AXS (company)

Last updated
AXS.com
Company type Primary ticket outlet
IndustryEntertainment
Founded2011
Headquarters Los Angeles, California
Area served
United States, United Kingdom, Sweden, Japan, Australia
ProductsTicket Sales
Ticketing Technology
Event/Venue Marketing
Owner Anschutz Entertainment Group (AEG)
Number of employees
 Full-time: 65
Part-time:
Website axs.com

AXS (pronounced access) is an American ticket outlet for sports and entertainment events, founded in 2011 and owned by Anschutz Entertainment Group (AEG), the world's second largest entertainment promoter behind Live Nation Entertainment. AEG operate venues globally, as well as promote events under their AEG Presents banner, meaning these venues and promoted events typically use AXS as their primary ticket outlet.

Contents

Background

The initial AXS deployment was August 2011 [1] [2] [3] and venues and services have been added in a phased roll out. As of August 2013, AXS was the exclusive or primary ticket provider for over 30 US venues and 9 UK venues.[ citation needed ] The first Staples Center concert available only through AXS was Beyoncé in 2013; both Los Angeles Lakers and the Los Angeles Clippers are still using Ticketmaster. [4] The white label technology Outbox developed enables AEG to sell tickets under either the AXS brand name or under local venue name brands, which have considerable local support, while providing centralized CRM services for either approach. [5]

It was developed and is operated by Anschutz Entertainment Group (AEG) in partnership with Outbox Technology. In September 2019, AEG bought out Outbox's partnership and AXS is now a wholly owned subsidiary of AEG. [1]

In January 2014, AEG announced that AXS had purchased Examiner.com, a user generated news site, in order to leverage the site's entertainment content. [6] In 2015, AXS merged with the paperless ticketing system Veritix. The combined entity then generated more than $2 billion in annual transactions. [7]

Outbox Technology

AEG's partner for 8 years, Outbox was behind the development of the white label ticket selling technology. Founded in 2005 by husband and wife Jean-Francoys Brousseau and Constance Raymond, Outbox also counted the Cirque du Soleil among its shareholders. [8] After gaining experience with their technology worldwide, it was in 2011 that Outbox created a partnership with AEG and AXS was born. [9] Their ticket selling system allows all live entertainment venues to control their inventory, pricing, and consumer data without any third party involvement. [10] [11] In 2019, Outbox sold its stake in AXS to AEG. [12] [13]

Innovations

Fair AXS

AXS aims to block large volume, automated purchases by computer programs used by ticket resalers by using a "waiting room" facility on a separate server. [2] Users log their personal details and purchase information prior to tickets going on sale and are screened for multiple purchases. [2] [14]

AXS Invite

AXS selectively offers an add-on feature, AXS Invite, which lets ticket purchasers reserve adjacent seats for friends, who have up to 48 hours to decide on receiving email or social media notification. [15] Invite is not available when tickets are initially sold, is only available at some venues, and is unlikely to help at oversubscribed shows. [15] AXS acknowledges that the feature is "really about finding a way to sell more tickets", while enhancing customer convenience. [15]

Partnerships

Carbonhouse

Carbonhouse, a website developer with over 300 clients worldwide, was acquired by AEG. [16] This will allow integration of additional features into the AXS ticketing platform. [16]

StubHub

AEG had a partnership with StubHub, a secondary ticketing service owned by eBay, to place tickets from StubHub in AXS ticket listings. This Partnership ended in 2018 when AXS Mobile ID technology and the “FanSight” purchase experience technology will be integrated in 30 of AEG's U.S. venues. [17] [18]

Related Research Articles

Philip Frederick Anschutz is an American billionaire businessman who owns or controls companies in a variety of industries, including energy, railroads, real estate, sports, newspapers, movies, theaters, arenas and music. In 2004, he purchased the parent company of the Journal Newspapers, which under Anschutz's direction became the American conservative editorial newspaper Washington Examiner. Anschutz is the son of Fred and Marian Pfister Anschutz.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dignity Health Sports Park</span> Sports complex and stadium in Carson, California, United States

Dignity Health Sports Park is a multi-use sports complex located on the campus of California State University, Dominguez Hills in Carson, California. The complex consists of the 27,000-seat Dignity Health Sports Park soccer stadium, the Dignity Health Sports Park tennis stadium, a track-and-field facility, and the VELO Sports Center velodrome. It is approximately 14 miles (23 km) south of downtown Los Angeles, and its primary tenant is the LA Galaxy of Major League Soccer (MLS). The main stadium was also home to the Los Angeles Wildcats of the XFL in 2020. The LA Galaxy II of MLS Next Pro play their home matches at the complex's track and field facility. For 2020 and 2021, the stadium served as the temporary home of the San Diego State Aztecs football team.

