Louis C.K. Sticks it to TicketMaster and Sells $4.5 Million in Tickets in Two Days (VIDEO)
Whether or not you’re a fan of Louis C.K.’s comedy, you’ve got to hand it to the guy – he’s a good business man who really cares about his fans.
Rather than relying on services like Ticketmaster to sell tickets for his upcoming 39-city comedy tour, the comedian decided to sell the tickets himself through his official website. The tickets for the U.S. portion of the tour were sold for $45 each, and didn’t include the usual ‘convenience fees’, other markups, or even sales tax associated with vendors like Ticketmaster.
The tickets also have restrictions on them that render them void if they’re resold for any price higher than $45, thus avoiding the high prices of ticket scalpers.
“Making my shows affordable has always been my goal, but two things have always worked against that — high ticket charges and ticket re-sellers marking up the prices,” said Louis on his official site.
Looks like it’s worked out well for him, since Louis has raked in $4.5 million in less than two days.
This isn’t the first time an entertainer has taken an active approach to building a stronger bond with their fans. Recently, (awesome) singer/songwriter Amanda Palmer financed the creation of an album and a tour by raising over a million dollars on Kickstarter.
Radiohead allowed fans to pay what they wanted (or not pay at all) to download their album In Rainbows. Trent Reznor released Ghosts at a variety of different price points, starting at $5. The Humble Indie Bundles offer a variety of different games on a pay what you want model, the most recent of which made over $5.1 million.
It seems that in the age of social media, engaging fans and giving them choices is becoming a viable way for entertainers to make money.
