Outbox Lands Rosen; Should Ticketmaster Worry?

The 35-year old Ticketmaster is, for all intents and purposes, a monopoly. Operating in 18 global markets and with 19 worldwide call centers, this ticket-selling service represents the biggest entertainment venues and performers.

Over the years, however, Ticketmaster has rankled consumers with its high service fees and, sometimes, deceptive tactics. In fact, the company recently settled a deceptive sales dispute with the Federal Trade Commission over Bruce Springsteen tickets.

Now a Canadian company, Outbox Technology, is opening a U.S. subsidiary with the intent of competing with Ticketmaster. The intriguing part of the story is that the head of Outbox Enterprises LLC is none other than Fred Rosen — the man (expaining the high price of tickets, above, in 2007) who ran and grew Ticketmaster from 1982 to 1998.Continue reading...