MastercardNovArticle2023

It’s undeniable that concerts and live events are in full swing. Now, Mastercard is helping cardholders connect to their passion for music with a new Live Nation partnership.

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Billboard can reveal that Mastercard and Live Nation have united for a multi-year collaboration, offering over 100 million international cardholders exclusive access to some of the most exciting concerts, beginning January 2024. Among the access includes concert presale tickets, premium seats and VIP experiences through priceless.com. The initiative is set to hit 19 different markets across Europe and Asia, including Australia, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Japan, Ireland, Italy, Malaysia, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Philippines, Singapore, Spain, Sweden, Taiwan, Thailand and the United Kingdom.

The Mastercard and Live Nation partnership will also back Mastercard’s Priceless Planet Coalition project, which aims to restore 100 million trees. Cardholders will have the opportunity to contribute to the goal by donating to plant a tree when they purchase a concert ticket during their Mastercard presale event. 

“At Mastercard, we’re constantly seeking new ways to enrich our cardholders’ lives, in moments big and small,” Raja Rajamannar, chief marketing and communications officer for Mastercard, said in a statement. “Like nothing else, music excites us, inspires us and unites us. In partnership with Live Nation, we’re delighted to bring our cardholders closer to their passion for music through this extraordinary set of benefits.”

Mastercard and Live Nation’s partnership is the latest move on the former’s end to connect the dots between fans and artists. Earlier this year, the company helped rising talent learn about the ways the Web3 landscape can benefit artist branding and music releases with their Mastercard Artist Accelerator program. 

To coincide with the announcement, Billboard spoke with Rajamannar about the news and why the initiative is a priority for the company.

Why was it important for Mastercard to diversify product benefits for cardholders in the music space?

Music is a universal passion, with an astounding 97% of concert goers agreeing that there is something magical about experiencing music with others. At Mastercard, we’re constantly seeking new ways to enrich our cardholders’ lives. Providing eligible cardholders in Asia-Pacific and Europe with priority access to concert presale tickets, not to mention premium seats and unforgettable VIP experiences and is, dare I say, truly priceless.

This partnership will allow international cardholders across 19 geographies access to various concert opportunities through priceless.com. What makes the timing of this partnership so valuable for music fans?  

Demand for live music is at an all-time high globally, and 2023 is on track to be the industry’s biggest year on record. We’re seeing how live music continues to steer the cultural dialogue. Our partnership with Live Nation, which hosts concerts with some of the world’s biggest musical artists, will allow us to bring more than 100 million cardholders closer to their passion for music. Whether you’re in Sydney or Singapore, Paris or Rome, the benefits we’re offering cardholders are truly extraordinary.

What shifts have you noticed in consumer preferences that made this campaign possible?

We’ve long known that experiences matter more than things, but the absence of those live experiences was acutely felt during the pandemic. We’ve seen tremendous demand for things like travel, nights out on the town, good meals with friends and family and – of course – concerts. On priceless.com, we’ve curated an exciting set of exceptional Priceless Experiences for our cardholders, like a weekend photo safari exploring local villages in Cappadocia or indulging in a six-course meal suspended high above the ground in Bali. These amazing concert benefits through Live Nation, not to mention other perks like ridesharing and restaurant offers, are helping our cardholders maximize every moment, big and small. 

We see that Mastercard is constructing a bridge between live music and taking care of the environment. Why?

While music is one major passion point for consumers, we know that caring for our environment is another. We founded the Priceless Planet Coalition with Conservation International and World Resources Institute with the goal of restoring 100 million trees with the help of countless partners, cardholders and others around the world. Restoration focuses on the places that can deliver the greatest impact for the climate, communities and biodiversity. Through our collaboration with Live Nation, when a concert ticket is purchased through a Mastercard presale event, cardholders will be able to make a donation to help restore a tree. Together, these small actions can make a big difference.

Click here for more information on Mastercard and Live Nation’s brand-new partnership.