the entertainment ticketing market | France

1.1 Presentation

The ticket industry encompasses the ticket distribution for entertainment events such as sports, musicals, theater and other events. INSEE's (Institut national de la statistique et des études économiques) activity number for ticket distribution can be found under code 7990Z.

The entertainment ticketing market consists of two distribution channels, namely physical points-of-sale and online. Online sales dominate, nevertheless some players are present in both channels. Currently, online ticketing is experiencing the strongest growth, at a CAGR of 4.8% p.a until 2025. Globally, as well as in France, the market is relatively concentrated. Nevertheless, the increasing dematerialization of tickets and subsequent move towards online ticketing is continuing to change how tickets are distributed. In particular, the emergence of online platforms to manage the flow of ticket purchases and sales has been particularly strong. Indeed, large distribution companies have their own systems and also offer show organizers the possibility of provision of integrated solutions.

Moreover, digitalization plays a huge role in this industry. For example, smartphones have made it possible to reach different audiences such as tourists via applications including the geolocation. Digitalization also enhance the mobile application experience, and increases the accessibility of consumer, and hence the revenues generated for market players. 

Finally, the industry is continuing to face headwinds in trying to battle the black market for ticket distribution. In France, the black market accounts for between 10-25% of all sales. Nevertheles, regulatory authorities are actively seeking to mitigate such tendencies.