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AXS.com (pronounced “access”) is a Ticketing website company based in Downtown Los Angeles, California, USA. Launched in August 2011 by Anschutz Entertainment Group, AXS Ticketing has already been installed in 24 venues, including AEG's The O2 arena in London. The platform is the first initiative under Outbox Enterprises, a joint venture involving AEG, Cirque du Soleil's Outbox Technology ticketing business and former Ticketmaster CEO Fred Rosen. The platform establishes AEG as a significant player in the ticketing market, rivaling Live Nation's Ticketmaster.

For AEG, owned by Denver billionaire Phil Anschutz, the move is not just about ticketing but about controlling the fan experience and cutting out the middleman -- thus keeping an extra portion of the ticket price. This is seen as a way to curb the scalping of tickets and to make it easier to buy them.

Rollout and Reach


As of February 4th, 2013, AXS Ticketing will replace Ticketmaster as the sole ticketing agency for events held at four of its sports and entertainment outlets in Los Angeles – STAPLES Center, Nokia Theatre, L.A. Live and Club Nokia.

The first event at STAPLES for which tickets will be sold through AXS will be Beyoncé’s June 26 concert at STAPLES, which kicks off her world tour.

The move is a major threat to Ticketmaster, which is the dominant concert ticket sales service. STAPLES Center is one of the top concert venues in the U.S.

Acquisitions and Joint Ventures
AEG said it also has begun to acquire other assets to add additional capabilities to AXS Ticketing and to collect data it says will present “a true picture of fans from the moment they contemplate a purchase until they leave the venue post-event.”

Recent acquisitions include Carbonhouse, which creates websites for arenas, performing arts centers and convention centers. It offers Apps for Venues in partnership with WillowTree Apps. Carbonhouse is said to have more than 100 client facilities across the U.S., including Barclay’s Center in Brooklyn, American Airlines Arena in Miami and KeyArena in Seattle.

AEG also acquired Front Gate Tickets in a joint venture with C3 Presents. It is billed as the largest independent ticketing company in the U.S. and has handled such events as the Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival and Lollapalooza.

AEG recently became a “strategic investor” in ByPass, which offers ordering and payment services for venues.

AEG also partners with eBay and StubHub to create what it calls a fan-to-fan ticket marketplace for AEG venues worldwide, with PayPal becoming one of the ways people can pay for the tickets.