Viagogo buys StubHub. Is the ticket world about to be dominated by leaders named Eric?

Very interesting news announced today. Viagogo is the buyer of StubHub. First, an admission: I was wrong. This is why I never play Hangman. First letter “V”, but the word was not Vivid, it was Viagogo. I didn’t think Viagogo was a viable candidate to buy StubHub because of the issues they’ve faced in the UK. That said, I’m excited to see how combining these companies plays out.

Instantly, we have a new global ticket colossus. Until this merger, the only significant global player was Live Nation which has been purchasing the major concert promoters worldwide. That’s consolidation of supply. What just happened is an epic shift in distribution.

Assuming for the moment the deal for Viagogo to buy StubHub can pass regulatory review, this new player will have the scale to participate in every significant ticket marketing opportunity worldwide. It doesn’t take much foresight to see the next natural step, which will be to leverage their presence into becoming a primary ticket distributor. We should see this step beginning in markets like the UK where multiple sellers offer tickets unlike the system here in the U.S. where one ticketing company essentially buys the exclusive rights to sell all the tickets at a particular venue.

Gee, that’s all interesting, but what’s this about Eric domination? Well, here’s my…