27,000 --> 01:13:30,280 Speaker 2: competitive nature there is today. So I would say to 1240 01:13:30,280 --> 01:13:34,320 Speaker 2: you we we have grown globally really well. In America. 1241 01:13:34,400 --> 01:13:38,120 Speaker 2: Our market share since we merged to today has gone down. 1242 01:13:39,920 --> 01:13:44,519 Speaker 2: Sea Geek, Access have taken more venues because they didn't 1243 01:13:44,560 --> 01:13:48,519 Speaker 2: exist when we merged. So today, if you're a venue bob, 1244 01:13:49,320 --> 01:13:51,920 Speaker 2: you're going to have no there's no debate. You're going 1245 01:13:51,960 --> 01:13:54,280 Speaker 2: to be able to say, I got three great competitive 1246 01:13:54,280 --> 01:13:58,840 Speaker 2: options that I can get the best deal I want 1247 01:13:58,920 --> 01:14:01,640 Speaker 2: from Access, see Geek or ticket Master. I don't have 1248 01:14:01,720 --> 01:14:04,320 Speaker 2: to pick ticket Master. Take Master maybe better than the 1249 01:14:04,320 --> 01:14:07,360 Speaker 2: other ones that might have better technology. They may they 1250 01:14:07,400 --> 01:14:09,439 Speaker 2: may they may have a better product, and that's where 1251 01:14:09,439 --> 01:14:11,760 Speaker 2: we tend to win. But you don't have to pick 1252 01:14:11,840 --> 01:14:16,120 Speaker 2: us as the Washington Redskins or Commanders just picked Seakeeek 1253 01:14:16,160 --> 01:14:20,360 Speaker 2: for their stadium. So, you know, we think it's still 1254 01:14:20,400 --> 01:14:24,559 Speaker 2: a really competitive business. Our margins are the best ultimate 1255 01:14:24,680 --> 01:14:28,760 Speaker 2: dictation of that. If you're if you have margins of 1256 01:14:28,800 --> 01:14:32,880 Speaker 2: where we are, you're you're not exerting or leveraging any 1257 01:14:32,960 --> 01:14:37,559 Speaker 2: power against your your your your, your user base. So 1258 01:14:37,600 --> 01:14:40,240 Speaker 2: we think the artists have great options. We think venues 1259 01:14:40,280 --> 01:14:43,960 Speaker 2: have great options. We think we've been able to demonstrate that, 1260 01:14:44,040 --> 01:14:46,600 Speaker 2: and we think the market's more competitive today than it 1261 01:14:46,680 --> 01:14:50,559 Speaker 2: was before. Even as big and strong and great as 1262 01:14:50,560 --> 01:14:54,000 Speaker 2: our businesses globally, we still think there's competition. 1263 01:14:54,880 --> 01:14:59,840 Speaker 1: Okay, in other territories ticketing is different and the you 1264 01:15:00,160 --> 01:15:05,559 Speaker 1: k there are multiple ticket sellers for venues. Can you 1265 01:15:05,680 --> 01:15:10,200 Speaker 1: explain a how that works and how you're involved in that, 1266 01:15:10,800 --> 01:15:15,160 Speaker 1: and b you have your competitors who I speak with 1267 01:15:15,439 --> 01:15:18,760 Speaker 1: who want that model in the US, so if you 1268 01:15:18,760 --> 01:15:19,679 Speaker 1: could address that. 1269 01:15:21,400 --> 01:15:27,840 Speaker 2: Yeah, the UK, I think, you know, Germany is not 1270 01:15:28,000 --> 01:15:32,040 Speaker 2: really like that a little bit. But yeah, So historically 1271 01:15:32,040 --> 01:15:35,479 Speaker 2: outside of America, it was an allocation market. If you 1272 01:15:35,479 --> 01:15:41,240 Speaker 2: were the venue, you allocated to multiple ticketing companies. The 1273 01:15:41,760 --> 01:15:48,760 Speaker 2: exclusive venue model was a US red model. I would 1274 01:15:48,840 --> 01:15:50,760 Speaker 2: say to you though, that if you look at where 1275 01:15:50,800 --> 01:15:56,559 Speaker 2: the trend is going internationally. Generally, as the new buildings 1276 01:15:56,560 --> 01:15:59,760 Speaker 2: are being built, they're looking to go to a more 1277 01:15:59,760 --> 01:16:03,360 Speaker 2: exit exclusive model because they're you know, think about the 1278 01:16:03,400 --> 01:16:07,240 Speaker 2: difference in internationalist. They didn't have NBA, NHL arenas they 1279 01:16:07,280 --> 01:16:10,599 Speaker 2: have soccer stadiums, so not a lot of things were built. 1280 01:16:11,400 --> 01:16:14,479 Speaker 2: As the new buildings were being built, whether it's a 1281 01:16:14,520 --> 01:16:19,479 Speaker 2: soccer or or a hockey arena, they tend to now go, 1282 01:16:19,560 --> 01:16:22,120 Speaker 2: you know what, if I'm building a billion dollar arena 1283 01:16:22,400 --> 01:16:27,280 Speaker 2: or a football stadium, I should go monetize my ticketing rights, 1284 01:16:28,080 --> 01:16:31,080 Speaker 2: and I probably could get somebody to pay me more 1285 01:16:31,120 --> 01:16:34,479 Speaker 2: money to have exclusive ticketing rights than three people have 1286 01:16:34,560 --> 01:16:37,640 Speaker 2: the rights. So that's where the model grows out. So 1287 01:16:37,680 --> 01:16:40,120 Speaker 2: you look now at some of the businesses in the UK, 1288 01:16:40,840 --> 01:16:45,360 Speaker 2: the football businesses, they tend to go exclusive. Now SEEKIK 1289 01:16:45,400 --> 01:16:49,200 Speaker 2: had a few, We have a few. So I would say, 1290 01:16:49,360 --> 01:16:52,360 Speaker 2: you know, I think the venues as they get built, 1291 01:16:52,400 --> 01:16:54,920 Speaker 2: and you build a building, your job is to figure 1292 01:16:54,920 --> 01:16:56,719 Speaker 2: out where am I going to get paid the most 1293 01:16:56,920 --> 01:17:01,559 Speaker 2: for all of my revenue streams. And I think you're 1294 01:17:01,560 --> 01:17:03,559 Speaker 2: starting to see some of those venues say I actually 1295 01:17:03,600 --> 01:17:07,960 Speaker 2: think I can monetize it differently. Now, I'll back up up. 1296 01:17:08,040 --> 01:17:12,240 Speaker 2: I'm not you know, the golden child that says that 1297 01:17:12,320 --> 01:17:16,760 Speaker 2: all has to be exclusive. That's the model I inherited. 1298 01:17:16,800 --> 01:17:19,599 Speaker 2: It's been working in this industry for long before my time. 1299 01:17:20,000 --> 01:17:26,479 Speaker 2: It's the model we run to date. I'm not telling 1300 01:17:26,520 --> 01:17:29,440 Speaker 2: you that I think the future needs to be exclusive. 1301 01:17:30,640 --> 01:17:34,680 Speaker 2: I could Ticketmaster could operate on an allocation model as 1302 01:17:34,720 --> 01:17:37,720 Speaker 2: well as an exclusive model and do really well. The 1303 01:17:37,760 --> 01:17:41,639 Speaker 2: irony is the double side of the venue is if 1304 01:17:41,640 --> 01:17:43,280 Speaker 2: you go back to the venue and say, great, you're 1305 01:17:43,280 --> 01:17:45,960 Speaker 2: not going to be exclusive, we don't have to pay 1306 01:17:46,000 --> 01:17:50,080 Speaker 2: as much. I'll be happy to sell sixty percent of 1307 01:17:50,120 --> 01:17:53,559 Speaker 2: your tickets without having to buy exclusivity. If that's the 1308 01:17:53,600 --> 01:17:56,200 Speaker 2: model we want to market. So it's a balance, right, 1309 01:17:56,680 --> 01:18:00,000 Speaker 2: I don't have to be exclusive. The cost of exclusive, 1310 01:18:00,120 --> 01:18:03,160 Speaker 2: so in the industry is expensive. Now the venues have 1311 01:18:03,200 --> 01:18:06,800 Speaker 2: done a good job charging a very real premium for that, 1312 01:18:07,560 --> 01:18:10,320 Speaker 2: and maybe at a certain point the business model is 1313 01:18:10,360 --> 01:18:14,320 Speaker 2: better for everybody, meaning the ticket master and companies if 1314 01:18:14,320 --> 01:18:18,360 Speaker 2: we don't have exclusive because the best, the best seller 1315 01:18:18,439 --> 01:18:21,680 Speaker 2: still wins in the end. Okay, just to be. 1316 01:18:21,840 --> 01:18:24,640 Speaker 1: Very very clear for those not in the know in 1317 01:18:24,760 --> 01:18:27,679 Speaker 1: the UK, let's just use an example of three ticket 1318 01:18:27,760 --> 01:18:33,040 Speaker 1: resellers or ticket sellers actually A do they pay the venue? 1319 01:18:33,520 --> 01:18:37,080 Speaker 1: B do they pull inventory from the same database. 1320 01:18:39,479 --> 01:18:42,599 Speaker 2: No, you're going to have a you know again, if 1321 01:18:42,640 --> 01:18:45,400 Speaker 2: you look what's happening. AE g owns the O two arena, 1322 01:18:46,320 --> 01:18:49,719 Speaker 2: So they're gonna in theory, they favor their ticketing company, 1323 01:18:49,880 --> 01:18:53,200 Speaker 2: just like CTS does in Germany. So they're going to 1324 01:18:53,280 --> 01:18:56,640 Speaker 2: run the They're going to run their database, the central database. 1325 01:18:56,920 --> 01:19:00,240 Speaker 2: They're going to give most allocation to their own ticket companmpany, 1326 01:19:00,800 --> 01:19:03,200 Speaker 2: and then they're going to give as limited amount of 1327 01:19:03,479 --> 01:19:06,680 Speaker 2: as tickets as they can to us and others to 1328 01:19:06,920 --> 01:19:10,639 Speaker 2: kind of finish off the market. But it's not a 1329 01:19:10,760 --> 01:19:14,479 Speaker 2: free for all allocated. How to three companies equally access 1330 01:19:14,520 --> 01:19:16,800 Speaker 2: that venue. I could give you the opposite there where 1331 01:19:17,400 --> 01:19:19,760 Speaker 2: we're not getting paid or have the same allocation as 1332 01:19:19,800 --> 01:19:23,360 Speaker 2: the venue because they're allocating to their own company, but 1333 01:19:23,600 --> 01:19:28,559 Speaker 2: it's off one database, and they would the venue would 1334 01:19:28,560 --> 01:19:32,320 Speaker 2: pay a piece of the service feed to the ticketing companies, 1335 01:19:32,479 --> 01:19:35,320 Speaker 2: So the ticket companies would get a piece of the 1336 01:19:35,360 --> 01:19:37,440 Speaker 2: service fee for the tickets they sold. 1337 01:19:38,560 --> 01:19:44,200 Speaker 1: But there's no advance from the other companies to the venue. 1338 01:19:46,600 --> 01:19:50,080 Speaker 2: It's starting now. Yes, there are because your job because 1339 01:19:50,120 --> 01:19:52,840 Speaker 2: what really happens now is you want to be the 1340 01:19:53,439 --> 01:19:56,120 Speaker 2: You want to get a higher percentage of the allocation. 1341 01:19:57,000 --> 01:19:59,400 Speaker 2: So you're now going to start paying to be in 1342 01:19:59,520 --> 01:20:02,720 Speaker 2: pollpase position of the good seats and more of them. 1343 01:20:03,479 --> 01:20:07,080 Speaker 2: So that's where it's morphine. The venue is now figured out. 1344 01:20:07,080 --> 01:20:09,559 Speaker 2: Oh someone will pay me. You know, you can us 1345 01:20:09,600 --> 01:20:12,679 Speaker 2: to wake up and say here here ticket companies for free, 1346 01:20:12,720 --> 01:20:15,800 Speaker 2: take all my tickets. Good luck. You're going to start going. 1347 01:20:15,880 --> 01:20:19,439 Speaker 2: Someone wants the good seats and so we'll pay me 1348 01:20:19,479 --> 01:20:23,680 Speaker 2: for it. So we are now competitively doing that as 1349 01:20:23,720 --> 01:20:27,479 Speaker 2: an industry, and festivals tend to be more one one company. 1350 01:20:28,680 --> 01:20:36,040 Speaker 1: Let's talk about traditional new building arena meaning they have skyboxes, etc. 1351 01:20:37,160 --> 01:20:41,880 Speaker 1: Inside there's always an issue of all the tickets are 1352 01:20:41,920 --> 01:20:45,360 Speaker 1: not on the manifest. You reference this earlier, but can 1353 01:20:45,439 --> 01:20:46,960 Speaker 1: you explain from my audience. 1354 01:20:48,520 --> 01:20:52,320 Speaker 2: Yeah, generally a venue in America, I'm you know, we're 1355 01:20:52,320 --> 01:20:55,919 Speaker 2: going to talk arenas and stadiums. You know their primary 1356 01:20:55,920 --> 01:20:59,679 Speaker 2: business is to sell that sports team season tickets, sweet 1357 01:20:59,720 --> 01:21:05,519 Speaker 2: spotship and as you're selling those eighty games whatever the 1358 01:21:05,520 --> 01:21:11,400 Speaker 2: sport is, the sponsorship, you know, your your box and 1359 01:21:11,439 --> 01:21:15,360 Speaker 2: your premium seats are only you know, exciting for how 1360 01:21:15,360 --> 01:21:17,960 Speaker 2: many of those eighty games. So the best way to 1361 01:21:18,680 --> 01:21:23,799 Speaker 2: deliver that box season ticket sponsor is to say, listen, 1362 01:21:24,720 --> 01:21:26,599 Speaker 2: spend this much money. You're going to get the season 1363 01:21:26,600 --> 01:21:29,559 Speaker 2: tickets for the hockey team. You're also going to get 1364 01:21:29,600 --> 01:21:32,760 Speaker 2: it for the thirty five concerts that come to the 1365 01:21:32,840 --> 01:21:34,840 Speaker 2: venue a year. You're going to you're going to get 1366 01:21:34,920 --> 01:21:40,360 Speaker 2: first assets those tickets. So that's generally every arena is 1367 01:21:40,400 --> 01:21:45,839 Speaker 2: going to have some level of a club box system. 