Ticketcorner has backed itself to thrive in Switzerland following global giant Ticketmaster’s launch in the market.
Ticketmaster yesterday (Tuesday) announced it would be entering the Swiss market through a strategic partnership with local operator tixtec, which is run by former Ticketcorner chief George Egloff.
Rümlang-headquartered Ticketcorner was expecting Ticketmaster to open in Switzerland this year, with chief executive Andreas Angehrn predicting a H2 launch in an interview published in June. At the time, Angehrn said that because Ticketmaster-owner Live Nation is already promoting major concerts in Switzerland, Ticketcorner “will probably lose some of [its] sales during these concerts”.
However, speaking to The Ticketing Business, Stefan Epli said Ticketcorner’s long history of success and good reputation mean it will continue to flourish
“The market-entry of Ticketmaster in Swizerland does not surprise us,” Epli said. “Ticketcorner as the strongest digital retail brand in Switzerland looks calmly on Ticketmaster’s market entry.
“With a forward strategy new markets are opened up, with innovative services customer relationships are deepened.
“As a leading Swiss ticketing company, Ticketcorner has more than 30 years of experience. Reliable and long-term customer relationships underscore the solid foundation in the Swiss ticketing market.”
Ticketcorner, which sells around 10 million tickets per annum, was prevented from completing its proposed merger with fellow market leader Starticket earlier this year despite the company warning the Swiss competition regulator Weko that it would soon be facing the international clout of Ticketmaster.
While the prediction has proven to be correct, Epli said Ticketmaster’s entry is unlikely to lead to Weko rethinking its decision.
“We don’t really expect it to have an effect,” he said. “Both in interviews with Swiss media as well as in the Weko procedure for the merger of Starticket and Ticketcorner, we have extensively and publicly informed about foreign suppliers who are pushing into Switzerland.”