Despite facing down an energized Justice Department and the mother of all anti-trust lawsuits, Ticketmaster continues to expand, this time gobbling up a ticketing company in Africa.
Ticketmaster has purchased the South African-based ticketing outfit Quicket, according to a release from the company.
Quicket is one of the largest ticketing companies in Africa, servicing South Africa, Nigeria, Uganda, Kenya and other countries.
Ticketmaster only “launched” in Africa in 2022, according to the company, and the acquisition immediately makes it a larger force while simultaneously striking down a competitor.
“Partnering with Quicket will supercharge our mission to elevate Africa’s dynamic live events to the global spotlight they truly deserve,” Ticketmaster president Mark Yovich said in a release dashed off between court depositions. “Together, we are igniting a new era of unparalleled growth for African entertainment.”
Ticketmaster claims Quicket will continue to operate as a “standalone business unit” based in Cape Town, South Africa.
In May, the US Department of Justice with nearly 30 state governments filed suit to break up Ticketmaster parent Live Nation Entertainment, claiming the company abuses it’s near-monopoly control over upwards of 80% of the ticketing industry in the United States.
5 Mag covered the story of one unfortunate Ticketmaster rival, CrowdSurge, which was dubbed a “threat” and a dangerous “insurgent” by Ticketmaster executives for offering artists a better way to market pre-sale tickets to fans. Ticketmaster employed one of CrowdSurge’s former developers, who brought a ream of proprietary information and passwords which Ticketmaster used to hack the company out of existence.
Ticketmaster signed a deferred prosecution agreement admitting to the crimes in the waning days of the Trump Administration, according to which Ticketmaster “admits, accepts and acknowledges that it is responsible under United States law for the acts of its officers, directors, employees and agents” who committed several substantial crimes.
