(LONDON) -- Ticketmaster, a Live Nation Entertainment, Inc. (NYSE: LYV) company, announced its acquisition of sports ticketing provider, the Tickethour Group. Ticketmaster is the global ticketing leader with more than 530 million primary tickets processed annually and this deal will increase its presence to 25 countries across Europe and the Middle East.
Specialising in sports ticketing technology, Tickethour currently distributes over 8.5 million tickets per year on behalf of more than 65 clients. Founded in 2006 and led by Executive Chairman, George Bolos, alongside CEO Stefanos Kakarantzas, the Tickethour team will continue to operate in Norway, the Netherlands, the UK, Cyprus, Greece and Belgium.
The acquisition further extends Ticketmaster's worldwide lead in sports ticketing. Already the official ticketing provider for Premier League clubs such as Arsenal, Tottenham Hotspur and West Ham United, the Rugby Football Union as well as Wimbledon, Copa America, NFL, NBA, NHL, Ticketmaster also counts hundreds of professional and college sport teams as partners globally. Tickethour brings key clients to the Ticketmaster portfolio including the Olympiacos Football Club and the Onassis Culture Centre in Greece, the Belgian Proleague and the Belgian Proximus League, and other major football teams such as the Viking Football Club in Norway.
"Combining the talents of Tickethour with Ticketmaster will ensure the continued success of Ticketmaster's sports business and will be a springboard to delivering events in new territories," said Mark Yovich, President of Ticketmaster International. "By working with teams, sports leagues, clubs and governing bodies we can leverage our reach to connect millions of sports fans with the events they love."
"Joining the Ticketmaster and Live Nation Entertainment family is our biggest achievement to date. We look forward to working together to deliver a truly unique offering to the sports industry which combines unrivalled technology, service and experience and a dedication to deliver more events to more fans than ever before," said CEO of Tickethour, Stefanos Kakarantzas.
About Live Nation Entertainment:
Live Nation Entertainment (NYSE: LYV) is the world's leading live entertainment company comprised of global market leaders: Ticketmaster, Live Nation Concerts, Live Nation Media & Sponsorship and Artist Nation Management. For additional information, visit www.livenationentertainment.com.
About Ticketmaster:
Ticketmaster is the world's leading ticketing and marketing company. The company works with more than 10,000 clients across multiple event categories, connecting consumers across the globe to live entertainment. Ticketmaster.com is the global event ticketing leader and one of the world's top five ecommerce sites, with almost 27 million monthly unique visitors; selling across music, sport, theatre and art to family and special events.
Ticketmaster also counts amongst its clients some of the leading brands in sport globally including the NFL, NBA, AFL (Australian Football League), New York Yankees, Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, the US Open, and Premier League clubs such as Arsenal, Tottenham Hotspur, West Ham United, as well as the Rugby Football Union and Welsh Rugby Union.