1368 01:21:46,520 --> 01:21:50,280 Speaker 2: One thousand and two, three thousand tickets that are within 1369 01:21:50,439 --> 01:21:54,599 Speaker 2: that venue system sold to their current client base, which 1370 01:21:55,040 --> 01:21:56,559 Speaker 2: is a lot of reasons why people say, word its 1371 01:21:56,600 --> 01:22:02,080 Speaker 2: scalpers get tickets. That's another big leaky bucket. But that's 1372 01:22:02,160 --> 01:22:04,519 Speaker 2: so that's why when you sell, when you put this 1373 01:22:05,400 --> 01:22:10,200 Speaker 2: inventory on sale, it's not the fourteen thousand seats in 1374 01:22:10,240 --> 01:22:13,120 Speaker 2: that venue and then there's club seats and then there's boxes. 1375 01:22:14,400 --> 01:22:17,320 Speaker 2: It's not everything in that venue is going for sale. 1376 01:22:17,360 --> 01:22:19,960 Speaker 2: Some of it has already been pre sold or held 1377 01:22:20,000 --> 01:22:21,880 Speaker 2: back for customer basis. 1378 01:22:22,520 --> 01:22:25,599 Speaker 1: Let's talk about the secondary market. You reference that. Yes, 1379 01:22:25,680 --> 01:22:28,280 Speaker 1: they do get it from the people who receives and 1380 01:22:28,439 --> 01:22:34,200 Speaker 1: ticket holders, To what degree are the bots a problem 1381 01:22:34,479 --> 01:22:38,400 Speaker 1: on the on sale and to what degree can it 1382 01:22:38,479 --> 01:22:40,760 Speaker 1: be addressed or possibly eradicated? 1383 01:22:42,600 --> 01:22:45,960 Speaker 2: Yeah, the bots are you know, it's an arms race. 1384 01:22:46,040 --> 01:22:51,439 Speaker 2: It's it's an impossible mission right now because again as 1385 01:22:51,439 --> 01:22:55,240 Speaker 2: an industry, you really only have ticket Master even trying 1386 01:22:55,280 --> 01:22:58,320 Speaker 2: to stop them. There's no one else, you know, Access 1387 01:22:58,400 --> 01:23:01,240 Speaker 2: isn't spending much money on it, and Seekik and stub 1388 01:23:01,240 --> 01:23:07,400 Speaker 2: bubber obviously that's with their businesses. So right now, when again, 1389 01:23:07,439 --> 01:23:12,479 Speaker 2: when you have that the famous tailor scrift moment, but 1390 01:23:12,520 --> 01:23:14,479 Speaker 2: when you have that level of you know, if you 1391 01:23:14,520 --> 01:23:17,080 Speaker 2: looked in the tailor script moment, there you go on 1392 01:23:17,120 --> 01:23:20,400 Speaker 2: the dark web right now, you can buy a whole 1393 01:23:20,439 --> 01:23:23,280 Speaker 2: bunch of software to try to hack the latest on sale. 1394 01:23:24,360 --> 01:23:28,120 Speaker 2: You know, it's a very organized and unorganized kind of 1395 01:23:28,240 --> 01:23:32,080 Speaker 2: underweb of five billion dollars that people are trying to access. 1396 01:23:32,320 --> 01:23:35,800 Speaker 2: So there's bots, there's tons of software on the dark 1397 01:23:35,840 --> 01:23:38,240 Speaker 2: web to how to break the code, what's the password? 1398 01:23:38,720 --> 01:23:42,280 Speaker 2: That's what happened on Taylor. So you have a lot 1399 01:23:42,320 --> 01:23:46,960 Speaker 2: of a lot of global parties trying to break and 1400 01:23:47,040 --> 01:23:50,759 Speaker 2: allocate that on sale to try to get those tickets 1401 01:23:50,840 --> 01:23:54,439 Speaker 2: and put them on a secondary platform. The Bought Act 1402 01:23:54,439 --> 01:23:57,479 Speaker 2: has never been enforced, which is our big complaint. As 1403 01:23:57,560 --> 01:24:01,960 Speaker 2: much as all everyone loved tweeting Taylor Swift and their 1404 01:24:02,000 --> 01:24:04,760 Speaker 2: tweet to get a lot of likes, none of them 1405 01:24:04,800 --> 01:24:07,680 Speaker 2: want to address the challenge, right. It's the challenge at 1406 01:24:07,680 --> 01:24:09,320 Speaker 2: the end of the day is you know, I use 1407 01:24:09,360 --> 01:24:11,679 Speaker 2: the example of when you see those videos of someone 1408 01:24:11,720 --> 01:24:14,719 Speaker 2: breaking in the protest store on Beverly Hills stealing the purses. 1409 01:24:15,400 --> 01:24:17,960 Speaker 2: You know, people go, oh, what's going on with the 1410 01:24:17,960 --> 01:24:20,720 Speaker 2: Beverly Hills police department. We got to staff up. They 1411 01:24:20,760 --> 01:24:24,280 Speaker 2: don't blame product. Well, what happened in Taylor Swift was 1412 01:24:24,280 --> 01:24:26,960 Speaker 2: the product story, right is they broke they tried to 1413 01:24:26,960 --> 01:24:31,040 Speaker 2: break the doors down. Really does we stopped them. Now, 1414 01:24:31,040 --> 01:24:33,599 Speaker 2: we had to slow the system down, but we kept 1415 01:24:33,600 --> 01:24:36,559 Speaker 2: them out and they didn't steal one bag. And we 1416 01:24:36,600 --> 01:24:38,879 Speaker 2: still ended up by the end of the day delivering 1417 01:24:38,880 --> 01:24:42,800 Speaker 2: two million tickets to Taylor Swift fans. And then you 1418 01:24:42,800 --> 01:24:44,720 Speaker 2: have the congressmen putting their hands up, going, oh my god, 1419 01:24:44,720 --> 01:24:48,479 Speaker 2: what's going on, And we're going, well, you're doing nothing 1420 01:24:48,560 --> 01:24:52,320 Speaker 2: to enforce the Bought Act. We had a bought attack, 1421 01:24:52,800 --> 01:24:55,479 Speaker 2: we had a cyber attack, we did our best to 1422 01:24:55,520 --> 01:24:58,960 Speaker 2: fight it off ourselves. We're the protest store, so we're 1423 01:24:59,000 --> 01:25:02,360 Speaker 2: now start to enforce the bought police, or you have 1424 01:25:02,400 --> 01:25:04,479 Speaker 2: to enforce the plice. So you know, we kind of 1425 01:25:04,479 --> 01:25:06,200 Speaker 2: get in that circle. Right. If you're gonna let if 1426 01:25:06,240 --> 01:25:08,599 Speaker 2: you're gonna let Second run wild like we are today, 1427 01:25:09,040 --> 01:25:11,439 Speaker 2: then you've got to just forget about even blaming anybody 1428 01:25:11,479 --> 01:25:13,840 Speaker 2: for what happens on on sales. It's a free for all. 1429 01:25:14,479 --> 01:25:16,360 Speaker 2: Or you have to then decide are we going to 1430 01:25:16,439 --> 01:25:19,360 Speaker 2: legislate anything, Are we going to try to limit bots? 1431 01:25:19,400 --> 01:25:22,240 Speaker 2: Are we going to try to limit that on sale mess? 1432 01:25:22,760 --> 01:25:24,800 Speaker 2: And right now we have it, so right now the 1433 01:25:24,840 --> 01:25:26,560 Speaker 2: on sale is going to be a mess. On a 1434 01:25:26,640 --> 01:25:32,000 Speaker 2: high profitable show, the bots will end up getting seats 1435 01:25:33,040 --> 01:25:34,840 Speaker 2: and they screw up the system and they try to 1436 01:25:34,880 --> 01:25:37,320 Speaker 2: break the system for the hours. It's all part of that. 1437 01:25:37,840 --> 01:25:40,839 Speaker 2: All their job is is to figure out give a mess, 1438 01:25:41,400 --> 01:25:44,000 Speaker 2: scare you that they're all sold out fast, right. They 1439 01:25:44,000 --> 01:25:46,880 Speaker 2: try to hold tickets forever. That's the big game they 1440 01:25:46,920 --> 01:25:48,960 Speaker 2: play is get on the map and hold all the 1441 01:25:49,000 --> 01:25:51,559 Speaker 2: dots so you only see a few dots for sale, 1442 01:25:51,560 --> 01:25:53,280 Speaker 2: and you'll buy them, or you'll go to stubbub and 1443 01:25:53,280 --> 01:25:56,120 Speaker 2: buy them. Then they release the dots later and that's 1444 01:25:56,160 --> 01:25:57,599 Speaker 2: why you end up seeing at the end of the day, 1445 01:25:57,600 --> 01:26:00,320 Speaker 2: why is there more tickets available? Because the they got 1446 01:26:00,320 --> 01:26:03,000 Speaker 2: in and held tickets, you got scared. You went to 1447 01:26:03,280 --> 01:26:05,960 Speaker 2: seat Geek bought tickets for two thousand dollars because you 1448 01:26:05,960 --> 01:26:07,439 Speaker 2: thought it was sold. When you come back to ticket 1449 01:26:07,439 --> 01:26:10,240 Speaker 2: Master and go, oh, there's tickets available, what happened. So 1450 01:26:10,360 --> 01:26:16,439 Speaker 2: it is a big challenge, it's a big mission. Again, 1451 01:26:16,479 --> 01:26:19,439 Speaker 2: we haven't been that vocal historically. We've we've stayed on 1452 01:26:19,479 --> 01:26:21,479 Speaker 2: the sidelines and tried to battle it. But now we're 1453 01:26:22,000 --> 01:26:24,439 Speaker 2: we're being pretty vocal on the Fair Act and we 1454 01:26:24,560 --> 01:26:27,280 Speaker 2: do think that you got to start there. And I 1455 01:26:27,320 --> 01:26:29,920 Speaker 2: think there's a bill coming up from NIVA and others, 1456 01:26:29,960 --> 01:26:32,479 Speaker 2: so I do think it's time we do. Let we 1457 01:26:32,520 --> 01:26:36,679 Speaker 2: do think about legislation around the secondary in some sense, 1458 01:26:37,320 --> 01:26:40,000 Speaker 2: as a start we went to all in ticketing and 1459 01:26:40,040 --> 01:26:44,160 Speaker 2: some legislation on secondary. The experience starts to get real, 1460 01:26:44,240 --> 01:26:45,080 Speaker 2: bit real different. 1461 01:26:52,600 --> 01:26:55,759 Speaker 1: Okay, just going back to the Taylor Swift on sale, 1462 01:26:57,160 --> 01:27:01,840 Speaker 1: the perception was every buddy's got an uh got a 1463 01:27:01,880 --> 01:27:04,080 Speaker 1: computer at this point, and everyone knows if there's an 1464 01:27:04,120 --> 01:27:09,200 Speaker 1: incredible demand. Even with Apple products, the system slows down. 1465 01:27:09,920 --> 01:27:15,040 Speaker 1: Are you saying you intentionally slowed the system down? In 1466 01:27:15,200 --> 01:27:18,599 Speaker 1: two you said you made it so the bots didn't 1467 01:27:18,600 --> 01:27:21,479 Speaker 1: get tickets. Is that really what happened with Taylor's with 1468 01:27:21,640 --> 01:27:23,160 Speaker 1: the bots really didn't get tickets? 1469 01:27:23,400 --> 01:27:25,920 Speaker 2: No, they didn't one hundred percent. Yeah, I mean you know, 1470 01:27:26,080 --> 01:27:29,559 Speaker 2: I'm you know again, some some percentage I'm sure slip 1471 01:27:29,560 --> 01:27:32,280 Speaker 2: in because bots can dress up as Taylor fans pretty 1472 01:27:32,280 --> 01:27:37,559 Speaker 2: good too, But generally on a verified fan percentage wise 1473 01:27:37,640 --> 01:27:39,960 Speaker 2: is we do a really good job of knowing the 1474 01:27:39,960 --> 01:27:44,880 Speaker 2: difference between a bot and a fan, and the result 1475 01:27:44,920 --> 01:27:46,880 Speaker 2: is you end up knowing instantly on what's on sale 1476 01:27:46,920 --> 01:27:49,439 Speaker 2: on the secondary is if it's successful, right, if there's 1477 01:27:49,520 --> 01:27:54,360 Speaker 2: less inventory on secondary, you absolutely cut out a lot 1478 01:27:54,360 --> 01:27:56,920 Speaker 2: of the bots. So no, that was a that that 1479 01:27:57,080 --> 01:27:59,639 Speaker 2: was about not letting the bots in. The bots didn't 1480 01:27:59,680 --> 01:28:02,200 Speaker 2: get in for the bad guy didn't get the tickets. 