We have to admit that’s a pretty good question. To the casual observer, this Website looks pretty low on the cash flow. Sure, there’s some income from the occasional banner ad, but the tour information, like the latest schedules for Virginia Coalition and Alice Cooper, is free, and even the least Net savvy individual can figure out that the advertising on this site hardly covers the cost of the 8,312 employees, 500 acres of prime real estate, four helicopters and two Lear Jets that is Pollstar.com. So how do we make any money?

In a content hungry medium, the processing and packaging of data can be very lucrative. Aside from listing acts like The Radiators and The Beautiful South on the Website, we license our data to various government agencies like the C.I.A. and F.B.I. We’re still trying to figure out what the White House wants with tour dates for Gin Blossoms and Mofro, but when the President tells you to jump, you don’t ask why, only “how high?”

So where does the bulk of our income come from? Why don’t you take a look at the schedule for Sting. Yes, it is a long one, and it will probably take you a couple minutes to read every date. Now click on the The Oak Ridge Boys. Their schedule is even longer than Sting’s, and should take you three or four minutes to eyeball it from top to bottom.

Now, back to the question about how Pollstar.com makes money. While you were engrossed in those two schedules, we had our newest employee, Boris, ransack your bedroom for cash and rifle your dressing bureau for jewelry.

No, you don’t want to stop him, for Boris swings a mean ax when he’s disturbed, which is usually 24/7. Actually, it’s probably better if you just pretend he isn’t there. In fact, why don’t you call up the itinerary for Straylight Run? It’s not nearly as long as The Oak Ridge Boys, but by the time you read the last date, Boris will be gone, and we’ll be well on our way to turning your items into cash at the pawn shop down the street.

So go ahead, take your time and look at as many tour dates as you wish. As always, thank you for using Pollstar.com.