Promoters of Performing Arts and Sports Events
Industry Profile Report
Dive Deep into the industry with a 25+ page industry report (pdf format) including the following chapters
Industry Overview Current Conditions, Industry Structure, How Firms Operate, Industry Trends, Credit Underwriting & Risks, and Industry Forecast.
Call Preparation Call Prep Questions, Industry Terms, and Weblinks.
Financial Insights Working Capital, Capital Financing, Business Valuation, and Financial Benchmarks.
Industry Profile Excerpts
Industry Overview
The 8,000 promoters of performing arts and sporting events in the US provide management, marketing, and event services for the live entertainment industry. Promoters may own their venues or provide promotion services to third-party facilities. Promoters organize and manage in-person entertainment including concerts, professional and amateur sporting events, stage performances, fairs, festivals, and other cultural entertainment. Promoters can also provide talent management services to artists.
Dependence on Popular Events and Acts
Promoters’ success depends largely on the quality and popularity of the artist, sports team, or event, leaving the industry highly susceptible to consumer tastes and trends.
Secondary Ticket Market Abuse
Ticketing services are largely secure and legitimate, but the secondary resale market is vulnerable to hackers, bots, and technology issues.
Industry size & Structure
The average firm employs fewer than 5 workers and generates $5 million annually.
- The live event and sports promotion industry consists of about 8,000 companies that employ 185,600 workers and generate about $42 billion annually.
- The industry is highly concentrated at the top with events giant Live Nation controlling almost 80% of the market.
- About 3,500 promoter firms also own facilities.
- Only about 65 companies have more than 500 employees.
- Large companies include Live Nation, Anschutz Entertainment Group, Madison Square Garden Entertainment Group and C3 Presents.
Industry Forecast
Promoters of Performing Arts and Sports Events Industry Growth
Recent Developments
Apr 11, 2025 - Slower Growth Forecast
- The US promoters of performing arts and sports events industry is projected to grow at a CAGR of 3.5% between 2025 and 2029, according to a forecast from Inforum and the Interindustry Economic Research Fund, Inc. The industry’s expected growth rate is slower than the overall economy‘s anticipated growth. Consumer confidence is expected to improve in the forecast period, which bodes well for the arts, entertainment, and recreation industries. A factor that may curb consumer spending is substantially higher tariffs on consumer goods, which may be painful for households. On a positive note, lower inflation supports a moderate increase of real disposable income by about 2% in 2025 and 1.9% in 2026. Real income could suffer if average prices rise due to tariff implementation. Per the forecast, live entertainment has improved significantly post pandemic, including movie theater attendance and music concerts, though the extent of recovery remains to be seen.
- Consumer confidence levels fell in March 2025 month over month, dropping by 7.2 points to 92.9, according to the Consumer Confidence Index from the Conference Board. Stephanie Guichard, Senior Economist of Global Indicators at The Conference Board, noted that the segment driving March's decline was consumers over 55 years old, and the decline spanned all income groups with the exception being households earning over $125,000. Per Guichard, “Consumer confidence declined for a fourth consecutive month in March, falling below the relatively narrow range that had prevailed since 2022.” Purchasing plans for homes and new cars declined while big-ticket purchases rose on a six-month moving average basis, which may reflect plans to purchase before impending tariffs lead to price increases.
- Event ticket-sellers, hotels, and other businesses must now advertise the full price of their offerings under a new rule by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) going into effect in 2025, according to the New York Times. Under the “Junk Fees Rule,” vendors now have to disclose all fees, such as service fees, cleaning fees, and resort fees, in the total prices advertised to customers. According to the FTC, the new rule targets specific and widespread unfair and deceptive pricing practices in the sale of live-event tickets and short-term lodging while preserving flexibility for companies. The final rule was announced by the FTC in December 2024 and goes into effect 120 days after it is published in the Federal Register.
- The live entertainment industry saw steady growth in 2024, as the industry showed stability following several years of rapid growth as people flocked back to live events after the COVID-19 pandemic, according to the Pollstar 2024 year-end analysis. According to 2024 data from the Worldwide Top 100 Tours, there was a 5.7% increase in the volume of shows reported, a 3.9% rise in the average ticket price to $135.92, and a 3.6% increase in total grosses to $9.5 billion. Meanwhile, other metrics saw relatively small declines including total ticket sales, average ticket sales, and average gross in 2024 compared to 2023. In North America, the Top 100 Tours grossed $6.1 billion in 2024, a decrease of 6.7% in the prior year. Two of the top tours of all time were out on the road in 2024; Taylor Swift’s “The Eras Tour” has grossed an estimated $2.2 billion, while Coldplay’s “Music of the Spheres World Tour” has grossed $1.1 billion with a 2025 leg remaining. Even with a robust year in many aspects, the industry saw the highest number of festival and tour cancellations in 2024 since the 2020 pandemic shutdown and the Great Recession (2007-2009).
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