• Ad Age, Thursday, February 14, 2008 1 PM

Citi is becoming the official credit card partner of Live Nation and will give it access to some 150 million customers--all of whom are potential concert-goers who will have access to Live Nation's pre-sales and preferred tickets, exclusive merchandise and VIP access. Citi bills itself as the world's largest credit-card issuer and Live Nation claims the title of world's largest concert promoter.

In addition, Citi receives other opportunities to participate in future initiatives, such as venue-naming rights and tie-ins with Live Nation's forthcoming ticketing operation. Citi's brand and logo are also expected to be integrated into online and offline initiatives as well as in signage, direct-mail campaigns and at LiveNation.com.

With the deal, Citi replaces AmEx, whose relationship with Live Nation dates back to 1999 when a partnership was struck with the promoter's predecessor company, SFX Entertainment. Live Nation has been undergoing sweeping changes since its CEO, Michael Rapino, seemed to reach the conclusion in 2006 that live events alone would not be sufficient to power its growth.

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