1481 01:28:02,520 --> 01:28:05,760 Speaker 2: But unfortunately it was a bad consumer experience for the 1482 01:28:05,840 --> 01:28:09,719 Speaker 2: day as the system needed to get needed to operate 1483 01:28:09,760 --> 01:28:12,320 Speaker 2: at a slow level to ultimately get those two million 1484 01:28:12,320 --> 01:28:16,600 Speaker 2: tickets out. The single biggest ticket day in history was 1485 01:28:16,720 --> 01:28:21,400 Speaker 2: nine hundred thousand tickets. So the mission that day and Tigamaster, 1486 01:28:21,479 --> 01:28:23,760 Speaker 2: we actually sold one million pink tickets that day too. 1487 01:28:23,880 --> 01:28:25,479 Speaker 2: So if you want to talk about the load that 1488 01:28:25,479 --> 01:28:27,880 Speaker 2: that was able to deliver by the end of the 1489 01:28:28,000 --> 01:28:34,320 Speaker 2: day was a huge, huge, deliverable although readily so the 1490 01:28:34,360 --> 01:28:38,479 Speaker 2: fans jumped on and we're not happy, but but no, 1491 01:28:38,560 --> 01:28:40,320 Speaker 2: we were proud at the end of the day that 1492 01:28:40,400 --> 01:28:45,040 Speaker 2: the tickets didn't get the purse, didn't get stolen. We 1493 01:28:45,040 --> 01:28:47,559 Speaker 2: were able to limit that and make sure that the 1494 01:28:47,600 --> 01:28:50,599 Speaker 2: tickets got to the hand of the verified fans' hands 1495 01:28:50,600 --> 01:28:51,120 Speaker 2: in the end. 1496 01:28:52,880 --> 01:28:58,120 Speaker 1: Okay, go back to Miiley Cyrus. She went on tour 1497 01:28:58,200 --> 01:29:02,920 Speaker 1: this about twelve to fifteen years ago. All the mothers complained, Hey, 1498 01:29:02,960 --> 01:29:07,160 Speaker 1: we can't get tickets. The next tour was totally paperless 1499 01:29:07,320 --> 01:29:10,439 Speaker 1: and didn't sell out instantly. If we go back to 1500 01:29:10,520 --> 01:29:14,960 Speaker 1: Taylor Swift, the last time she went on tour pre COVID, 1501 01:29:15,439 --> 01:29:18,880 Speaker 1: she did not go clean in every market. So we 1502 01:29:18,960 --> 01:29:22,519 Speaker 1: have all these competing interests that changed the perception of 1503 01:29:22,600 --> 01:29:28,559 Speaker 1: the fan as to availability. Hey, can we say that 1504 01:29:29,000 --> 01:29:31,240 Speaker 1: some acts want to put on a lot. I want 1505 01:29:31,240 --> 01:29:36,000 Speaker 1: to create this demand which will incentivize people to buy 1506 01:29:36,040 --> 01:29:40,519 Speaker 1: tickets and two. If another superstar came to you today 1507 01:29:41,360 --> 01:29:46,880 Speaker 1: and said, I have thirty stadium dates unless they Taylor 1508 01:29:46,920 --> 01:29:49,920 Speaker 1: Swift wanted them all on sale on one day. But 1509 01:29:50,160 --> 01:29:54,320 Speaker 1: as the ticketing company, if the act was opened to 1510 01:29:54,560 --> 01:29:57,599 Speaker 1: another take, would you say, let's not do it that way. 1511 01:29:57,680 --> 01:30:02,000 Speaker 1: Let's do it market by mar market or fifty one day, 1512 01:30:02,360 --> 01:30:04,040 Speaker 1: fifty the next week. 1513 01:30:06,120 --> 01:30:10,760 Speaker 2: Yeah. I think the lesson, obviously is we should we 1514 01:30:10,760 --> 01:30:15,320 Speaker 2: should spread the load. That's the given. But Bob, I 1515 01:30:15,400 --> 01:30:17,200 Speaker 2: want to just state something so we don't get it wrong. 1516 01:30:17,280 --> 01:30:22,000 Speaker 2: I am not against secondary, just to be clear where 1517 01:30:22,000 --> 01:30:25,480 Speaker 2: I stand, because you are right. Secondary is an incredible 1518 01:30:25,479 --> 01:30:29,640 Speaker 2: distribution platform right now. Meaning you're right. They buy a 1519 01:30:29,680 --> 01:30:32,160 Speaker 2: lot of tickets and they help out a lot of 1520 01:30:32,200 --> 01:30:35,479 Speaker 2: on sales, and in the sports business, it's it's very 1521 01:30:35,560 --> 01:30:37,960 Speaker 2: valuable because that's how a lot of people sell their 1522 01:30:38,000 --> 01:30:41,160 Speaker 2: eighty games. I'm not against I'm not saying that we 1523 01:30:41,200 --> 01:30:45,280 Speaker 2: should outlaw secondary, although that would be the simplest way 1524 01:30:45,320 --> 01:30:47,440 Speaker 2: to fix it, all right, as Gar said on stage, 1525 01:30:47,160 --> 01:30:50,759 Speaker 2: just outlaw but that's not going to happen in America. 1526 01:30:50,920 --> 01:30:54,680 Speaker 2: I'm fine on the idea that tickets should be exchanged. 1527 01:30:57,080 --> 01:31:00,200 Speaker 2: I'm first though, big believer that the artists should have 1528 01:31:00,240 --> 01:31:03,760 Speaker 2: the ability to decide. And I know that sounds not 1529 01:31:03,800 --> 01:31:06,120 Speaker 2: as simple as it is. But right now, as you said, 1530 01:31:06,200 --> 01:31:09,639 Speaker 2: some artists don't care, some do. Right now, I can't 1531 01:31:09,720 --> 01:31:13,200 Speaker 2: you know, as you know that secondary lobbyists are doing 1532 01:31:13,160 --> 01:31:16,799 Speaker 2: any great job state by state, dressed up in fancy 1533 01:31:16,800 --> 01:31:21,439 Speaker 2: bills around service fees, to say, don't let transferability get changed, 1534 01:31:21,920 --> 01:31:25,200 Speaker 2: right that's the core challenge right now, And they've convinced 1535 01:31:25,240 --> 01:31:27,679 Speaker 2: a lot of people that we must be the bad 1536 01:31:27,720 --> 01:31:30,240 Speaker 2: guy because we want to limit transferability and we only 1537 01:31:30,240 --> 01:31:32,880 Speaker 2: want the ticket a ticket master and resold a ticket master. 1538 01:31:33,240 --> 01:31:36,640 Speaker 2: That's not the agenda at all. I believe that the 1539 01:31:36,680 --> 01:31:39,720 Speaker 2: PDF that used to be on the airline and used 1540 01:31:39,720 --> 01:31:43,719 Speaker 2: to be you know, in the hotel went digital, and 1541 01:31:43,880 --> 01:31:45,880 Speaker 2: just like you used to be able to walk up 1542 01:31:45,920 --> 01:31:47,920 Speaker 2: on the airline, the digital ticket, when it went to 1543 01:31:47,960 --> 01:31:50,200 Speaker 2: PDF went to digital, means you can do things with 1544 01:31:50,240 --> 01:31:53,040 Speaker 2: it now, you can have some level of control. And 1545 01:31:53,080 --> 01:31:55,360 Speaker 2: I do believe when Pearl jam or an artist says, 1546 01:31:55,520 --> 01:31:57,959 Speaker 2: you know what, I don't want my secondary ticket resold 1547 01:31:58,479 --> 01:32:01,960 Speaker 2: at a premium, execute that or I don't care, you 1548 01:32:01,960 --> 01:32:03,639 Speaker 2: know what, I want it sold. I want I only 1549 01:32:03,640 --> 01:32:07,519 Speaker 2: want a twenty five percent uplift on the secondary. I'm 1550 01:32:07,520 --> 01:32:09,120 Speaker 2: fine if people make money, but I don't want to 1551 01:32:09,160 --> 01:32:11,720 Speaker 2: make in three hundred percent. We could deliver that as 1552 01:32:11,760 --> 01:32:15,639 Speaker 2: an industry, not just Ticketmaster and or I don't care, 1553 01:32:16,120 --> 01:32:18,680 Speaker 2: exchange it wherever you want free for all, great, then 1554 01:32:18,840 --> 01:32:22,200 Speaker 2: then let the market deliver it. But right now, you 1555 01:32:22,760 --> 01:32:26,400 Speaker 2: if we don't stop some of this legislation, the legislation's 1556 01:32:26,520 --> 01:32:29,080 Speaker 2: moving towards, you know, this idea that you can never 1557 01:32:29,200 --> 01:32:33,240 Speaker 2: have a non transferable ticket rule. And I've never said 1558 01:32:33,240 --> 01:32:35,479 Speaker 2: that I want this to happen because I only want 1559 01:32:35,520 --> 01:32:38,559 Speaker 2: the ticket resold. Ticket Master should I'm fine if it's 1560 01:32:38,600 --> 01:32:41,360 Speaker 2: resold everywhere. You know. The NFL, I think, is the 1561 01:32:41,439 --> 01:32:45,720 Speaker 2: great example on what we delivered on exchange. So the 1562 01:32:45,880 --> 01:32:49,760 Speaker 2: NFL used to have a system where we would pay 1563 01:32:49,800 --> 01:32:54,080 Speaker 2: the NFL to be the secondary preferred partner, but it 1564 01:32:54,160 --> 01:32:58,800 Speaker 2: meant nothing because ticket Master would have secondary tickets, but 1565 01:32:58,880 --> 01:33:01,559 Speaker 2: so would everyone else. So I was paying the NFL 1566 01:33:01,560 --> 01:33:03,400 Speaker 2: a lot of money, but you could go get all 1567 01:33:03,400 --> 01:33:06,880 Speaker 2: your same tickets at subub seat geek. They just didn't 1568 01:33:06,920 --> 01:33:09,000 Speaker 2: have the NFL logo or they didn't have a few things. 1569 01:33:09,640 --> 01:33:12,760 Speaker 2: So NFL smartly sat with us five years ago and 1570 01:33:12,800 --> 01:33:17,080 Speaker 2: said how do we capture it all so it's more organized, 1571 01:33:17,560 --> 01:33:20,080 Speaker 2: and we put a system forward that said, listen, we 1572 01:33:20,120 --> 01:33:23,559 Speaker 2: should deliver an exchange for you. We should make sure 1573 01:33:23,600 --> 01:33:26,959 Speaker 2: that c g Can, Stubbub and others have to abide 1574 01:33:27,040 --> 01:33:32,000 Speaker 2: by the exchange rules and then that way they're authorized 1575 01:33:32,280 --> 01:33:34,680 Speaker 2: and everyone should be able to sell the tickets. But 1576 01:33:34,720 --> 01:33:37,479 Speaker 2: they're all authorized, they're playing by the NFL rules, and 1577 01:33:37,560 --> 01:33:40,680 Speaker 2: the NFL can take a percentage of those fees. So 1578 01:33:40,720 --> 01:33:44,280 Speaker 2: the NFL exchange today is an exchange where if you 1579 01:33:44,600 --> 01:33:47,960 Speaker 2: seek Geek, StubHub have been authorized, they pay the NFL 1580 01:33:49,200 --> 01:33:52,760 Speaker 2: an advance versus a percentage. And all of these platforms 1581 01:33:52,840 --> 01:33:56,759 Speaker 2: are authorized NFL resellers now like an authorized Rolex reseller, 1582 01:33:57,200 --> 01:33:59,120 Speaker 2: but it means they have to play by the rules. 1583 01:33:59,120 --> 01:34:01,760 Speaker 2: They can't spec some they can't put Super Bowl on 1584 01:34:01,840 --> 01:34:04,720 Speaker 2: sale before it's announced. Play let's all play by the 1585 01:34:04,720 --> 01:34:07,360 Speaker 2: same rules, so the NFL fan and knows what they're doing. 1586 01:34:07,680 --> 01:34:11,560 Speaker 2: Now there's a couple exchanges like Vivid that don't participate 1587 01:34:12,120 --> 01:34:14,080 Speaker 2: in the program and still do it on their own. 1588 01:34:14,120 --> 01:34:17,800 Speaker 2: But it's a big move forward where you had multiple 1589 01:34:17,840 --> 01:34:21,799 Speaker 2: platforms playing by the same rule addressed by the NFL. 1590 01:34:22,360 --> 01:34:24,120 Speaker 2: That's the model I think we should get to, right 1591 01:34:24,200 --> 01:34:28,599 Speaker 2: where Access Seak, Geek, stub Hub, Live Nation, Ticketmaster. You know, 1592 01:34:29,479 --> 01:34:31,720 Speaker 2: if the artist says this is the rule, I want 1593 01:34:31,720 --> 01:34:34,800 Speaker 2: to play a twenty five percent premium on my ticket, 1594 01:34:34,800 --> 01:34:38,200 Speaker 2: then we should all all execute that on our digital 1595 01:34:38,200 --> 01:34:41,000 Speaker 2: ticket an honor written be authorized to do it. Or 1596 01:34:41,040 --> 01:34:44,760 Speaker 2: if there's no exchange, like seat geek did with with 1597 01:34:45,560 --> 01:34:48,680 Speaker 2: the cure, great, then let's all none of us got 1598 01:34:48,720 --> 01:34:51,240 Speaker 2: to turn on the exchange. None of us made money 1599 01:34:51,240 --> 01:34:53,519 Speaker 2: on the secondary business. But that's what the artist wanted. 1600 01:34:53,560 --> 01:34:57,080 Speaker 2: We played that way other times artists won't be that 1601 01:34:57,439 --> 01:35:00,000 Speaker 2: obsessed with it. Let the market exchange, let the market 1602 01:35:00,080 --> 01:35:03,840 Speaker 2: run free. Great. So I'm not against secondary I don't. 1603 01:35:03,880 --> 01:35:06,559 Speaker 2: I think we're an American market free enterprise. We're never 1604 01:35:06,600 --> 01:35:08,560 Speaker 2: going to get to a place where you're going to 1605 01:35:08,600 --> 01:35:10,880 Speaker 2: ban it. I don't want to pretend we have fake 1606 01:35:11,000 --> 01:35:14,799 Speaker 2: rules around bots and it doesn't work. I'd love spec selling. 