Tennis Championship Remains Top Draw In TicketsNow Entertainment Index Of Hottest-Selling Events In August

ROLLING MEADOWS, Ill., Sept. 24, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- With August marking the traditional end of Summer, live entertainment fans were already thinking about traditional fall sports like college football, with demand for tickets surging in the latest monthly TicketsNow Entertainment Index. The TicketsNow Entertainment Index was created by TicketsNow, Ticketmaster's resale marketplace, to track the most sought-after live event tickets in sports, concerts, and theater and to help fans stay informed about their favorite live entertainment options.

In August, ticket demand for sports tickets increased from July, driven by US Open and baseball, and bolstered by strong interest in college football, which now ranks highly in 67% (12 out of 18) of the markets measured. Top musical concert draws in August included Jason Aldean and One Direction, while The Book of Mormon, Wicked, and The Lion King continue their domination in the theater category.

Other notable event data collected in August includes:

• College football arrived in a big way with fans snapping up tickets to the Ohio State Buckeyes, Auburn Tigers, Tennessee Volunteers, and Alabama Crimson Tide.
• Jason Aldean regained the top spot in total concert tickets sold in August, beating out Jay-Z, last month's concert leader.
• Late season interest in professional baseball continued to drive ticket sales representing the most tickets sold in 83% (15 out of 18) of the markets measured.

Top-Selling Events for August 2012 Nationwide (ranked by # of tickets sold)

1. US Open Tennis
2. Ohio State Buckeyes
3. New York Yankees
4. Detroit Tigers
5. Washington Nationals
6. Sporting Kansas City
7. San Francisco Giants
8. Jason Aldean
9. LA Dodgers
10. Chicago Cubs

New York/New Jersey

1. US Open Tennis
2. New York Yankees
3. The Book of Mormon
4. Wicked
5. Jay-Z

Chicago

1. Chicago Cubs
2. Chicago White Sox
3. Chicago Blackhawks
4. Mumford & Sons
5. Barbra Streisand

Atlanta

1. Atlanta Braves
2. Auburn Tigers Football
3. Tennessee Volunteer Football
4. Toby Keith
5. Phish

Dallas/Fort Worth

1. Texas Rangers
2. Alabama Crimson Tide Football
3. Ringling Bros B&B Circus
4. Jason Aldean
5. Madonna

Southern California

1. Los Angeles Dodgers
2. Los Angeles Lakers
3. LA Angels of Anaheim
4. San Diego Padres
5. Neil Diamond

Denver

1. Colorado Rockies
2. Mumford & Sons
3. Colorado Avalanche
4. Skrillex
5. Furthur

Unlike most other ticket resale websites that can only claim their tickets are authentic, TicketsNow is the only resale marketplace able to offer Ticketmaster verification and barcode reissue on select Ticketmaster tickets. Once a ticket has been authenticated, TicketsNow is able to electronically reissue that ticket – essentially invalidating the original barcode and emailing the consumer a new ticket with a unique barcode and issued in their name – ensuring ticket authenticity.

About TicketsNow
TicketsNow is your connection to all of the fun and excitement of live entertainment events. A leading online resale marketplace for music, theater, and sports tickets, TicketsNow provides fans secure and convenient access to tickets that are often hard to get through other distribution channels. TicketsNow is the only resale marketplace with the ability to validate tickets and fulfill them through Ticketmaster's TicketFast™ delivery. A Live Nation Entertainment company, TicketsNow powers a number of partner marketplaces, including the Official Fan Marketplace for Madison Square Garden, Barclays Center, Radio City Music Hall, US Open Tennis, Los Angeles Lakers, Allstate Sugar Bowl, Cotton Bowl Classic, Capital One Bowl, and Champs Sports Bowl, as well as several other college bowls and universities. For more information, visit www.TicketsNow.com, www.facebook.com/TicketsNow and @TicketsNow.

SOURCE TicketsNow