O2 launches website selling tickets to its events

p52 An aerial view shows the North Greenwich Arena, site of the artistic gymnastics, basketball, trampoline and wheelchair basketball events, in London, March 27, 2012. London will host this summer's Olympic Games. Picture taken March 27, 2012. REUTERS/Stefan Wermuth (BRITAIN - Tags: TRAVEL SPORT OLYMPICS) ATTENTION EDITORS - PICTURE 12 OF 19 FOR PACKAGE 'LONDON 2012 FROM THE AIR'

Reuters

22 October 2012

The owners of The O2 concert venue in Greenwich have launched their own ticket sales operation to sell directly to fans for the first time — and attacked third-party agencies such as Ticketmaster for imposing unnecessary fees.

AEG Europe chief executive Jay Marciano said: “We don’t think it’s right,” that some agencies demand fans to pay £2.50 to print off a ticket at home. The new ticket website, AXS Invite, will let fans use a virtual “waiting room” before tickets go on sale and reserve places for friends.

AEG said “one of the hidden evils” of the old system was that ticket agencies “were controlling the data and we weren’t — they were using that data to promote our competitors’ events”.

Upcoming O2 concerts include Girls Aloud and the Rolling Stones.