The Wall Street Journal yesterday (3rd Jan) reported that Ticketmaster are in merger talks with live music moguls Live Nation. If the merger goes ahead it will result in a dominant presence in the industry worth over $700million. Reportedly, the deal does not feature any cash transfer and will result in a company by the name of Live Nation Ticketmaster.

Ticketmaster already acquired Front Line Management last year, along with their roster of over 200 acts including The Eagles, Neil Diamond and Christina Aguilera. Last month, Live Nation's ten year contract with ticketmaster ran out, prompting them to launch their own in-house ticketing company, a move which may have led to the current talks.

A source told Reuters that though talks are at an advanced stage, they could still fall apart over issues like management control. One thing's for certain, if it does go ahead, it won't do anything to help our increasingly ridiculous ticket prices.

 

**The merger was confirmed today (11th Jan) in the U.S. with an annoucement to the New York Stock Exchange**