1607 01:35:14,880 --> 01:35:17,800 Speaker 2: I would love all these deceptive websites and all of 1608 01:35:17,840 --> 01:35:21,400 Speaker 2: these things to go away and be cleaned up. You 1609 01:35:21,400 --> 01:35:25,200 Speaker 2: could get that done by FTC tomorrow. And I do 1610 01:35:25,320 --> 01:35:27,640 Speaker 2: I do believe that content should have the right on 1611 01:35:27,720 --> 01:35:30,160 Speaker 2: the ticket. Just like the sports teams get to do 1612 01:35:30,200 --> 01:35:34,280 Speaker 2: whatever they want. They define the rules of the game 1613 01:35:34,800 --> 01:35:37,600 Speaker 2: for their sports league. I think the artists should be 1614 01:35:37,640 --> 01:35:39,840 Speaker 2: able to say this tour, I want it my way, 1615 01:35:40,040 --> 01:35:41,800 Speaker 2: this way. If I'm Zach Bryan, I want to do 1616 01:35:41,840 --> 01:35:44,320 Speaker 2: it this way, or I don't care, or I do care, 1617 01:35:45,479 --> 01:35:47,840 Speaker 2: but right now so I'm a big fan of that. 1618 01:35:47,880 --> 01:35:52,000 Speaker 2: I think content and the artists should control and put 1619 01:35:52,000 --> 01:35:54,920 Speaker 2: the rules. We have the technology as an industry in 1620 01:35:55,000 --> 01:35:59,200 Speaker 2: digital now to be able to do that. So I 1621 01:35:59,280 --> 01:36:02,320 Speaker 2: want to state that I'm not an anti secondary I may. 1622 01:36:03,880 --> 01:36:06,200 Speaker 1: Want to. I want to weigh in here too, because 1623 01:36:07,840 --> 01:36:11,800 Speaker 1: the public does not have clean hands. They want to resell, 1624 01:36:12,280 --> 01:36:16,080 Speaker 1: and unfortunately they get caught up in what the secondary 1625 01:36:16,200 --> 01:36:21,200 Speaker 1: legislation is uh saying. The other thing is if you 1626 01:36:21,439 --> 01:36:24,920 Speaker 1: make it too tight, the public isn't happy. 1627 01:36:25,520 --> 01:36:26,040 Speaker 2: You're right. 1628 01:36:26,280 --> 01:36:29,479 Speaker 1: The public wants to know if I decide that I 1629 01:36:29,560 --> 01:36:31,840 Speaker 1: want to go to the show tomorrow and there's no 1630 01:36:31,960 --> 01:36:34,400 Speaker 1: limit to what I I will pay, there will be 1631 01:36:34,439 --> 01:36:35,400 Speaker 1: a ticket for me. 1632 01:36:37,280 --> 01:36:40,720 Speaker 2: It's it's you're dead right. It's the challenge of you know, 1633 01:36:40,960 --> 01:36:44,360 Speaker 2: the voices on Twitter versus the reality of the marketplace. Right, 1634 01:36:44,760 --> 01:36:47,400 Speaker 2: and as you think you've written about me. I had 1635 01:36:47,400 --> 01:36:51,160 Speaker 2: a fan rate me last week about some Taylor Swift 1636 01:36:51,240 --> 01:36:54,439 Speaker 2: show and I'm like, I went onlines to this thoughts. 1637 01:36:54,520 --> 01:36:57,240 Speaker 2: Tickets available at a decent price. You can still go 1638 01:36:57,280 --> 01:37:01,120 Speaker 2: to see Taylor. So you're right, want it their way 1639 01:37:01,400 --> 01:37:03,360 Speaker 2: when they want it. They've been accustomed to that on 1640 01:37:03,840 --> 01:37:08,240 Speaker 2: every other platform and marketplace today, So you're right. It 1641 01:37:08,320 --> 01:37:10,519 Speaker 2: is a It is a double edged sword right now 1642 01:37:10,920 --> 01:37:14,880 Speaker 2: on how do you how do you try to deliver 1643 01:37:15,000 --> 01:37:20,720 Speaker 2: some level of secondary legislation or rules that would simplify 1644 01:37:20,800 --> 01:37:23,960 Speaker 2: the system for the on sale really all you're trying 1645 01:37:23,960 --> 01:37:26,960 Speaker 2: to solve. But you're right, the free enterprise of the 1646 01:37:26,960 --> 01:37:30,360 Speaker 2: American market says, I want to do whatever I own 1647 01:37:30,400 --> 01:37:31,800 Speaker 2: that ticket, and I want to do whatever the hell 1648 01:37:31,840 --> 01:37:34,960 Speaker 2: I want with it. The challenge we have, though, Bob, 1649 01:37:35,080 --> 01:37:38,559 Speaker 2: is it's not you know, I'm not worried about Billy 1650 01:37:39,680 --> 01:37:42,200 Speaker 2: that you know, the lobbyists are so great at doing. 1651 01:37:42,240 --> 01:37:44,880 Speaker 2: You know, Billy in Texas just he's going, he's paying 1652 01:37:44,920 --> 01:37:47,400 Speaker 2: for school by selling a couple of tickets. We're not 1653 01:37:47,439 --> 01:37:50,360 Speaker 2: worried about him. That's not the problem being created at 1654 01:37:50,360 --> 01:37:54,840 Speaker 2: ten am. It's the bots at ten am. That is 1655 01:37:54,880 --> 01:37:57,400 Speaker 2: the challenge right now. So if we can address that 1656 01:37:57,600 --> 01:38:01,600 Speaker 2: part at least, then the ca acsual secondary seller or 1657 01:38:01,600 --> 01:38:04,160 Speaker 2: the seller, we're less worried about him. But we have 1658 01:38:04,240 --> 01:38:08,559 Speaker 2: to address the first part on the ten AM free 1659 01:38:08,600 --> 01:38:12,800 Speaker 2: for all right now is not being done by you know, 1660 01:38:13,680 --> 01:38:15,599 Speaker 2: Billy who wants to sell a couple of tickets. It 1661 01:38:15,640 --> 01:38:17,240 Speaker 2: is industrialized. 1662 01:38:18,400 --> 01:38:21,639 Speaker 1: Your CEO of the company, how much of your time 1663 01:38:21,800 --> 01:38:27,519 Speaker 1: is dedicated to managing your stock price? And your stock 1664 01:38:27,600 --> 01:38:30,519 Speaker 1: price now is a little depressed from where it was. 1665 01:38:31,080 --> 01:38:35,360 Speaker 1: To what degree do you pay attention to that? Address that? 1666 01:38:37,360 --> 01:38:38,840 Speaker 2: Yeah, he listen. I don't want to sound like that 1667 01:38:38,880 --> 01:38:40,519 Speaker 2: guy that says I don't ever look at it. Of 1668 01:38:40,520 --> 01:38:45,320 Speaker 2: course I do. I've lived long enough now from when 1669 01:38:45,360 --> 01:38:49,360 Speaker 2: we went public, I've been two dollars, I've been twenty eight, 1670 01:38:49,400 --> 01:38:53,640 Speaker 2: been one hundred. I do say that. You know what 1671 01:38:53,640 --> 01:38:55,880 Speaker 2: what I spend most of my time on is ultimately 1672 01:38:56,000 --> 01:38:59,400 Speaker 2: what matters in any company, whether it's my stock or 1673 01:39:00,040 --> 01:39:03,400 Speaker 2: AG's private company or your own, is the business growing. 1674 01:39:04,400 --> 01:39:07,679 Speaker 2: How's the fundamentals of the business, Because the stock price 1675 01:39:07,720 --> 01:39:11,680 Speaker 2: will ultimately follow performance, and you're always going to have 1676 01:39:11,840 --> 01:39:13,599 Speaker 2: when you're as big as we are, and been doing 1677 01:39:13,600 --> 01:39:15,720 Speaker 2: it this long, there's going to be moments of you know, 1678 01:39:15,760 --> 01:39:18,200 Speaker 2: we'll have a little DJ overhang for a few months 1679 01:39:18,320 --> 01:39:21,800 Speaker 2: or this year. While they will the investors debate what 1680 01:39:21,840 --> 01:39:24,559 Speaker 2: that means or doesn't mean. All I really care though, 1681 01:39:25,080 --> 01:39:29,200 Speaker 2: I obsess around the performance. That part is what really matters. 1682 01:39:29,280 --> 01:39:32,040 Speaker 2: You don't want to be having a depressed stock and 1683 01:39:32,960 --> 01:39:37,160 Speaker 2: having a business that isn't growing and healthy and has 1684 01:39:37,200 --> 01:39:41,759 Speaker 2: a great future ahead of it. So I'm I'm blown 1685 01:39:41,800 --> 01:39:44,040 Speaker 2: away at the resilience of this business, Bob. Coming out 1686 01:39:44,040 --> 01:39:47,559 Speaker 2: of COVID, I mean, I'm I get that, you know, 1687 01:39:47,600 --> 01:39:49,839 Speaker 2: we had a little bit of a kent up demand, 1688 01:39:51,760 --> 01:39:55,959 Speaker 2: but seeing the continuation of it on a global basis, 1689 01:39:57,880 --> 01:40:01,480 Speaker 2: it's just just mind blowing. Whether that's truly that experience 1690 01:40:01,560 --> 01:40:07,439 Speaker 2: economy on steroids, your point of content being free everywhere 1691 01:40:07,520 --> 01:40:12,880 Speaker 2: and driving all these customers, globalization of it overnight where 1692 01:40:13,080 --> 01:40:16,280 Speaker 2: you know, we're doing ten sold out river stadiums for 1693 01:40:16,400 --> 01:40:20,519 Speaker 2: Coldplay right now. By middle of the road festivals are 1694 01:40:20,600 --> 01:40:23,439 Speaker 2: selling out bands more than ever want to have a 1695 01:40:24,000 --> 01:40:27,880 Speaker 2: have a great experience. So that's that's the part that 1696 01:40:28,479 --> 01:40:31,720 Speaker 2: your stock is. You know, you're kind of in your 1697 01:40:31,800 --> 01:40:35,360 Speaker 2: mind debate the stock price is only relevant if you 1698 01:40:35,600 --> 01:40:38,040 Speaker 2: if you if you don't think your business is going 1699 01:40:38,080 --> 01:40:41,640 Speaker 2: to deliver, then that's a those those those kind of 1700 01:40:41,640 --> 01:40:44,320 Speaker 2: companies are in trouble. This is a business where this 1701 01:40:44,400 --> 01:40:46,479 Speaker 2: is an industry forget my own agenda, this is an 1702 01:40:46,479 --> 01:40:48,360 Speaker 2: indituative for the next five to ten years is going 1703 01:40:48,439 --> 01:40:51,960 Speaker 2: to have an incredible boom. Yes, we're going to live 1704 01:40:52,000 --> 01:40:54,360 Speaker 2: with some pr realities at the ticket price, and the 1705 01:40:54,439 --> 01:40:56,639 Speaker 2: artists are going to start charging a bit more and 1706 01:40:56,800 --> 01:40:59,880 Speaker 2: right sizing their product and and and and and taking 1707 01:41:00,000 --> 01:41:02,439 Speaker 2: some of that secondary and there'll be some news around that. 1708 01:41:02,600 --> 01:41:05,479 Speaker 2: But this is an industry that is I think still 1709 01:41:05,640 --> 01:41:10,200 Speaker 2: massively underpriced, still doesn't do a great job experientially. So 1710 01:41:10,360 --> 01:41:13,000 Speaker 2: lots of great venues are going to be built, better venues, 1711 01:41:13,080 --> 01:41:19,120 Speaker 2: better experiences, higher end premium experiences. I think there's a 1712 01:41:19,160 --> 01:41:22,479 Speaker 2: lot of upsiding upsize in this industry. When I look 1713 01:41:22,479 --> 01:41:26,000 Speaker 2: at the sports industry and almost how well they've done. 1714 01:41:26,000 --> 01:41:29,479 Speaker 2: Look at the Masters four hundred and ninety dollars per 1715 01:41:29,520 --> 01:41:33,519 Speaker 2: head spent that weekend sports has really done a much 1716 01:41:33,520 --> 01:41:35,519 Speaker 2: better job at you know, the high end. It's not 1717 01:41:35,760 --> 01:41:37,519 Speaker 2: and I mean again it doesn't mean the rich people 1718 01:41:37,560 --> 01:41:39,799 Speaker 2: experience the just if I want to go to the Masters, 1719 01:41:39,840 --> 01:41:41,000 Speaker 2: or I want to go to the super Bowl, I 1720 01:41:41,000 --> 01:41:43,080 Speaker 2: want to go to the NBA All Star Game, or 1721 01:41:43,520 --> 01:41:46,360 Speaker 2: or just the new Arena for the end for the 1722 01:41:46,439 --> 01:41:49,160 Speaker 2: Chargers game. That's a beautiful arena with a lot of 1723 01:41:49,200 --> 01:41:53,800 Speaker 2: great clubs and VIP rooms. We've been you know, I 1724 01:41:53,800 --> 01:41:56,400 Speaker 2: think it's an industry. We've been playing backwards, behind on 1725 01:41:56,439 --> 01:41:58,280 Speaker 2: the ball and all that. So I think as an industry, 1726 01:41:58,320 --> 01:42:01,639 Speaker 2: you're going to see better venues built, better new products 1727 01:42:01,720 --> 01:42:06,880 Speaker 2: being built around experiential stuff, more globalization more than ever, 1728 01:42:08,520 --> 01:42:11,760 Speaker 2: and more of these great artists that you know, bad 1729 01:42:11,800 --> 01:42:15,960 Speaker 2: money and international where it didn't it didn't matter before international. 1730 01:42:16,400 --> 01:42:19,960 Speaker 2: I've been in forty countries and for most years there 1731 01:42:20,000 --> 01:42:22,200 Speaker 2: was always a tragically hip in that market, but it 1732 01:42:22,240 --> 01:42:25,679 Speaker 2: didn't matter. They weren't really going to break. What mattered 1733 01:42:25,760 --> 01:42:28,400 Speaker 2: was Springsteen coming to the market, and you just been 1734 01:42:28,400 --> 01:42:32,040 Speaker 2: able to see my local markets now where that's that 1735 01:42:32,120 --> 01:42:35,240 Speaker 2: tragically hip does matter now because they get a TikTok 1736 01:42:35,320 --> 01:42:38,920 Speaker 2: hit or they get some exposure and everyone knows who 1737 01:42:38,920 --> 01:42:41,599 Speaker 2: they are now they're not they're not limited by that 1738 01:42:41,720 --> 01:42:45,320 Speaker 2: kind of domestic media agenda. So I think you got 1739 01:42:45,360 --> 01:42:48,759 Speaker 2: a huge supply of artists that are going to surprise 1740 01:42:48,840 --> 01:42:53,240 Speaker 2: us from all over the world. So stock price will 1741 01:42:53,280 --> 01:42:57,040 Speaker 2: will ultimately follow the performance of our company. And I 1742 01:42:57,040 --> 01:42:59,000 Speaker 2: think this is an industry worth betting on. 1743 01:42:59,520 --> 01:43:03,560 Speaker 1: Okay, you we talk generally about the industry, but specifically 1744 01:43:03,680 --> 01:43:07,000 Speaker 1: where are the growth opportunities for Live Nation and Ticketmaster. 