Ticketmaster Entertainment, LLC is an American ticket sales and distribution company based in Beverly Hills, California with operations in many countries around the world. In 2010, it merged with Live Nation under the name Live Nation Entertainment.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">L.A. Live</span> Entertainment complex located in downtown Los Angeles, California, US

L.A. Live is an entertainment complex in the South Park District of Downtown Los Angeles, California. It is adjacent to the Crypto.com Arena and the Los Angeles Convention Center.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Anschutz Entertainment Group</span> American company

Anschutz Entertainment Group, Inc. (AEG), also known as AEG Worldwide, is an American global sporting and music entertainment presenter and a subsidiary of The Anschutz Corporation. It is the world's largest owner of sports teams and sports events. Under the AEG Presents brand, it is the world's second-largest presenter of live music and entertainment events, after Live Nation. AEG Presents was founded in 2002 as AEG Live.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ticket resale</span> Act of reselling tickets for admission to events

Ticket resale is the act of reselling tickets for admission to events. Tickets are bought from licensed sellers and then sold for a price determined by the individual or company in possession of the tickets. Tickets sold through secondary sources may be sold for less or more than their face value depending on demand, which tends to vary as the event date approaches. When the supply of tickets for a given event available through authorized ticket sellers is depleted, the event is considered "sold out," generally increasing the market value for any tickets on offer through secondary sellers. Ticket resale is common in both sporting and musical events.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Anschutz Corporation</span> American private holding company

The Anschutz Corporation is an American private holding company headquartered in Denver, Colorado, United States. The company was started in 1958 by Fred Anschutz, a wildcatter, who developed and operated oil wells. Philip Anschutz, Fred's eldest son, assumed control of the company in 1962 and diversified it with holdings in the entertainment and hospitality industries.

Tour promoters are the individuals or companies responsible for organizing a live concert tour or special event performance. The tour promoter makes an offer of engagement to a particular artist, usually through the artist's agent or music manager. The promoter and agent then negotiate the live performance contract. The majority of live performance contracts are drawn up using the American Federation of Musicians (AFM) standard contract format known as the AFM Performance Agreement.

Live Nation is an American events promoter and venue operator based in Beverly Hills, California. Founded in 1996 by Robert F. X. Sillerman as SFX Entertainment, the company's business was built around consolidating concert promoters into a national entity to counter the oversized influence of ticket behemoth Ticketmaster. In 2000, the company was sold to Clear Channel Communications for $4.4 billion and operated as Clear Channel Entertainment until 2005, when it was spun off as Live Nation. In 2010, Live Nation merged with the ticketing firm Ticketmaster to form a larger conglomerate named Live Nation Entertainment.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">StubHub</span> American ticket brokering company

StubHub is an American ticket exchange and resale company. It provides services for buyers and sellers of tickets for sports, concerts, theater, and other live entertainment events. By 2015, it was the world's largest ticket marketplace. While the company does not currently disclose its financials, in 2015 it had over 16 million unique visitors and nearly 10 million live events per month.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The O2</span> Entertainment district in London, England

The O2 is a large entertainment district on the Greenwich peninsula in South East London, England, including an indoor arena, a music club, a Cineworld cinema, an exhibition space, piazzas, bars, restaurants, and a guided tour to the top of the O2. It was built largely within the former Millennium Dome, a large dome-shaped canopy built to house an exhibition celebrating the turn of the third millennium; consequently The Dome remains a name in common usage for the venue. It is sometimes referred to as The O2 Arena, but that name properly refers to the indoor arena within The O2. Naming rights to the district were purchased by the mobile telephone provider O2 from its developers, Anschutz Entertainment Group (AEG), during the development of the district. AEG owns the long-term lease on the O2 Arena and surrounding leisure space.

Live Nation Entertainment, Inc. is an American multinational entertainment company that was founded in 2010 following the merger of Live Nation and Ticketmaster. It promotes, operates and manages ticket sales for live entertainment internationally. It also owns and operates entertainment venues and manages the careers of music artists.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">SeatGeek</span> Ticket platform

SeatGeek is a mobile-focused ticket platform that enables users to buy and sell tickets for live sports, concerts, and theater events. SeatGeek allows both mobile app and desktop users to browse events, view interactive color-coded seatmaps, complete purchases, and receive electronic or print tickets. Originally launched as an aggregator of listings on the secondary ticketing market, the company now operates as both a secondary marketplace and primary ticket outlet for sports teams and live event venues.

