Ticketmaster To Offer UK Grassroots Music Venues 50% Rebate On Booking Fees

Grassroots Venues . Tickets.
 – Grassroots Venues . Tickets.
The platform launched as a partnership between MVT and Ticketmaster channels revenues back to grassroots venues more efficiently than third-party ticketing services.

Thanks to an overhaul of the ticketing deal between Music Venue Trust and Ticketmaster in the UK, the country’s grassroots music venues have received an even better contract. 

See: UK Grassroots Music Venues Confirm Thousands Of Shows As Lockdown Eases
MVT and Ticketmaster via its self-service ticketing platform Ticketweb entered into a partnership in 2016, which established “Grassroots Venues. Tickets,” a platform designed to invest ticketing revenues back into  grassroots music venues and give their operators more control over their tickets. 
Benefits for participating venues increase if they use the platform exclusively.
After reviewing the existing partnership, Music Venue Trust and Ticketmaster have announced a number of changes to the deal. On the commercial side, the most important change is a 50% rebate on all booking fees for the venue.
Other updates were aimed at simplifying the customer experience to make it more efficient.
Music Venue Trust CEO Mark Davyd commented, “As we emerge from this crisis, we are delighted to have worked with the Ticketmaster team to further improve the Grassroots Venues Ticket offer. This new deal puts even more money back into venues where it belongs. We will continue to work with Ticketmaster to develop this partnership so that it supports our whole network.”
The original deal between MVT and TM included a so-called “maintain and sustain” fund, a small fee added onto each ticket, which went straight to the venue. According to Ticketmaster UK MD Andrew Parsons, fund has already brought in £150,000 ($205,000) in additional revenues for grassroots music venue. 
This new deal supersedes the “maintain and sustain” solution, Davyd told Pollstar. The idea: instead of venues getting different parts of a deal from different elements they now get one clean payment which is an improved financial return.
“To build on this we are evolving our ticketing partnership to donate even more from our fee to these treasured venues, and we’re proud to play our part,” Parsons said.