1745 01:43:09,120 --> 01:43:10,640 Speaker 2: I've said it for a while, you know, it's a 1746 01:43:11,000 --> 01:43:13,679 Speaker 2: global is our biggest kind of you know, I've always 1747 01:43:13,720 --> 01:43:16,640 Speaker 2: been obsessed with outside of the American growth. We've got 1748 01:43:16,680 --> 01:43:20,519 Speaker 2: a great US business. There's great opportunities to still do things, 1749 01:43:21,920 --> 01:43:24,320 Speaker 2: but just grow. You know, this business is Latin America 1750 01:43:24,360 --> 01:43:28,120 Speaker 2: has just been a huge new growth area. Obviously, we 1751 01:43:28,200 --> 01:43:33,040 Speaker 2: bought Osessa in Covid. That was the big promoter we've 1752 01:43:34,520 --> 01:43:36,479 Speaker 2: We've obviously can have a bunch of businesses in Brazil. 1753 01:43:36,720 --> 01:43:39,080 Speaker 2: We just launched a new festival this week in Brazil 1754 01:43:39,200 --> 01:43:43,120 Speaker 2: called the Town from our Rock and Real Company. So 1755 01:43:43,160 --> 01:43:46,360 Speaker 2: one hundred and thirty thousand tickets on its opening day, 1756 01:43:46,520 --> 01:43:49,800 Speaker 2: brand new festival Rock and Rio. So we like international. 1757 01:43:49,840 --> 01:43:52,200 Speaker 2: I think you're going to see a lot of a 1758 01:43:52,200 --> 01:43:56,080 Speaker 2: lot of expansion in South America Asia. We continue to 1759 01:43:56,080 --> 01:44:00,280 Speaker 2: expand in so globalization there are tons of markets, Bob, 1760 01:44:00,320 --> 01:44:04,920 Speaker 2: where there's crappy arenas, there's maybe a festival, there's an 1761 01:44:04,960 --> 01:44:11,439 Speaker 2: under probably a crappy ticketing system, maybe no sponsors, you know, 1762 01:44:11,520 --> 01:44:14,400 Speaker 2: so kind of professionalize these businesses when you roll in. 1763 01:44:14,960 --> 01:44:17,080 Speaker 2: You launch Live Nation Brazil and we just launched our 1764 01:44:17,080 --> 01:44:21,760 Speaker 2: Ticketmaster Brazil. We upgraded the festival team there. We're going 1765 01:44:21,800 --> 01:44:24,919 Speaker 2: to build an arena there and a club there. We launched. 1766 01:44:25,080 --> 01:44:28,800 Speaker 2: We brought a lot of palooza to those markets. So 1767 01:44:28,840 --> 01:44:33,559 Speaker 2: we look ran Lollapaluza to India, launching them some new 1768 01:44:33,560 --> 01:44:37,040 Speaker 2: businesses in Cape Town and Africa. So all about international 1769 01:44:37,280 --> 01:44:41,000 Speaker 2: tons of great growth opportunity. Uh. Number two is we've really, 1770 01:44:41,360 --> 01:44:44,720 Speaker 2: through COVID, really put a front foot forward on our 1771 01:44:44,800 --> 01:44:49,280 Speaker 2: venue development. And it's something we had not historically been 1772 01:44:49,320 --> 01:44:52,439 Speaker 2: as aggressive in on the higher end. We'd been more 1773 01:44:52,439 --> 01:44:56,960 Speaker 2: a club theater amphitheater business. And then we stuck our 1774 01:44:57,000 --> 01:45:00,559 Speaker 2: toe out in Austin with OVG and and that building 1775 01:45:00,600 --> 01:45:04,000 Speaker 2: in Austin, that arena. It's been a home run success. 1776 01:45:04,720 --> 01:45:08,759 Speaker 2: So we've been looking at markets where outside of mostly 1777 01:45:08,760 --> 01:45:11,400 Speaker 2: outside of America, where you don't have that NBA, NHL 1778 01:45:11,520 --> 01:45:15,639 Speaker 2: beautiful arena, we have a. We have an arena now 1779 01:45:15,640 --> 01:45:20,800 Speaker 2: in Dublin, one in Copenhagen, Portugal. I've got a few 1780 01:45:20,800 --> 01:45:23,719 Speaker 2: others in the pipe with OBG and Latin America and Asia. 1781 01:45:23,840 --> 01:45:27,320 Speaker 2: So I think venue development is a is a big opportunity. 1782 01:45:28,120 --> 01:45:30,320 Speaker 2: Going back to our math earlier, Bob, you know, it's 1783 01:45:30,320 --> 01:45:33,639 Speaker 2: a vertical business, right, So the more the more vertical 1784 01:45:33,720 --> 01:45:37,800 Speaker 2: you are with the content and the food and the 1785 01:45:37,840 --> 01:45:41,639 Speaker 2: beverage and the peanuts, the better your businesses. So you'll 1786 01:45:41,640 --> 01:45:46,120 Speaker 2: see us continually like a Netflix analogy, I guess is 1787 01:45:46,479 --> 01:45:48,080 Speaker 2: you want to rent a lot of shows and put 1788 01:45:48,120 --> 01:45:49,439 Speaker 2: them on other venues, but you got to have a 1789 01:45:49,479 --> 01:45:52,160 Speaker 2: lot of your home grown brood shows in your own 1790 01:45:52,240 --> 01:45:55,559 Speaker 2: venues and festivals where they're higher margin. So we'll keep 1791 01:45:55,680 --> 01:46:01,400 Speaker 2: expanding our global venue platform, so in ant national global expansion. 1792 01:46:03,479 --> 01:46:05,320 Speaker 2: And you know, every time you put a new venue, 1793 01:46:05,680 --> 01:46:08,599 Speaker 2: you open up a bigger sponsorship opportunity and a ticketing 1794 01:46:08,640 --> 01:46:11,760 Speaker 2: opportunity in those markets. So I think you'll see for 1795 01:46:11,800 --> 01:46:15,559 Speaker 2: the next five years. We told the market, jeez, we 1796 01:46:15,560 --> 01:46:18,639 Speaker 2: did about fifty million fans four or five years ago. 1797 01:46:19,200 --> 01:46:21,320 Speaker 2: We're over one hundred and twenty five million, meaning they 1798 01:46:21,360 --> 01:46:24,640 Speaker 2: went to a live nation show in twenty two, like 1799 01:46:24,760 --> 01:46:27,360 Speaker 2: we've now told them, we're we can see one fifty 1800 01:46:27,400 --> 01:46:31,320 Speaker 2: to one seventy five over the next five years of 1801 01:46:31,479 --> 01:46:33,479 Speaker 2: fans going to our show. So we think the pie 1802 01:46:33,479 --> 01:46:37,360 Speaker 2: gets bigger globally, our market share just growing. If the 1803 01:46:37,479 --> 01:46:41,040 Speaker 2: pie gets bigger, we get bigger and before we have 1804 01:46:41,080 --> 01:46:43,920 Speaker 2: to even take more market share in entering new markets 1805 01:46:43,920 --> 01:46:46,440 Speaker 2: that we're not in. So we think this is a 1806 01:46:46,479 --> 01:46:50,960 Speaker 2: global business that will grow, and we'll obviously grow as 1807 01:46:51,040 --> 01:46:51,840 Speaker 2: the tide goes up. 1808 01:46:53,000 --> 01:46:55,920 Speaker 1: Now North America is pretty myopic. They don't really know 1809 01:46:55,960 --> 01:46:59,320 Speaker 1: what's going on in these other countries. What is the 1810 01:46:59,400 --> 01:47:03,360 Speaker 1: market and who are the competitors of live Nation around 1811 01:47:03,400 --> 01:47:03,799 Speaker 1: the world. 1812 01:47:05,439 --> 01:47:08,960 Speaker 2: Well, you have CTS in Germany, they're done a good 1813 01:47:09,040 --> 01:47:12,960 Speaker 2: job there, and then most of the markets that you're 1814 01:47:12,960 --> 01:47:15,519 Speaker 2: going to go to are going to have let's call 1815 01:47:15,560 --> 01:47:17,800 Speaker 2: it the Golden voices, right, they're going to have a 1816 01:47:17,920 --> 01:47:21,240 Speaker 2: local and grain promoter. I mean, Japan is a big market, 1817 01:47:21,280 --> 01:47:24,200 Speaker 2: big market, second largest market in the world, and we 1818 01:47:24,280 --> 01:47:27,040 Speaker 2: have no market share. They're really small and there's four 1819 01:47:27,280 --> 01:47:31,559 Speaker 2: historic promoters there that have owned the market. So you've 1820 01:47:31,560 --> 01:47:32,840 Speaker 2: got to figure out how to be in business. Is 1821 01:47:32,880 --> 01:47:35,799 Speaker 2: one of those four we've launched a live nation in Japan. 1822 01:47:35,880 --> 01:47:39,679 Speaker 2: We're bringing artists there. But generally in a market place 1823 01:47:39,760 --> 01:47:45,439 Speaker 2: that matters, there's an established Merrick Liberberg, there's a promoter 1824 01:47:45,520 --> 01:47:50,280 Speaker 2: that probably owns the market market and has two other competitors, 1825 01:47:50,320 --> 01:47:54,040 Speaker 2: so still a local business where they'd probably be a 1826 01:47:54,080 --> 01:47:58,840 Speaker 2: festival and a promoter in those markets with their good 1827 01:47:59,040 --> 01:48:02,360 Speaker 2: you know, good scale within their current market. Australia is 1828 01:48:02,360 --> 01:48:04,599 Speaker 2: the same as you know, three or four old time 1829 01:48:04,640 --> 01:48:07,879 Speaker 2: promoters own the market there. We bought one of them, Copple, 1830 01:48:09,600 --> 01:48:11,479 Speaker 2: But so you tend to have to go into those 1831 01:48:11,479 --> 01:48:15,400 Speaker 2: markets there's probably one or two historic promoters that own 1832 01:48:15,479 --> 01:48:18,160 Speaker 2: the market. We tend to try to partner with one 1833 01:48:18,160 --> 01:48:22,040 Speaker 2: of them and then help them supercharge their business by 1834 01:48:22,040 --> 01:48:25,599 Speaker 2: bringing tours and sponsorship and capital. 1835 01:48:26,760 --> 01:48:29,439 Speaker 1: So what's a typical day in the life of Michael Rupino? 1836 01:48:30,880 --> 01:48:38,320 Speaker 2: Jeez, stressful now thanks to the check my Twitter feed 1837 01:48:38,360 --> 01:48:40,479 Speaker 2: and they see who's see who's mad at me that day? 1838 01:48:42,240 --> 01:48:45,759 Speaker 2: But you know, I think it's it's I think listen, let's. 1839 01:48:45,600 --> 01:48:48,720 Speaker 1: Slow down there. You're a CEO. How much time do 1840 01:48:48,760 --> 01:48:54,360 Speaker 1: you spend on Twitter? And what's your feeling about musk 1841 01:48:54,479 --> 01:48:56,000 Speaker 1: running it and where it's going. 1842 01:48:59,000 --> 01:49:02,519 Speaker 2: Well, that's a loaded one in Twitter. You know, it's 1843 01:49:02,520 --> 01:49:05,680 Speaker 2: an addiction you hate, right because you know, you know, 1844 01:49:05,760 --> 01:49:07,360 Speaker 2: you know, they don't go on there and say thank 1845 01:49:07,720 --> 01:49:11,840 Speaker 2: so thankful, I got great tickets today. So it's it's 1846 01:49:11,960 --> 01:49:14,320 Speaker 2: only the pissed off that are going to go hit 1847 01:49:14,400 --> 01:49:17,840 Speaker 2: you up. But I do think it, you know, it 1848 01:49:17,920 --> 01:49:20,720 Speaker 2: is a you know, as Kara Swisher and Prophergy who 1849 01:49:20,760 --> 01:49:23,519 Speaker 2: we both like talk about, you know, it's still a 1850 01:49:24,120 --> 01:49:26,280 Speaker 2: damn good lightning rod to figure out what's going on 1851 01:49:26,280 --> 01:49:27,920 Speaker 2: in the world, right. I mean, you still go to 1852 01:49:27,920 --> 01:49:29,960 Speaker 2: that I go to that trending Explore page and just 1853 01:49:30,040 --> 01:49:34,240 Speaker 2: quickly go what's going on? And I still think it 1854 01:49:34,320 --> 01:49:37,479 Speaker 2: is an incredible lightning rod and a quick way to 1855 01:49:37,520 --> 01:49:40,920 Speaker 2: figure out whatever the drama of the day is going 1856 01:49:40,960 --> 01:49:45,280 Speaker 2: on in the world. So I think I think he's 1857 01:49:45,800 --> 01:49:48,919 Speaker 2: you know, I think he's a you know, obviously a genius. 1858 01:49:48,960 --> 01:49:52,639 Speaker 2: But I can't imagine why he wanted this this mission. 1859 01:49:52,680 --> 01:49:55,000 Speaker 2: This is a this is not a fruitful mission to 1860 01:49:54,800 --> 01:49:59,560 Speaker 2: come back to. But I think so, you know, I 1861 01:49:59,840 --> 01:50:03,080 Speaker 2: was my job, I would say, you're the reality is 1862 01:50:03,120 --> 01:50:07,040 Speaker 2: the one thing that has changed is in the world 1863 01:50:07,040 --> 01:50:10,080 Speaker 2: it's much more complex to run a comp business today. 1864 01:50:10,120 --> 01:50:12,360 Speaker 2: I mean there's a lot of voices right every day, 1865 01:50:12,600 --> 01:50:14,240 Speaker 2: So I think that's a new part of the business. 