90% Of Concert Tickets are Sold On Presales

want a tix? Get American Express

New York Post had an article Friday, really about when tickets go one sale to the public. The Posts point (take a look at the pix) is essentially one they claim not to be making: that the majority of tickers are purchased on pre-sale.

This doesn’t have very much to do with ticker brokerage or scalping, as opposed to the way business is conducted in 2013. The Post isn’t claiming the BEST tickets are being held back but rather that they are not going on sale at the online sale date, the phrasing is a little strange. The phrasing is a little strange: “only a 10% chance of touching fans who weren’t insiders”. A little double talk there.  They are not available because they are already legally sold.

Let me explain the breakdown of Bieber tickets above:

2.2% Arena –I am guessing that’s a friends and family as opposed to presale.

17.8% – The press, politicians, musicians, etc. Again not a presale.

4.5% Live Nation – This one is a little baffling. Is it a type of kickback to the ticker handlers? Or the management company?

By bet is that entire 24.50% is never  getting to fans unless some unscrupulous are selling tickets they’ve been given or sold at face value. That’s possible but doesn’t need to bother us right here. Now for the remaining

10% Go on sale on line at the sale time.

So we are breaking down 65.5% of ticket sales.

32% – Amex ticketholders – well, how does that make you an insider? I actually got an AMEX card purely for presales. It comes with the fan who goes to concerts a lot job description, get an AMEX Card. Look at it this way, 5% of the possible audience may have Amex cards getting a crack at 35% of the tickets. Only once or twice (Barbra Streisand at Barclay’s comes to mind) has amex let me down if I’ve actually remembered the presale.  If there is a presale, your chances are excellent.

9% – VIPS – Look if you are willing to pay five time the price and you get there on time, the chances of you getting a ticket without going to Fansnap are excellent.

23% – Bieber fanclubs – Fanclubs have never helped me with Phish but Larry Lachman got front row to Tom Petty last month using the fanclub.

1.5% – Justin Bieber – This is a kick back to the talent hiding out as a do what thou wilt. They get resold and pad the bottom line.

So, I would claim 65.5% of the tickets are sold legitimately and that if you want tix you better wise up