Timothy J. Leiweke is an American businessman who is the chief executive officer of the Oak View Group. He was the former president and CEO of Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment (MLSE) and the former president and CEO of Anschutz Entertainment Group (AEG). He held roughly a 4% stake in AEG as of 2012, and is well known for his relationship with notoriously reclusive AEG founder and Denver-based billionaire Philip Anschutz, whom he has known since the early 1990s. Since November 2015, Leiweke has been the CEO of the Oak View Group, "a global advisory, development, and investment company for the sports and live entertainment industries".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Michelle Wahlgren</span> American businesswoman

Michelle L. Wahlgren is the owner and CEO of We Bring It On, Inc. Her area of specialty is implementing change and leading transformation within the business environment. She is a business consultant and motivational speaker.

A primary ticket outlet is an organization that contracts directly with venues and promoters to sell event tickets on its behalf.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Eventim UK</span> British events and ticket agent

Eventim UK is an events and ticket agent, based in London, England. The company is a wholly owned subsidiary of Europe's largest ticket retailer, CTS Eventim AG & Co. KGaA.

Fredric D. Rosen is an American attorney and business executive. He was the president and chief executive officer of Ticketmaster from 1982 to 1998.

Outbox Enterprises was founded in 2011 and based in Los Angeles. It offers a white label system to sell tickets directly to customers, allowing live entertainment venues to control their inventory, pricing, and consumer data without third party involvement. Cirque du Soleil, a client, is also a shareholder.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Taylor Swift–Ticketmaster controversy</span> Concert tour ticket sales issues

The American ticket sales platform Ticketmaster and its parent company Live Nation Entertainment were met with widespread public criticism and political scrutiny over blunders in selling tickets to the 2023 United States leg of the Eras Tour, the sixth concert tour by the singer-songwriter Taylor Swift, in November 2022. Media outlets described the demand for the Eras Tour's tickets as "astronomical", with 3.5 million people registering for the Ticketmaster's Verified Fan pre-sale program in the U.S.

References

  1. 1 2 Ben Sisario (August 22, 2011). "Ticketmaster Competitor to Unveil a Web Site". New York Times. Retrieved 2013-12-17.
  2. 1 2 3 Todd Martens (2013-02-05). "Can AEG's AXS change the way tickets are sold? - Los Angeles Times". Articles.latimes.com. Retrieved 2013-11-18.
  3. ↑ "AEG launches digital marketing effort for axs.com". TicketNews. 2011-11-15. Retrieved 2013-11-18.
  4. ↑ Martens, Todd; Lowery, Wesley (2013-02-04). "AEG moves to battle Ticketmaster head on - Los Angeles Times". Articles.latimes.com. Retrieved 2013-11-18.
  5. ↑ "AEG Enters Competition with Live Nation Ticketmaster". Reuters. 2011-08-23. Retrieved 2013-11-18.
  6. ↑ "Examiner.com Acquired by AXS". AEG Worldwide. 23 January 2014. Archived from the original on 5 October 2014. Retrieved 6 October 2014.
  7. ↑ "AEG's event ticket-selling service Outbox AXS is merging with Veritix". Los Angeles Times. 2015-06-11. Retrieved 2022-09-15.
  8. ↑ Bitti, Mary Teresa (10 February 2014). "A second chance at the ticket promotion business is a global success". Financial Post.
  9. ↑ Sisario, Ben (2011-08-23). "Ticketmaster Competitor to Unveil a Web Site". The New York Times. ISSN   0362-4331 . Retrieved 2022-09-15.
  10. ↑ "Guardian cartoon of cow in relation to Priti Patel sparks outrage amongst diaspora in Britain". The Hindu . 9 March 2020. Archived from the original on 11 September 2020. Retrieved 6 August 2020.
  11. ↑ Morris, Chris (2010-10-11). "Ticketmaster exec to head Outbox". Variety. Retrieved 2022-09-15.
  12. ↑ "AEG Confirms Buyout of Partners for Full Ownership of AXS". September 20, 2019.
  13. ↑ "AEG Purchases All Outstanding Shares of AXS" (Press release). 19 September 2019.
  14. ↑ Mark Sweney and Ellis Schindler (22 October 2012). "AEG takes on Ticketmaster with new 'fan-friendly' online booking service | Media". theguardian.com. Retrieved 2013-11-18.
  15. 1 2 3 "AEG's AXS Invite Will Allow You To Reserve An Adjacent Seat For A Friend". Huffingtonpost.com. 2012-10-12. Retrieved 2013-11-18.
  16. 1 2 Brooks, Dave (2013-02-04). "AEG Acquires carbonhouse". Venues Today. Archived from the original on 2013-02-11. Retrieved 2013-11-18.
  17. ↑ "AEG, StubHub Partnership Brings Benefits Far Beyond Secondary Ticketing". Billboard. 2012-11-12. Retrieved 2013-11-18.
  18. ↑ "AEG Takes Secondary Ticketing In-House With AXS". pollstar. 2018-11-18. Retrieved 2019-02-06.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.