1866 01:50:14,280 --> 01:50:16,400 Speaker 2: You have to figure you have to spend time on it. 1867 01:50:16,560 --> 01:50:19,559 Speaker 2: You didn't before. You know, mostly it's going to spend 1868 01:50:19,560 --> 01:50:22,440 Speaker 2: your time on your strategy and your business and your divisions. 1869 01:50:22,160 --> 01:50:25,200 Speaker 2: And we're we've got a credible global team and that's 1870 01:50:25,200 --> 01:50:28,200 Speaker 2: where I spend most of my day dealing with my 1871 01:50:28,320 --> 01:50:31,719 Speaker 2: team's internal and figuring out what talent we're buying and 1872 01:50:31,760 --> 01:50:36,280 Speaker 2: what models and venues and strategy we're pursuing. And I 1873 01:50:36,280 --> 01:50:38,639 Speaker 2: think that just right there. 1874 01:50:38,520 --> 01:50:40,920 Speaker 1: To what degree do you delegate? To what degree do 1875 01:50:40,960 --> 01:50:42,200 Speaker 1: you get your hands dirty? 1876 01:50:43,880 --> 01:50:46,479 Speaker 2: Oh? My team, would you know? They know I'm still nuts. 1877 01:50:46,479 --> 01:50:49,040 Speaker 2: This is this is my baby. I'm I'm night and 1878 01:50:49,120 --> 01:50:52,439 Speaker 2: day here, I'm three feet and thirty thousand feet. I 1879 01:50:52,800 --> 01:50:55,760 Speaker 2: you know, I really look at running a business and 1880 01:50:55,800 --> 01:50:58,719 Speaker 2: I love it still. You know, one of the realities 1881 01:50:58,760 --> 01:51:01,120 Speaker 2: of being a CEO is you know, I always say 1882 01:51:01,160 --> 01:51:02,840 Speaker 2: there's kind of three things you can spend time on, 1883 01:51:02,920 --> 01:51:06,519 Speaker 2: your family, your business, and a lot of the external stuff. 1884 01:51:07,280 --> 01:51:10,880 Speaker 2: And the external stuff is gratifying for for for a 1885 01:51:10,880 --> 01:51:16,120 Speaker 2: lot of people, but you can't do all three something breaks. 1886 01:51:16,680 --> 01:51:20,160 Speaker 2: So I'm pretty obsessed with my three boys. It's making 1887 01:51:20,160 --> 01:51:22,880 Speaker 2: sure i'm a good dad and snowboarding and all the 1888 01:51:22,960 --> 01:51:26,200 Speaker 2: things you and I have talked about. And then two, 1889 01:51:26,280 --> 01:51:29,360 Speaker 2: as i'm internal focused, I really believe it's it's my 1890 01:51:29,479 --> 01:51:33,240 Speaker 2: team needs me. So I'm you know, every Tuesday at 1891 01:51:33,320 --> 01:51:36,160 Speaker 2: two and a half hours my concert team, and Wednesday 1892 01:51:36,200 --> 01:51:40,040 Speaker 2: is ticketmaster for two hours, sponsorship Thursday and venues and 1893 01:51:40,200 --> 01:51:43,360 Speaker 2: so I go. I'm I'm a I'm an active parent 1894 01:51:43,880 --> 01:51:48,240 Speaker 2: making sure all these divisions have access to me, help 1895 01:51:48,280 --> 01:51:52,280 Speaker 2: them cut through bureaucracy, make good decisions, deal with drama. 1896 01:51:53,000 --> 01:51:55,679 Speaker 2: So I'm pretty. I'm pretty. I go deep and stay 1897 01:51:55,760 --> 01:51:59,320 Speaker 2: stay very engaged. And as you know one of your 1898 01:51:59,320 --> 01:52:02,479 Speaker 2: famous lines about the bunker, I'm an introvert, so I 1899 01:52:03,000 --> 01:52:05,519 Speaker 2: don't spend a lot of time on the external. I 1900 01:52:05,560 --> 01:52:08,880 Speaker 2: figured that that all comes with good results and all that. 1901 01:52:09,000 --> 01:52:11,479 Speaker 2: You know, the good strategy and good results take care 1902 01:52:11,520 --> 01:52:15,880 Speaker 2: of the profile and the other things. But so that's 1903 01:52:15,960 --> 01:52:16,599 Speaker 2: kind of my day. 1904 01:52:17,760 --> 01:52:20,400 Speaker 1: Are you reachable twenty four to seven? Are you working 1905 01:52:20,439 --> 01:52:21,400 Speaker 1: twenty four seven? 1906 01:52:22,240 --> 01:52:27,320 Speaker 2: Oh yeah, yeah, no, that's the that's the curse for sure. Artists. 1907 01:52:27,360 --> 01:52:30,520 Speaker 2: Middle of the night, whoever it is, I'm always available, Yeah, absolutely, 1908 01:52:30,800 --> 01:52:33,080 Speaker 2: you know, it's listen to a gift where we run 1909 01:52:33,120 --> 01:52:37,400 Speaker 2: an incredible fun industry. I came from nothing and to 1910 01:52:37,400 --> 01:52:38,840 Speaker 2: be able to sit here and work with some of 1911 01:52:38,840 --> 01:52:41,920 Speaker 2: these great artists and have access and be part of 1912 01:52:41,920 --> 01:52:46,839 Speaker 2: their lives and help them deliver it's a pleasure. 1913 01:52:48,280 --> 01:52:52,720 Speaker 1: And why are Canadians so prominent and play above their 1914 01:52:52,760 --> 01:52:54,479 Speaker 1: weight in the concert industry? 1915 01:52:55,240 --> 01:52:57,400 Speaker 2: I don't, oh, you know, I do think this one, 1916 01:52:57,560 --> 01:53:01,519 Speaker 2: you know, is so when I was in Toronto, I 1917 01:53:01,520 --> 01:53:04,160 Speaker 2: thought Michael Cole and this idea of touring was an 1918 01:53:04,240 --> 01:53:09,000 Speaker 2: everywhere experience. I didn't really understand that that was such 1919 01:53:09,040 --> 01:53:16,360 Speaker 2: a uniqueness that you bought multiple So when when when 1920 01:53:16,360 --> 01:53:18,400 Speaker 2: Steve Herman I started a core audience, and you know, 1921 01:53:18,439 --> 01:53:20,839 Speaker 2: we bought tours across the country about the Rod Stewart 1922 01:53:20,840 --> 01:53:24,400 Speaker 2: tour for the country. You bought fourteen dates and it 1923 01:53:24,560 --> 01:53:26,679 Speaker 2: was you know, huge money for us at that time. 1924 01:53:26,760 --> 01:53:30,040 Speaker 2: I remember we remember we bought Janet Jackson from Jack 1925 01:53:30,120 --> 01:53:32,200 Speaker 2: remember Jack Usick? What was his name, the guy they 1926 01:53:32,200 --> 01:53:33,719 Speaker 2: went to jail jack? 1927 01:53:34,000 --> 01:53:37,320 Speaker 1: Oh yeah, Jack Utsick? Yeah yeah, oh man, he was 1928 01:53:37,320 --> 01:53:37,920 Speaker 1: a character. 1929 01:53:38,120 --> 01:53:40,479 Speaker 2: What a character? Hit off and we bought Janet Jackson 1930 01:53:40,560 --> 01:53:44,120 Speaker 2: lost four hundred thousand dollars and we went to Mel's 1931 01:53:44,120 --> 01:53:45,760 Speaker 2: diner that night, thought how are we going to pay 1932 01:53:45,760 --> 01:53:48,320 Speaker 2: for this? So when you buy tours it was exception. 1933 01:53:49,360 --> 01:53:53,479 Speaker 2: Only when I moved to America and then Europe, I 1934 01:53:53,640 --> 01:53:57,160 Speaker 2: really realized that the promoter, as rich as he was 1935 01:53:57,200 --> 01:53:59,800 Speaker 2: in his great he never left town like Don Law 1936 01:54:00,040 --> 01:54:04,360 Speaker 2: made a fortune living in Boston or and whoever they Larry, 1937 01:54:04,439 --> 01:54:08,559 Speaker 2: Larry Maggott and Philly Merrick Leberberg in Germany. So their market, 1938 01:54:08,560 --> 01:54:10,639 Speaker 2: they were just buying these you know, they were buying 1939 01:54:10,640 --> 01:54:15,640 Speaker 2: their market. So this idea that you know that I 1940 01:54:15,720 --> 01:54:18,640 Speaker 2: was that that Michael and Canada you were buying tours. 1941 01:54:19,240 --> 01:54:22,040 Speaker 2: It just was so foreign to these people because you 1942 01:54:22,120 --> 01:54:23,840 Speaker 2: just you never crossed the lines here as you know, 1943 01:54:23,920 --> 01:54:26,639 Speaker 2: it was that it was the mafia, right you had Philly, 1944 01:54:26,680 --> 01:54:30,360 Speaker 2: you didn't buy a New Jersey, and so I do 1945 01:54:30,400 --> 01:54:33,600 Speaker 2: think out of necessity in Canada because you didn't buy Toronto, 1946 01:54:33,680 --> 01:54:36,520 Speaker 2: you bought the world. Michael broke that model for me 1947 01:54:36,640 --> 01:54:39,840 Speaker 2: and Cole and Jerry Baird and Omar and myself and 1948 01:54:39,880 --> 01:54:43,040 Speaker 2: Steve Herman. We just that's the model we thought was right. 1949 01:54:43,440 --> 01:54:46,240 Speaker 2: So I think that did excel us because I think 1950 01:54:46,240 --> 01:54:49,920 Speaker 2: it when I was sitting in the room, I was 1951 01:54:49,960 --> 01:54:52,640 Speaker 2: able to talk about a bit more complexity than just 1952 01:54:52,680 --> 01:54:56,760 Speaker 2: one market. And and and in Canada, uh, you know, 1953 01:54:56,800 --> 01:55:00,160 Speaker 2: you had Quebec, you had some different geographies. You know, 1954 01:55:00,200 --> 01:55:02,720 Speaker 2: you had the second largest landmass in the world, so 1955 01:55:02,760 --> 01:55:05,400 Speaker 2: it wasn't like they were close markets. So you were 1956 01:55:05,480 --> 01:55:09,920 Speaker 2: mine a gena cross country business. And I think that 1957 01:55:10,040 --> 01:55:13,200 Speaker 2: was really really in the concert world that was so decentralized. 1958 01:55:13,240 --> 01:55:16,960 Speaker 2: Still that that and still is still there's still a 1959 01:55:16,960 --> 01:55:19,600 Speaker 2: fight for for for the local promoters, you know, versus 1960 01:55:19,680 --> 01:55:24,000 Speaker 2: the tour. Still that battle exists. So I think I 1961 01:55:24,000 --> 01:55:27,400 Speaker 2: think that kind of just unlocked why the concert business 1962 01:55:27,480 --> 01:55:32,360 Speaker 2: moved fast with with Michael and that CPI model. When 1963 01:55:32,360 --> 01:55:34,800 Speaker 2: he broke that model in the Stones and kind of 1964 01:55:34,840 --> 01:55:37,360 Speaker 2: pushed that forward, we all looked at it and thought 1965 01:55:37,440 --> 01:55:40,400 Speaker 2: that was business as usual. I didn't realize till I 1966 01:55:40,520 --> 01:55:43,920 Speaker 2: moved here how much they hated us and in terms 1967 01:55:43,920 --> 01:55:46,120 Speaker 2: of Michael and that and that model and in the 1968 01:55:46,160 --> 01:55:50,120 Speaker 2: Stones and that history of breaking that local model. So 1969 01:55:50,320 --> 01:55:51,800 Speaker 2: I guess that that was a bit of it. 1970 01:55:52,440 --> 01:55:54,520 Speaker 1: Needless to say, to be an artist, people have no 1971 01:55:54,640 --> 01:56:00,080 Speaker 1: idea what a backbreaking job it is. So to what 1972 01:56:00,120 --> 01:56:04,839 Speaker 1: degree are residencies like Harry styles And to what degree 1973 01:56:05,480 --> 01:56:08,640 Speaker 1: is Vegas where the act, where the audience comes to 1974 01:56:08,680 --> 01:56:11,840 Speaker 1: the act. Is that just going to be a stasis thing? 1975 01:56:11,920 --> 01:56:12,760 Speaker 1: Is that going to grow? 1976 01:56:14,040 --> 01:56:16,280 Speaker 2: Well? As a side note, you just hit on one 1977 01:56:16,280 --> 01:56:20,560 Speaker 2: thing on going back to pricing, you're dead right these artists. 1978 01:56:20,600 --> 01:56:22,240 Speaker 2: First of all, to go on the road right now 1979 01:56:22,320 --> 01:56:26,760 Speaker 2: is expensive, and to run a venue is expensive. But 1980 01:56:26,800 --> 01:56:29,880 Speaker 2: as you know, everything is increased dramatically. I mean every 1981 01:56:30,120 --> 01:56:32,440 Speaker 2: costs went up. If you look at the ticket price 1982 01:56:32,480 --> 01:56:37,480 Speaker 2: increases from twenty nineteen to today, know they've gone up 1983 01:56:37,560 --> 01:56:43,640 Speaker 2: nineteen percent, but so did labor, rentals, lighting, transportation, and gas. Right, 1984 01:56:43,720 --> 01:56:49,080 Speaker 2: so the costs are expensive for these artists. They're all in. 1985 01:56:49,280 --> 01:56:52,040 Speaker 2: They all want to have the greatest production arms race, 1986 01:56:52,120 --> 01:56:57,720 Speaker 2: so their production costs are intense. Now you can see 1987 01:56:57,720 --> 01:57:01,000 Speaker 2: Taylor's show or Beyonce's, but Dona is what they put 1988 01:57:01,040 --> 01:57:05,440 Speaker 2: on that stage. It's crazy expensive. So you are right 1989 01:57:05,480 --> 01:57:08,960 Speaker 2: there are I think Vegas has unlocked this idea that 1990 01:57:09,040 --> 01:57:11,440 Speaker 2: I could I could have a bit of a life 1991 01:57:12,040 --> 01:57:15,720 Speaker 2: and still deliver an incredible gross So I think Adele 1992 01:57:16,120 --> 01:57:19,120 Speaker 2: really really took it to the next level of being 1993 01:57:19,160 --> 01:57:22,040 Speaker 2: a modern artist that could have just done a stadium 1994 01:57:22,080 --> 01:57:25,440 Speaker 2: tour and decided to sit in Vegas for a while. 