November 11, 2008

By By Mitchell Peters, L.A.

Ticketmaster Entertainment president and Ticketmaster CEO Sean Moriarty said yesterday (Nov. 10) during a conference call with investors that the company is beginning to experiment with "eliminating add-on fees" for ticket purchases.

"We're already testing the program on certain upcoming tour on-sales," Moriarty said, noting that concertgoers who use Ticketmaster electronic delivery system TicketFast would not be charged with additional service fees. "We look to lead the way with this dramatic new approach, and fundamentally change the way tickets are sold in the live entertainment industry."

The first act to experiment with the elimination of service fees is Front Line Management client the Eagles. Newly dubbed Ticketmaster Entertainment, which recently acquired a controlling equity interest in Irving Azoff's Front Line Management Group, now operates as a free-standing, publicly traded company.

A statement on Ticketmaster.com for the Eagles' Jan. 17 concert at North Carolina's Greensboro Coliseum Complex reads: "This is a no-fee event! The price you see is the price you pay. No convenience fee. No order processing fee. No delivery fee if you choose to print tickets at home." Tickets for the concert range from $60 to $100.

"Our combination with Front Line and Irving Azoff's approach to getting things done is already dramatically changing the live entertainment landscape," Moriarty said. "We're really proud that Ticketmaster Entertainment is the leader in this important new aspect of the artist and fan experience."

Ticketmaster Entertainment is expected to issue a press release tomorrow containing further information about its experiment to eliminate convenience charges. So far, the Eagles is the only act to experiment with eliminating concert ticket service fees, according to the company. A Ticketmaster Entertainment spokesperson declined to comment further at deadline.

Subscribe to Billboard magazine today!