Ticket Companies becoming Promoters and Promoters becoming Ticketing Companies

There are going to be changes in how tickets are purchased and who can sell them in 2009. Live Nation, the largest promoter in the world, has purchased a new ticketing platform and will be parting ways with Ticketmaster. In turn, there are rumors that Ticketmaster (and partners) may be buying 49% of AEG Live, the second largest concert promoter in the world.

Why is all this happening? Well, for starters, concert promoters have very thin margins of profit. Although the price of tickets keeps going up, it doesn't all go to Live Nation or AEG. Some reports show Live Nation margins as low 1%.

On the other hand, Ticketmaster reportedly makes up to 25% off of ticket sales. It doesn't really seem like a win-win relationship.

Forbes reports that 20% of Ticketmaster sales came from Live Nation shows. How can they replace this? Many people say that they can't.

How will this effect you? Are you going to be forced to purchase concert tickets online instead of at outlets? Will Live Nation put up kiosks or sell tickets at the mall any more? Will ticket prices go up or down as a result?

Although Live Nation will have the monopoly on their own concerts, I can't see the ticketing fees getting any worse. But the process of buying tickets may get a little more confusing.