1995 01:57:26,880 --> 01:57:29,520 Speaker 2: So I think you're going to see, you know, the 1996 01:57:29,520 --> 01:57:34,560 Speaker 2: Harry style fifteen fifteen venue, fifteen amphitheaters or a fifteen arenas. 1997 01:57:35,480 --> 01:57:38,760 Speaker 2: But I would back up and say, every artist that 1998 01:57:38,800 --> 01:57:42,520 Speaker 2: you talk to knows that ultimately, when they get to 1999 01:57:42,560 --> 01:57:46,000 Speaker 2: the market, they make lifelong fans. You don't make a 2000 01:57:46,000 --> 01:57:49,120 Speaker 2: lifelong fan on Spotify. You make it when you show 2001 01:57:49,200 --> 01:57:51,200 Speaker 2: up at the city and they see you in stage 2002 01:57:51,240 --> 01:57:54,320 Speaker 2: and live. So every artist will still talk to me 2003 01:57:54,400 --> 01:57:57,160 Speaker 2: about they got to go play the world like they 2004 01:57:57,200 --> 01:57:59,480 Speaker 2: get that model now. I think once you've done it 2005 01:57:59,480 --> 01:58:02,560 Speaker 2: a few times, yes, then you can start saying do 2006 01:58:02,640 --> 01:58:05,280 Speaker 2: I need to go back to South America or can 2007 01:58:05,320 --> 01:58:08,200 Speaker 2: I I'm going to do thirty dates and I'm going 2008 01:58:08,280 --> 01:58:10,680 Speaker 2: to pick five cities. So I think you're going to 2009 01:58:10,720 --> 01:58:13,560 Speaker 2: see a bit of those models where the artists will say, 2010 01:58:13,600 --> 01:58:18,400 Speaker 2: you know what, I'll play five markets. I'll play London 2011 01:58:18,440 --> 01:58:23,320 Speaker 2: and you know, New York and Miami and Brazil and 2012 01:58:24,200 --> 01:58:26,920 Speaker 2: try to do more residency that way. So I do 2013 01:58:27,000 --> 01:58:31,400 Speaker 2: think the cost of production, transportation and the wear and tear. 2014 01:58:32,840 --> 01:58:34,560 Speaker 2: I think you'll start to see some of those models 2015 01:58:34,600 --> 01:58:37,880 Speaker 2: emerge where they won't do the one hundred dates, so 2016 01:58:37,920 --> 01:58:41,080 Speaker 2: they'll do sixty, but they'll be in five cities, not 2017 01:58:41,560 --> 01:58:44,160 Speaker 2: fifty cities. But I would say it all depends on 2018 01:58:44,200 --> 01:58:47,280 Speaker 2: your life cycle, right. Every artist knows Coldplay knows right 2019 01:58:47,320 --> 01:58:50,840 Speaker 2: now that they're making worldwide, global fans for life. They'll 2020 01:58:50,880 --> 01:58:54,000 Speaker 2: run around the world. Maybe there's a point where they say, Okay, 2021 01:58:54,480 --> 01:58:57,360 Speaker 2: we won't run as far now that we've done it, 2022 01:58:57,400 --> 01:58:59,120 Speaker 2: but they all know they got to go. They all 2023 01:58:59,280 --> 01:59:01,720 Speaker 2: everyone in the touring business, and you know, it has 2024 01:59:01,760 --> 01:59:04,960 Speaker 2: the stories of the artists that didn't do it and 2025 01:59:05,000 --> 01:59:08,920 Speaker 2: why they're not today able to be that global star. 2026 01:59:09,160 --> 01:59:12,360 Speaker 2: And then there's the Metallica model and lars on why 2027 01:59:12,400 --> 01:59:15,800 Speaker 2: they're selling and then their brand is so big forever, 2028 01:59:16,240 --> 01:59:18,800 Speaker 2: or the U two model, the Stones model. So most 2029 01:59:18,840 --> 01:59:21,480 Speaker 2: people look at that model and go, Okay, if I'm 2030 01:59:21,480 --> 01:59:24,280 Speaker 2: gonna have longevity, if I'm going to make money forever 2031 01:59:24,720 --> 01:59:28,120 Speaker 2: and be a global brand, I got to go actually 2032 01:59:28,200 --> 01:59:32,480 Speaker 2: do those one hundred date global tours. But I think 2033 01:59:32,480 --> 01:59:35,120 Speaker 2: you're right, there'll be artists now that once you've done 2034 01:59:35,120 --> 01:59:37,400 Speaker 2: it three or four times start to say, can I 2035 01:59:37,440 --> 01:59:41,560 Speaker 2: still make money doing that sitting down in a city, 2036 01:59:42,440 --> 01:59:43,920 Speaker 2: and that's definitely happening. 2037 01:59:44,680 --> 01:59:46,960 Speaker 1: Okay, what's the health of the festival mark? You talked 2038 01:59:46,960 --> 01:59:50,920 Speaker 1: about that great on sale in Brazil. So we had 2039 01:59:50,960 --> 01:59:55,640 Speaker 1: a couple of huge festivals Coachella, Lallapalooza, bon Aru, and 2040 01:59:55,680 --> 01:59:58,920 Speaker 1: then there were a million imitators. What's the health of 2041 01:59:58,960 --> 01:59:59,760 Speaker 1: the market now? 2042 02:00:01,400 --> 02:00:03,120 Speaker 2: You know, if you'd asked me a few years ago, 2043 02:00:03,160 --> 02:00:07,200 Speaker 2: I might have said I was worried that there was 2044 02:00:07,480 --> 02:00:10,080 Speaker 2: the headline, kind of the big ones that made it, 2045 02:00:12,560 --> 02:00:14,520 Speaker 2: and there were a lot in the middle trying to 2046 02:00:14,600 --> 02:00:18,920 Speaker 2: be big but didn't have soul. What I see today is, 2047 02:00:20,280 --> 02:00:22,680 Speaker 2: you know, if you are the if you've crossed the 2048 02:00:22,680 --> 02:00:29,080 Speaker 2: line like Coachella obviously has, or Lollapalooza, Blastonbury, E d C. 2049 02:00:31,520 --> 02:00:33,720 Speaker 2: They seem to be passage to rite. So they there 2050 02:00:33,880 --> 02:00:38,080 Speaker 2: there's and there's Rock and Rio and Brazil and Rector 2051 02:00:38,120 --> 02:00:40,000 Speaker 2: in Belgium. There tends to be one of those in 2052 02:00:40,240 --> 02:00:43,720 Speaker 2: every market and they're reading leads. They're fine. I think 2053 02:00:43,760 --> 02:00:48,520 Speaker 2: where the market got smart and we're seeing successes. Oh 2054 02:00:48,800 --> 02:00:52,240 Speaker 2: quickly the market whoever you are, realized you can't just 2055 02:00:52,440 --> 02:00:58,040 Speaker 2: rent this field and put Drake, Billy, Joel and little 2056 02:00:58,080 --> 02:01:00,560 Speaker 2: weighing on like that kind of idea that there was 2057 02:01:00,720 --> 02:01:04,880 Speaker 2: that was happening everywhere the festivals had, you know, wherever 2058 02:01:04,920 --> 02:01:07,640 Speaker 2: they were, we had some, everyone had them. And I 2059 02:01:07,640 --> 02:01:10,400 Speaker 2: think quickly those those got killed. Quickly you you realize 2060 02:01:10,440 --> 02:01:13,560 Speaker 2: you lost three million bucks who you didn't stand for anything. 2061 02:01:15,280 --> 02:01:17,640 Speaker 2: And and then what happened, though I'm seeing now is 2062 02:01:18,200 --> 02:01:20,760 Speaker 2: they quickly went to these one and two days, these 2063 02:01:20,840 --> 02:01:26,080 Speaker 2: nicher ideas that have more focus, and we're having a 2064 02:01:26,280 --> 02:01:29,880 Speaker 2: really really big success with these this year. You know 2065 02:01:29,960 --> 02:01:32,400 Speaker 2: when when we were young, last year in Vegas and 2066 02:01:32,440 --> 02:01:35,600 Speaker 2: again this year one day, two day festival, but really 2067 02:01:35,680 --> 02:01:38,960 Speaker 2: meant to be a one day tim Sweewood's got a few. 2068 02:01:38,960 --> 02:01:41,760 Speaker 2: We got this year, C and C. We just did 2069 02:01:41,800 --> 02:01:44,360 Speaker 2: one on the weekend. Charlie Walker texted me, I didn't 2070 02:01:44,360 --> 02:01:46,960 Speaker 2: even know we're doing in Texas a one day. So 2071 02:01:47,360 --> 02:01:50,720 Speaker 2: what I'm seeing is either you were already made it 2072 02:01:50,720 --> 02:01:54,280 Speaker 2: to the big big league and you're established and you 2073 02:01:54,320 --> 02:01:56,400 Speaker 2: just got to keep reinventing that brand and do what 2074 02:01:56,440 --> 02:01:59,320 Speaker 2: you do at the top end, or you're probably playing 2075 02:01:59,360 --> 02:02:04,040 Speaker 2: for a local or a niche idea that bottle Rock, 2076 02:02:04,120 --> 02:02:07,120 Speaker 2: for example, where or the market or the idea is 2077 02:02:07,280 --> 02:02:11,160 Speaker 2: niche enough to be a better experience, But it's probably 2078 02:02:11,160 --> 02:02:14,040 Speaker 2: a one day, maybe it's two on a on a 2079 02:02:14,440 --> 02:02:16,480 Speaker 2: good day. But so I think you've seen a lot 2080 02:02:16,480 --> 02:02:19,520 Speaker 2: of those pop up now where the risk is less. 2081 02:02:19,880 --> 02:02:22,600 Speaker 2: You're not betting on a three day, fourteen million dollar 2082 02:02:23,760 --> 02:02:27,360 Speaker 2: all in idea that's that's this multi genre festival. I 2083 02:02:27,360 --> 02:02:30,600 Speaker 2: think those are dyed. You've got to now be a 2084 02:02:30,760 --> 02:02:35,920 Speaker 2: more single shot festival that stands for something. And that 2085 02:02:36,000 --> 02:02:37,920 Speaker 2: idea that festivals, you know, that old idea that you 2086 02:02:37,920 --> 02:02:40,480 Speaker 2: could you know, put in the middle of anywhere. It 2087 02:02:40,480 --> 02:02:43,360 Speaker 2: doesn't work anymore. Like you've got to put that festival 2088 02:02:43,360 --> 02:02:46,040 Speaker 2: where you and I want to go on Saturday anyways. 2089 02:02:46,600 --> 02:02:48,680 Speaker 2: So why it works in Vegas, why it works in 2090 02:02:49,320 --> 02:02:51,960 Speaker 2: Palm Springs. But you can't put them in the middle 2091 02:02:51,960 --> 02:02:55,080 Speaker 2: of nowhere anymore. People want to want to want to 2092 02:02:55,120 --> 02:02:58,120 Speaker 2: go to either a destination or a town or a 2093 02:02:58,160 --> 02:03:04,760 Speaker 2: location where it's already got built in cool factor or destination. 2094 02:03:05,000 --> 02:03:08,200 Speaker 2: So so I think it's actually in a good space 2095 02:03:08,720 --> 02:03:10,480 Speaker 2: because I think a lot of we had a lot 2096 02:03:10,520 --> 02:03:12,600 Speaker 2: in the middle. We had some of those in the 2097 02:03:12,600 --> 02:03:15,360 Speaker 2: middle where you're bent and big. You're trying to be 2098 02:03:15,440 --> 02:03:18,440 Speaker 2: the next Coachella. You're never going to get there. You're 2099 02:03:18,480 --> 02:03:20,200 Speaker 2: trying to be the next Law of Palooza. So you're 2100 02:03:20,200 --> 02:03:22,760 Speaker 2: almost stuck in the middle. You don't stand for any 2101 02:03:22,800 --> 02:03:24,680 Speaker 2: you know, I always joke with my team, you know, 2102 02:03:24,920 --> 02:03:28,240 Speaker 2: a bad logo, a Ferris Will, an artist village and 2103 02:03:28,320 --> 02:03:31,560 Speaker 2: free headliners and they think they have magic, right, and 2104 02:03:32,160 --> 02:03:35,400 Speaker 2: it was formula, but it wasn't standing for anything. So 2105 02:03:36,080 --> 02:03:40,080 Speaker 2: we're seeing in the UK here Europe, if you're starting 2106 02:03:40,200 --> 02:03:44,320 Speaker 2: smaller and simpler, you're you're probably going to have success. 2107 02:03:44,480 --> 02:03:47,200 Speaker 2: And you're also in our view you can start five 2108 02:03:47,280 --> 02:03:48,920 Speaker 2: or six of those a year and if two don't 2109 02:03:48,920 --> 02:03:53,000 Speaker 2: make it, you're not You're not going down for ten millions. 