Online giant Kakao announces major investment in K-pop leader SM Entertainment

[ad_1] Korean online media giant Kakao has bought an almost 10% stake in major K-pop agency SM Entertainment, whose clients include Aespa and SuperM. The acquisition of a 9.05% stake for an estimated $172.8m makes Kakao – which has interests in social media, banking and technology development – the second largest shareholder of SM Entertainment. …

Ticketmaster “successfully handles” Beyonce onsale

[ad_1] Ticketmaster has claimed an early success as sales for Beyonce’s Renaissance tour passed without major incident following the controversy surrounding last year’s Taylor Swift onsale. Hundreds of thousands of tickets became available through presales and general sales in North America and Europe from Monday. The tour will see the American star appear in more …

Tech Stack: Minnesota Wild, Ultra Abu Dhabi and more…

[ad_1] Our weekly tech round-up from the world of ticketing and associated industries… NHL’s Wild revamps corporate tix NHL team Minnesota Wild is looking to revamp its corporate ticketing programme through a partnership with TicketManager. The team said all corporate partners and businesses with suites, premium seats and season tickets at Xcel Energy Center will …

People on the Move: AXS, Live Nation and more

[ad_1] We round up the latest movements from the ticketing sector and associated industries… AXS has appointed Australian sports business leader Andrew Travis to head its expansion in Australasia. Travis, formerly chief operating officer of Melbourne & Olympic Parks (M&OP) and CEO of Gold Coast Suns, has been named AXS’s chief executive officer of AXS …

Accor Stadium to welcome 400,000 people

[ad_1] Sydney’s Accor Stadium has predicted that 400,000 people will attend its upcoming major headline events.  More than 180,000 people are expected to attend two Ed Sheeran concerts on February 24 and 25 alone. Early February also saw the stadium hold two concerts from band Red Hot Chili Peppers, with support from rapper Post Malone. …

IBU World Championships Biathlon predicts attendance of over 160,000 fans

[ad_1] The BMW IBU World Championships Biathlon is set to begin tomorrow (Wednesday) in Oberhof, Germany with more than 160,000 fans expected to attend.  Some 260 biathlon athletes from 36 different countries will compete across nine competition days between February 8-19. “We have no doubt it will be a fantastic Championships full of thrilling biathlon …

Arsenal tackles bot and touts

[ad_1] English Premier League club Arsenal is attempting to crack down on bot traffic and touts as some members have found it difficult to secure tickets.  The club added that it is also experiencing unprecedented levels of demand for tickets. “We are working extensively to address these issues and clamp down on this illegal activity,” …