Pollstar

Pollstar is a trade publication and data service that tracks concert touring, live events, and ticketing. Founded in the early 1980s and based in Los Angeles, it compiles box office grosses, tour schedules, and venue information used by promoters, agents, artists, and venues. The publication has been referenced in reporting by outlets such as Billboard (magazine), The New York Times, and Rolling Stone (magazine), and its charts are cited alongside metrics from Nielsen and Spotify.

History

Pollstar began during an era when touring information circulated through industry newsletters and regionally distributed papers; contemporaries and comparators included Billboard (magazine), Variety (magazine), and DownBeat. Early coverage intersected with the careers of touring artists like Bruce Springsteen, Madonna, Paul McCartney, and promoters such as Live Nation Entertainment and AEG Presents. In the 1990s and 2000s the rise of major arenas like Madison Square Garden and amphitheaters such as Hollywood Bowl paralleled Pollstar’s expansion of box office charting. Corporate consolidation in the live events sector—epitomized by mergers involving Ticketmaster and Live Nation Entertainment—affected the publication’s reporting environment. Industry shifts prompted technological investments similar to those undertaken by Billboard (magazine) and data firms like Nielsen Music.

Services and Products

Pollstar produces a print magazine, a subscription-based digital database, weekly and annual box office charts, and directory services akin to those provided by Billboard (magazine), Variety (magazine), and Forbes (magazine). Its offerings serve stakeholders including artist management firms such as CAA (company), Wasserman, and William Morris Endeavor; venues including Staples Center and Red Rocks Amphitheatre; and festivals like Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival, Glastonbury Festival, and Lollapalooza. Pollstar’s live events conference and awards programming has been compared with events like South by Southwest, Midem, and industry gatherings hosted by International Federation of the Phonographic Industry. Data products interface with ticketing platforms such as Ticketmaster and secondary marketplaces like StubHub.

Polling Methodology and Data Sources

The publication aggregates box office reports, venue disclosures, promoter reports, and ticketing platform data, similar to methodologies used by Box Office Mojo and Nielsen SoundScan. Sources include reporting promoters, venue accounting departments at facilities like Wembley Stadium and O2 Arena, and certified statements from agencies such as Live Nation Entertainment and independent promoters who work with companies like AEG Presents. Polling procedures often cross-reference artist routing from management entities such as Red Light Management and agency itineraries for acts like Taylor Swift, The Rolling Stones, and Beyoncé. Data fields capture gross receipts, attendance, and ticket pricing, and are used to compile rankings comparable to annual lists published by Forbes (magazine) and Billboard (magazine). The publication has adopted digital ingestion and verification workflows akin to practices at Nielsen and other analytics firms.

Influence and Industry Impact

Pollstar’s box office charts and industry directories influence booking decisions by promoters such as Live Nation Entertainment and AEG Presents and programming at venues including Radio City Music Hall and Sydney Opera House. Its annual touring lists are cited in profiles of artists like Adele, U2, Eagles, and Ed Sheeran and inform business coverage in The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, and Bloomberg L.P.. Conference programming and awards affect reputational outcomes for management firms such as Creative Artists Agency and ticketing partners like Ticketmaster. Analysts from firms like PwC and Deloitte have referenced Pollstar-style data when modeling the live entertainment market alongside macroeconomic indicators tracked by institutions such as International Monetary Fund and World Bank.

Criticism and Controversies

Critiques of the publication mirror broader scrutiny of industry data transparency involving entities such as Ticketmaster and exchanges like StubHub. Observers from media outlets including The New York Times and The Guardian have questioned the completeness of box office reporting, especially when certain promoters or venues decline to disclose figures. Conflicts of interest have been raised in contexts where media buyers and promoters, such as divisions of Live Nation Entertainment or agencies like William Morris Endeavor, operate within overlapping commercial ecosystems. Debates over secondary ticket market reporting, highlighted in coverage of events involving Beyoncé and Taylor Swift, have put pressure on data providers to reconcile primary and resale figures, a challenge shared with regulators and industry groups such as Federal Trade Commission and trade associations akin to International Association of Venue Managers.

Category:Music industry publications