Eventim Rolls Out
Secret SMG Deal

German ticketing giant CTS Eventim and venue operator SMG are finally in the open about their long-term ticketing co-operation.

In November 2011 Pollstar revealed the two firms had inked a five-year deal for Eventim to service SMG Europe’s UK venues, although neither side would go public on it at the time.

It’s believed both companies agreed not to formally announce at the time it because it could potentially weaken Eventim’s legal action against Live Nation, which is still under the scrutiny of the International Court Of Arbitration.

Eventim claims LN breached its contract with the German company when setting up its merger with Ticketmaster.

Eventim’s claim for damages, which would have included losses at Manchester, Belfast and Leeds, among other venues, may have lost some of its impact if it was known that the Bremen-based company had managed to claw back three major arena contracts it had just lost to Ticketmaster.

“The five-year deal with Eventim brings a new focus to our ticketing services,” said SMG Europe managing director John Sutherland. “The new platform allows us to respond quicker and more efficiently to the requirements of promoters and the general public. Eventim also has some exciting new ticketing initiatives in the pipeline”

Eventim UK chairman Nick Blackburn added, “During the lead up period to implementation we have reviewed business processes and further enhanced our state of the art technology. The relationship with SMG is very important to us and a real stepping stone in our determination to grow our business in the UK.”

The International Court Of Arbitration is expected to rule on Eventim’s dispute with Live Nation within a matter of days.