the entertainment ticketing market | Italy

1.1 Definition and scope of study

The entertainment ticket market consists of physical and online distributors dedicated to selling tickets for sporting events, theater performances, exhibitions, concerts, etc. This sector is usually divided into a primary and a secondary market, depending on whether the distributor is a ticketing partner of the event organizer or a professional ticket holder and reseller, such as a broker.  

The global entertainment ticket market is expected to grow at CAGR greater than 4% from 2021 reaching a value of $10.77 billion by 2025. In particular, market growth appears to be driven by the online entertainment ticket sales segment, which is expected to grow at a 5% annual growth rate over the 2018-2026 time horizon. 

In Italy, despite the presence of large, well-established companies operating in the entertainment ticket market, such as TicketOne, there is also a growing number of start-ups which, in recent years, have become part of the competitive landscape by focusing on highly innovative features. 

However, a phenomenon that has always characterized the Italian market is that of "bagarinaggio", i.e. the purchase in large quantities of tickets that are resold at much higher prices, yielding high profits. Although considered by many as a practice highly damaging to the market, to date in Italy there are no regulations able to counteract this phenomenon, unlike other nations that have adopted more stringent measures in this regard. 

The market of entertainment tickets has undergone a strong slowdown due to the Covid-19 pandemic, which has caused the impossibility to organize events of any kind for long periods of time. Despite this, future prospects are optimistic, especially with regard to the online ticket sales segment. In fact, thanks to the increasing use of digital tools, many operators in the sector are starting to implement digital measures, such as websites or apps, to increase online sales.