Is Taylor Swift’s ‘Reputation’ World Tour Bombing?
Is Taylor Swift's Reputation soon to be: pop star who can't sell out massive arenas the way she used to?
Page Six seems to think so. The site has reported that, because of Swift's new sales strategy — which includes huge markups from her previous 1989 tour — not a single venue has been sold out. By contrast, tickets for her 1989 show sold out in minutes.
Still, Ticketmaster Executive VP and head of music David Marcus told Billboard in December that "slow ticketing" is an intentional strategy that removes the pressure to get tickets as soon as they become available. By requiring fans to register as a "Verified Fan," the service can detect what consumers are willing to pay, and temper accordingly. The strategy ultimately means fewer tickets will go to secondhand vendors.
"We'd like to sell the last ticket to her concert when she takes the stage each night," Marcus said. "We're not trying to sell all of her tickets in one minute; we're trying to figure out how to sell tickets in a more modern way."
Ultimately, Marcus said the change could mean more money for Swift — a potential $1-1.5 million in revenue per show.
Naturally, though, the change to "slow ticketing" isn't seamless, and many fans are upset that the Reputation tour is asking for $1,500 VIP tickets and $800 "Snake Pit" tickets. But WME head of music Marc Geiger told the site that this is a natural effect of "market-driven pricing strategies."
"If people don't like the price of one ticket, then they can either buy a cheaper ticket or not go to the show," he said.
The first leg of Swift's next show series, which she announced in November, kicks off in Arizona in May and wraps up in Texas in October.
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