Dive Brief:
- Amazon launched Amazon Tickets last year in the U.K. and, according to Recode, is poised to expand the service into Europe, Asia and potentially the U.S.
- The U.S. market, in particular, could present a challenge, as Amazon would run up against entrenched competition like Ticketmaster and parent company Live Nation.
- Recode’s report cited a number of job listings from Amazon for Amazon Tickets, including mentions of Prime Tickets, indicating the e-commerce giant might be looking to integrate the ticketing service into Prime.
Dive Insight:
Amazon has been actively beefing up its offerings for Prime members. Prime began as a way shoppers could get automatic two-day shipping and now includes streaming music and video, original video content, gaming and very likely live sports in the near future. Ticketing would add a new service for Prime members and provide Amazon with another hook to bring new consumers into Prime.
The news also points to how Amazon continues to expand its general merchandise e-commerce positioning to become a broad software and hardware platform. Tickets, in particular, could be an interesting area for Amazon because it bridges the company's growing focus on music via a streaming service and the Echo smart speaker with its e-commerce interests.
“[O]ur vision goes beyond just selling tickets as we aim to disrupt the entire live entertainment experience, including what happens before, during and after the show," according to a job posting quoted by Recode. "The ticketing business is ripe for innovation and improvement, as much of the industry has not fundamentally changed since the 1970s.”
Amazon Tickets is spearheaded by longtime Amazon employee Ian Freed, the executive who launched the Amazon Fire phone.