Dolan Hints At Live Nation Shift

Cablevision CEO James Dolan said Sept. 18 that Madison Square Garden’s contract with Ticketmaster has expired and his company will consider using Live Nation’s ticketing system, but Cablevision quickly backtracked.

When SMG announced Sept. 11 it would enter a five-year exclusive agreement to use Live Nation’s ticketing system, MSG Entertainment declined comment, other than to tell Pollstar it had a contract with Ticketmaster. MSGE did not disclose when the contract was to expire, but sources told Pollstar that not only would it expire soon, TM was still waiting for a sign that the contract would be renewed.

Dolan said at a Goldman-Sachs conference in New York City Sept. 18 that the TM contract has expired and MSG Entertainment would consider the Live Nation ticketing platform, according to Dow Jones Newswires.

Within hours, Cablevision released the following statement:

“Madison Square Garden has enjoyed a long and mutually beneficial relationship with Ticketmaster. We have been in conversations and expect to extend that relationship and we have no current plans to do anything otherwise.”