WEST HOLLYWOOD, Calif. and TAMPA, Fla., March 18, 2009 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Ticketmaster, a Ticketmaster Entertainment, Inc., (Nasdaq:TKTM) operating business, and the St. Pete Times Forum today announced a multi-year extension of their decade-plus partnership. Home to the Tampa Bay Lightning, the St. Pete Times Forum opened in October 1996 with Ticketmaster at its side providing all ticketing and marketing needs. Ticketmaster and the Lightning have been partners since the team was founded in 1990. Ticketmaster will continue to provide the latest ticketing technology and build upon its seamlessly integrated event ticketing distribution solutions, including: on-site scanning technology to validate barcoded event tickets; online and offline event marketing and communication tools; and a multitude of new services to help drive ticket sales and enhance the overall entertainment experience for fans.
The St. Pete Times Forum, Florida's premier sports and entertainment destination, is the jewel of downtown Tampa. The arena features state-of-the-art technology and innovative design that combine to make the Times Forum one of the finest facilities in North America. In addition to NHL hockey, the St. Pete Times Forum hosts more than 150 events annually, including concerts, family events, ice shows, the circus, NCAA Championship events and arena football.
"Speaking for the new ownership group of the Tampa Bay Lightning, we are excited that Ticketmaster Entertainment is showing faith and confidence in the management team and the organization for the next several years as we move forward," said Oren Koules, Chief Executive Officer of the Lightning and the St. Pete Times Forum. "We look to further integration and partnership with Ticketmaster, taking advantage of its latest technologies and marketing tools to better service our guests."
"Ticketmaster Entertainment and St. Pete Times Forum continue to have a true partnership in every sense of the word, going on more than a decade. Ticketmaster is thrilled to continue our relationship for many years to come," said Jared Smith, Ticketmaster's Regional Vice President for the Southeast. "Ticketmaster is committed to providing quality service, distribution and platforms that will meet the current and future ticketing and marketing needs for St. Pete Times Forum."
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About the St. Pete Times Forum
The St. Pete Times Forum, home of the Tampa Bay Lightning, opened in 1996 and it remains one of the top facilities in the entire nation. Constantly ranked among the top five venues in the United States in terms of gross ticket sales, the Times Forum recently was acknowledged by Venues Today as the highest grossing arena in the state of Florida for 2008 and it was the top grossing arena in the world for the period mid-January through mid-February, 2009. With a capacity of nearly 22,000 for hockey, sporting events and in-the-round concerts, the facility is one of the biggest arenas in the country and it has played host to the 2007 ACC Men's Basketball Championship, the 2008 NCAA Women's Final Four and, most recently, the 2009 SEC Men's Basketball Championship.
About Ticketmaster Entertainment, Inc.
Ticketmaster Entertainment consists of Ticketmaster and Front Line Management Group. As the world's leading live entertainment ticketing and marketing company, Ticketmaster connects the world to live entertainment. Ticketmaster operates in 20 global markets, providing ticket sales, ticket resale services, marketing and distribution through www.ticketmaster.com, one of the largest e-commerce sites on the Internet; approximately 6,700 retail outlets; and 19 worldwide call centers. Established in 1976, Ticketmaster serves more than 10,000 clients worldwide across multiple event categories, providing exclusive ticketing services for leading arenas, stadiums, professional sports franchises and leagues, college sports teams, performing arts venues, museums, and theaters. In 2007, the company sold more than 141 million tickets valued at over $8.3 billion on behalf of its clients. Ticketmaster Entertainment acquired a controlling interest in Front Line Management Group in October 2008. Ticketmaster Entertainment, Inc., is headquartered in West Hollywood, California (Nasdaq:TKTM).