Would you marry me?
Ticketmaster Entertainment Inc. and Live Nation Inc. are close to a merger, in a deal that would consolidate two of the most powerful forces in the music industry under one roof, the Wall Stree Journal reports quoting people familiar with the matter.
Live Nation Ticketmaster, as it’d be called, would put the world’s biggest concert promoter together with the world’s dominant ticketing and artist-management company in a one-stop knocking shop which would manage everything from recorded music to ticket sales and tour sponsorship.
And as such, it will probably catch the eye of the Department of Justice, says The Washington Post, that goes on saying:
“Live Nation has served as an alternative to Ticketmaster for some, though the two companies had a sales partnership that expired at the end of 2008. Both companies have also brokered exclusive deals with various artists: Ticketmaster’s ties to headliners like Christina Aguilera and The Eagles stem from its acquisition of artist rep firm Front Line Management, while Live Nation has signed on acts like Madonna and Jay-Z on its own.”
Details about who’d be acquiring who hadn’t come to light, but, ‘”Live Nation’s market capitalization, at $390 million, is slightly higher than Ticketmaster’s $351 million,” says The Street, also noting, “the concert promoter has more debt and less cash”.
“The deal, which wouldn’t entail any exchange of cash, could be announced as early as next week, the Journal reports, citing the people close to the deal,” it adds.
From an article by p2pnet.net.