The Horizon For Verizon

The clock is ticking on Live Nation’s management contract at the Verizon Amphitheatre in Bonner Springs, Kan., which will expire at the end of the year if a deal isn’t inked next month.

The company has an option to renew the contract for another five years, but negotiations have reportedly stalled over a recent request Live Nation made to Wyandotte County: build a bigger stage for bigger shows, and foot the bill.

Deputy County Administrator Doug Bach told the Kansas City Star that while the county and LN have discussed upgrades to the shed, no such renovations are in the works.

"We have talked to them about doing some expansion and modernizing the facility," Bach said. "But we don’t have plans at this time to do that."

A renovated facility with a larger stage would certainly fit LN’s plans to offer fewer, more profitable shows this summer.

The company recently announced during a first quarter earnings call that it would severely cut back on shows that draw fewer than 7,500 concertgoers.

But LN spokesman John Vlautin told Pollstar there was no connection between the ongoing discussions over the Verizon Amphitheatre and LN’s recent announcement.

Mayor Joe Reardon explained that renovations for the facility were not being ruled out, although the council hadn’t yet discussed how to finance such a project.

"Upgrading a public facility like Verizon is one that we would seriously consider," Reardon told the Star.