2110 02:03:53,160 --> 02:03:56,080 Speaker 2: They're simpler to start more and if they got a 2111 02:03:56,120 --> 02:03:58,840 Speaker 2: flash like whence we were young. When we were young 2112 02:03:58,960 --> 02:04:01,240 Speaker 2: was on you. We put one day on an epssee 2113 02:04:01,240 --> 02:04:03,960 Speaker 2: one hundred and forty thousand tickets. If you hit a 2114 02:04:03,960 --> 02:04:06,680 Speaker 2: little mark an idea that can run, then you can 2115 02:04:06,760 --> 02:04:09,480 Speaker 2: run with it. But you don't start in a multi 2116 02:04:09,520 --> 02:04:12,560 Speaker 2: genre big idea. So top Pen seems to be doing 2117 02:04:12,640 --> 02:04:15,560 Speaker 2: we Coachella did well We're having a record year in Lollapalooza, 2118 02:04:15,720 --> 02:04:19,720 Speaker 2: Bonna rue is roared back, so I'm thrilled. I mean, 2119 02:04:19,960 --> 02:04:23,160 Speaker 2: the lawas outside of America are doing really well. Rock 2120 02:04:23,200 --> 02:04:26,240 Speaker 2: and rear, so the big boys and kind of the 2121 02:04:26,320 --> 02:04:29,120 Speaker 2: established ones seem to be doing really well this year. 2122 02:04:30,840 --> 02:04:34,120 Speaker 2: And I think if you're starting something smaller and niche, 2123 02:04:34,120 --> 02:04:37,240 Speaker 2: you're probably going to be Okay, what we miss? 2124 02:04:37,320 --> 02:04:39,240 Speaker 1: What do you have to tell my audience that we 2125 02:04:39,280 --> 02:04:42,160 Speaker 1: didn't cover? Well? 2126 02:04:42,200 --> 02:04:43,680 Speaker 2: I think we talked. I mean, listen, I think the 2127 02:04:43,760 --> 02:04:48,520 Speaker 2: idea that you know, it's as we're not a perfect business, 2128 02:04:48,520 --> 02:04:52,720 Speaker 2: but I think the industry of the venues and the 2129 02:04:52,760 --> 02:04:55,240 Speaker 2: cost that they're incurring, I don't think, you know, I 2130 02:04:55,240 --> 02:04:57,480 Speaker 2: think people just have not that everyone's going to understand 2131 02:04:57,560 --> 02:04:59,680 Speaker 2: or have a sympathy. But being a guy that owns 2132 02:04:59,680 --> 02:05:01,720 Speaker 2: a lot of venues, I looked at my venues this morning. 2133 02:05:02,240 --> 02:05:05,400 Speaker 2: You know, my amphitheaters. We you and I have talked 2134 02:05:05,400 --> 02:05:08,760 Speaker 2: about this before. My Amphitheater's lost one hundred and forty 2135 02:05:08,760 --> 02:05:12,680 Speaker 2: three million dollars at the door. So you wonder why 2136 02:05:12,680 --> 02:05:15,320 Speaker 2: I have a twenty dollars service fee right That means 2137 02:05:15,360 --> 02:05:18,040 Speaker 2: I'm paying not just the one hundred percent of the door. 2138 02:05:18,080 --> 02:05:20,360 Speaker 2: I'm paying one hundred and something percent of the door, right, 2139 02:05:20,400 --> 02:05:21,920 Speaker 2: So you got to pay for that somehow, right, So 2140 02:05:22,920 --> 02:05:25,520 Speaker 2: you got to pay for the perky and the booze 2141 02:05:25,520 --> 02:05:28,440 Speaker 2: that you know, the food. So this is an industry 2142 02:05:28,480 --> 02:05:30,600 Speaker 2: where your capex is going up, your costs are going up, 2143 02:05:30,600 --> 02:05:33,720 Speaker 2: and your artists costs are going up. So guess what 2144 02:05:33,760 --> 02:05:35,440 Speaker 2: that means. The fees are going to go up or 2145 02:05:35,520 --> 02:05:40,320 Speaker 2: revenue has to be generated to cover the costs. None 2146 02:05:40,320 --> 02:05:43,520 Speaker 2: of them are none of them are are evil in themselves. 2147 02:05:43,520 --> 02:05:46,000 Speaker 2: They're all part of the plot that says, to put 2148 02:05:46,000 --> 02:05:48,720 Speaker 2: a great show on in a great venue with the 2149 02:05:48,800 --> 02:05:51,520 Speaker 2: right staff and the and the insurance and the capex 2150 02:05:51,560 --> 02:05:53,600 Speaker 2: and all the things that come with putting a show on, 2151 02:05:53,720 --> 02:05:56,720 Speaker 2: it costs this much. And I think we're finally as 2152 02:05:56,760 --> 02:05:59,360 Speaker 2: an industry ready. I think we will move towards that 2153 02:05:59,480 --> 02:06:02,600 Speaker 2: all in because my my point is the artists should 2154 02:06:02,640 --> 02:06:04,840 Speaker 2: take all the money they deserve it, they should charge more, 2155 02:06:06,040 --> 02:06:09,040 Speaker 2: and the venues deserve to figure out how to pay 2156 02:06:09,040 --> 02:06:13,200 Speaker 2: for those venues and put that show on. So I 2157 02:06:13,240 --> 02:06:16,080 Speaker 2: just think as an industry, we've got to be presented 2158 02:06:16,120 --> 02:06:18,080 Speaker 2: it in a way that we can no longer proceed 2159 02:06:18,160 --> 02:06:22,400 Speaker 2: with because it's not defendable the way it's broken out today. 2160 02:06:24,120 --> 02:06:28,040 Speaker 2: So I think that's you know, you've been always it's 2161 02:06:28,080 --> 02:06:30,600 Speaker 2: a complex problem. I mean, I meet with you meet 2162 02:06:30,600 --> 02:06:34,120 Speaker 2: with a Senator, a congressman. They look at you and like, 2163 02:06:34,160 --> 02:06:36,040 Speaker 2: oh my god, the service fee, and you try to 2164 02:06:36,040 --> 02:06:38,160 Speaker 2: explain why the service fee at this, you know, and 2165 02:06:38,160 --> 02:06:40,120 Speaker 2: then you talk about the hockey game down the street 2166 02:06:40,200 --> 02:06:42,760 Speaker 2: and why the service fee and who the scalper is 2167 02:06:42,800 --> 02:06:45,400 Speaker 2: and why the scalper. I mean, it's a complex industry, 2168 02:06:46,400 --> 02:06:51,600 Speaker 2: hard to win any public opinion polls on explaining it. 2169 02:06:52,120 --> 02:06:55,800 Speaker 2: So it's a challenge in that front. But I do think, 2170 02:06:56,080 --> 02:06:58,440 Speaker 2: you know, we talk about the crisis in the last 2171 02:06:58,520 --> 02:07:02,000 Speaker 2: year has been our opportunity to actually start talking about 2172 02:07:02,000 --> 02:07:04,400 Speaker 2: it because I think I think will be better for 2173 02:07:04,520 --> 02:07:07,360 Speaker 2: it in the end, whether it's all in pricing the fair, 2174 02:07:07,880 --> 02:07:12,240 Speaker 2: some legislation will happen around secondary. There's enough movement now 2175 02:07:12,280 --> 02:07:15,560 Speaker 2: around that I think there'll be something that'll come around 2176 02:07:15,640 --> 02:07:19,640 Speaker 2: all in and or secondary. So I think that's a 2177 02:07:19,640 --> 02:07:23,120 Speaker 2: step forward because it's a sideshow to the actual great 2178 02:07:23,160 --> 02:07:24,640 Speaker 2: growth that the industry has. 2179 02:07:25,960 --> 02:07:32,680 Speaker 1: And what do you look for in hiring somebody, you know, it's. 2180 02:07:32,800 --> 02:07:38,360 Speaker 2: It's always a challenger. Your batting rate is fifty sixty percent, 2181 02:07:39,440 --> 02:07:43,360 Speaker 2: it's usually the the IQ is easily, it's usually I'm 2182 02:07:43,400 --> 02:07:46,280 Speaker 2: looking for EQ. Right. A lot of smart, smart people 2183 02:07:46,320 --> 02:07:49,120 Speaker 2: can get things done. But this is a rare industry 2184 02:07:49,560 --> 02:07:52,400 Speaker 2: where you can. You can come from Harvard, it don't matter. 2185 02:07:52,760 --> 02:07:58,120 Speaker 2: Can you actually get things done with people? You know? 2186 02:07:58,320 --> 02:08:00,800 Speaker 2: I joke that I, you know, I went to university 2187 02:08:00,800 --> 02:08:03,040 Speaker 2: and got an accounting a psychology degree, and I need 2188 02:08:03,040 --> 02:08:06,960 Speaker 2: them both every day here because this is not about. 2189 02:08:07,120 --> 02:08:10,000 Speaker 2: This isn't whether I have great strategy. I tomorrow could 2190 02:08:10,000 --> 02:08:13,760 Speaker 2: write down the April fruls idea you had, which was fabulous. 2191 02:08:13,760 --> 02:08:15,520 Speaker 2: I could give you the thirteen things we should do 2192 02:08:15,560 --> 02:08:18,920 Speaker 2: tomorrow to make this a better industry. It's irrelevant because 2193 02:08:18,920 --> 02:08:20,760 Speaker 2: I got get a lot. I got to herd a 2194 02:08:20,760 --> 02:08:23,240 Speaker 2: lot of cats. We got to move a whole industry 2195 02:08:23,280 --> 02:08:26,480 Speaker 2: and a lot of agendas at odds, and we got 2196 02:08:26,480 --> 02:08:29,880 Speaker 2: to find like common ground that we can move it 2197 02:08:29,960 --> 02:08:34,160 Speaker 2: somewhere forward and move the business forward. So we get 2198 02:08:34,160 --> 02:08:36,760 Speaker 2: lots you know, we'll hire them in sponsorship sometime and 2199 02:08:36,760 --> 02:08:39,360 Speaker 2: they'll come from somewhere and they have these great ideas 2200 02:08:39,400 --> 02:08:40,720 Speaker 2: and you know if we could just get Beyonce it 2201 02:08:41,080 --> 02:08:44,200 Speaker 2: on stage to do its like, Okay, that's not going 2202 02:08:44,280 --> 02:08:47,080 Speaker 2: to work. So you know, it's a it's an industry 2203 02:08:47,080 --> 02:08:50,800 Speaker 2: where you know, you got to understand and bring people 2204 02:08:50,800 --> 02:08:53,200 Speaker 2: in that definitely have the IQ. But can they manage 2205 02:08:54,040 --> 02:08:56,360 Speaker 2: understand our industry well enough to make sure we can 2206 02:08:56,440 --> 02:09:00,000 Speaker 2: move the people, manage the egos involved, put your egos 2207 02:09:00,400 --> 02:09:02,160 Speaker 2: and hopefully try to get something done. 2208 02:09:03,760 --> 02:09:07,760 Speaker 1: Okay, you're in your mid fifties. How long are you 2209 02:09:07,840 --> 02:09:10,800 Speaker 1: going to do this? This is a business where people 2210 02:09:10,840 --> 02:09:13,840 Speaker 1: tend to work in touring until they drop, unlike on 2211 02:09:13,920 --> 02:09:18,000 Speaker 1: the record side. And as we've discussed before, you know 2212 02:09:18,080 --> 02:09:22,880 Speaker 1: Liberty has a position in Live Nation. Greg mcfay is 2213 02:09:23,000 --> 02:09:26,760 Speaker 1: active as they have in Serious they have other interests. 2214 02:09:27,440 --> 02:09:31,520 Speaker 1: Could you ever be tempted to take a different job, 2215 02:09:31,600 --> 02:09:32,480 Speaker 1: another job? 2216 02:09:34,640 --> 02:09:37,400 Speaker 2: Well, so you know Greg does read your emails because 2217 02:09:37,400 --> 02:09:40,200 Speaker 2: he forwarded me or April Foles. So I didn't He said, 2218 02:09:40,200 --> 02:09:42,640 Speaker 2: I didn't think I had any See I must have power. 2219 02:09:43,640 --> 02:09:45,640 Speaker 2: Now Liberty has been a Greg and John have been 2220 02:09:45,640 --> 02:09:52,440 Speaker 2: incredible shareholders. They've been fabulous shareholders today. No, I think 2221 02:09:52,480 --> 02:09:57,120 Speaker 2: this is listen. I think the you got to be 2222 02:09:57,120 --> 02:09:59,200 Speaker 2: self aware as the CEOs to trust me, I don't 2223 02:09:59,200 --> 02:10:02,360 Speaker 2: take anything for grant in it. I know I'm not 2224 02:10:02,400 --> 02:10:06,200 Speaker 2: on the golf course. I get. I I don't do 2225 02:10:06,240 --> 02:10:07,760 Speaker 2: this for money. I do it because I love it. 2226 02:10:09,440 --> 02:10:12,840 Speaker 2: But I do think I think we have another chapter left. 2227 02:10:12,960 --> 02:10:15,800 Speaker 2: So I think there's I think there's another another move 2228 02:10:15,840 --> 02:10:18,440 Speaker 2: and another chapter left. We you know, when I launched 2229 02:10:18,480 --> 02:10:20,720 Speaker 2: this company, we're a few hundred million dollars market cap. 2230 02:10:20,840 --> 02:10:24,840 Speaker 2: We we started to build, we went global. Ticketmaster was 2231 02:10:24,880 --> 02:10:29,440 Speaker 2: a huge moment to differentiate our business. I think I 2232 02:10:29,480 --> 02:10:32,080 Speaker 2: got a few other moves in the in the playbook 2233 02:10:32,120 --> 02:10:34,520 Speaker 2: still that can make us a different business. So I'd 2234 02:10:34,520 --> 02:10:36,760 Speaker 2: like I'd like to I'd like to, you know, this 2235 02:10:36,840 --> 02:10:39,480 Speaker 2: new five year deal I have, I think we got 2236 02:10:39,480 --> 02:10:42,160 Speaker 2: some some moves left in the tank in this five years. 2237 02:10:43,000 --> 02:10:47,280 Speaker 2: I'm certainly not going to go run another business at 2238 02:10:47,280 --> 02:10:53,120 Speaker 2: this level, you know. I you know, I guess never 2239 02:10:53,200 --> 02:10:56,920 Speaker 2: as long and I love Disney and other companies, But 2240 02:10:56,960 --> 02:10:59,480 Speaker 2: I don't think I'm I'm I think I got I 2241 02:10:59,480 --> 02:11:01,720 Speaker 2: think I got a trick or two left here that 2242 02:11:01,760 --> 02:11:06,520 Speaker 2: we can unlock and make this an exciting place. And 2243 02:11:06,840 --> 02:11:09,200 Speaker 2: I think that's the way I finished the game. 2244 02:11:10,760 --> 02:11:13,720 Speaker 1: Okay, Michael, thanks so much for taking the time to 2245 02:11:13,760 --> 02:11:16,400 Speaker 1: speak to my audience. You've been very open and honest 2246 02:11:16,400 --> 02:11:18,680 Speaker 1: and forthcoming, and I thank you for that. 2247 02:11:19,280 --> 02:11:20,840 Speaker 2: Thank you, Bob, much appreciated. 2248 02:11:21,760 --> 02:11:24,600 Speaker 1: Until next time. This is Bob left Sets