European StubHub rival Viagogo, which allows concert goers to buy and sell tickets, has done a deal with Warner Music Group. A legal, UK-based marketplace for “secondary’ tickets, Viagogo will retail tickets and give fans additional downloads, including ringtones and videos, for bands whose gig tickets they buy. Reuters: “The company said the deal marked the first time a major music label had partnered with a secondary ticketing company and said it would allow Warner to tap into the cash stream and marketing information of fans provided by the secondary ticket deals.”
The deal is expected to go live in the UK and Germany, with more music partnerships to come, Viagogo said. The company last month partnered with Lastminute.com to deliver a branded secondary ticket exchange for holidays and such like. Although eBay is rife with tickets, often at inflated prices, the likes of Viagogo claim to provide a guaranteed mechanism for buyers and sellers to trade. As part of the WMG deal, a small number of tickets to showcase events bands put on for industry folk may also become available via the site. Viagogo was started by StubHub founder Eric H. Baker; board members include Lastminute.com founder Brent Hoberman and former Yahoo and CBS exec David Katz.