Ticketmaster has appointed Saumil Mehta as the company’s new global president, the ticketing giant announced Tuesday.
Mehta’s appointment is effective November 1, while current Ticketmaster President Mark Yovich will take on a new role as president of the company, where, according to Ticketmaster, he will “focus on the company’s long-term strategy and global growth.” Before joining Ticketmaster, Mehta spent nearly a decade at Square, where he most recently served as chief product officer and head of the sales organization. He will report to Live Nation Entertainment CEO Michael Rapino.
“Ticketmaster is an incredible company that serves as a global portal to the best live entertainment,” Mehta said in a statement. “The real opportunity lies in how we evolve the experience by creating smarter, more intuitive ways for fans to connect with the live experiences that mean so much to them.”
Mehta has been an advisor to several AI startups, and Ticketmaster itself said the company’s new president had been tapped to “accelerate AI transformation” within the company, adding that AI could help “empower venues, strengthen ticketing infrastructure against bad actors, and improve the ticket purchasing experience for fans.”
“Over the past several years, Ticketmaster has worked to build a solid foundation for the next phase of growth,” Rapino said in a statement. “Saumil brings a fresh perspective and deep product and technology expertise that will help us continue this momentum. »
Mehta’s appointment comes during a particularly volatile time for Ticketmaster and its parent company Live Nation Entertainment, which is facing lawsuits from the Justice Department and the Federal Trade Commission.
The DOJ filed an antitrust lawsuit against Live Nation in May 2024 over monopoly allegations, claiming the company had stifled competition in live music and calling for the Live Nation and Ticketmaster combination to be dissolved. Live Nation has vehemently denied the allegations.
The FTC added to this growing pressure last month, filing a second complaint accusing Ticketmaster of violating the BOTS Act and coordinating with scalpers by allowing them to circumvent ticket limitations and sell them at steep markups on the secondary market.
Despite these obstacles, Live Nation’s numbers have remained strong, even in a tougher economy, as demand for live music does not appear to have diminished. Live Nation reported revenue of $7 billion for its second quarter in August, with Ticketmaster itself posting revenue of around $742 million.
