Ticketmaster Buys Czech Republic’s Ticketpro

With the acquisition of Czech Republic-based Ticketpro, Ticketmaster is now present in 30 countries and claims to process 530 million primary tickets annually.

Ticketpro was founded by Serge Girmaux and launched in the Czech Republic in 1992. The company has since licensed its TicketSoft software to companies in other markets such as Hungary, Chile and Belarus.

Through this acquisition, Ticketmaster not only expands into yet another European market, but also strengthens its foothold in Poland, where Ticketpro is also one of the main players. It also means gaining ground on both countries’ main ticketing operators Ticketportal (Czech Republic) and eBilet (Poland).

The buyout for an undisclosed sum will enable Ticketmaster “to better service our clients in Central Europe, while providing a world class service to the many fans in these countries,” according to Mark Yovich, president of the company’s international business.

Grimaux: “Ticketpro has established a proven track record in Central Europe and many emerging markets around the world.

Combining this with Ticketmaster’s global scale and reach will ensure that Ticketpro continues to provide an even better experience to its current fans, while attracting considerably more.”

He added that “for me, it is the end of a ticketing journey which has lasted over 25 years.”