In an industry dominated by powerhouse Ticketmaster, entertainment rival Anschutz Entertainment Group will use Denver to launch a competing ticket-selling business this week.
Los Angeles-based AEG, owned by Denver billionaire Philip Anschutz, plans to start selling tickets online Saturday through the newly-created subsidiary axs Ticketing.
AEG officials said the new venture initially will be implemented at its two Denver concert halls, the Bluebird and Ogden theaters. Both venues currently sell tickets through Ticketmaster.
By the end of 2012, axs (pronounced “access”) will be installed at AEG’s approximately 100 concert and sports venues worldwide.
AEG said its collaboration with Outbox Technologies is designed to give consumers a better ticket-buying mechanism than Ticketmaster. One change from Ticketmaster, officials said, is that axs will not charge a fee for customers to print their own tickets that they purchase online.
Analysts said the venture could help bring some competition into a ticketing industry in which Ticketmaster holds a dominant market share.
