Pollstar now acknowledges that these reports were inaccurate and we regret having used the incorrect information which appears to have been propagated by regional rivals of Live Nation. Attempts to verify the reports with BKM, Live Nation’s local partner in Istanbul were not successful prior to publication.

Live Nation and Madonna both readily acknowledge that some tickets were given directly to Viagogo, but state the actual number was a tiny percentage that was closer to 1%. All three entities have had a direct and above-board relationship dating back to Madge’s 2008 “Sticky and Sweet” tour when a press release proclaimed Viagogo, Europe’s leading resale site, as an official ticketing partner.

In this situation, Live Nation and Madonna did not try to mislead the public on the availability of primary tickets for the Istanbul show and no one should infer that either party was “improperly” seeking to exploit fans for commercial gain.