Why Red Rocks and AXS Dislike Ticket Brokers and Resellers

Red Rocks Amphitheatre, a premier concert venue, and its official ticket supplier, AXS, have a contentious relationship with ticket brokers and resellers. Their public stance is that resellers drive up prices, harm fans, and disrupt the concert experience. However, a closer look reveals a more complex issue, where AXS and Red Rocks may have financial motives to control the resale market, potentially at the expense of fans.

The Stated Issue with Resellers

Red Rocks and AXS argue that ticket brokers and resellers exploit fans by buying tickets in bulk and reselling them at inflated prices. They claim this practice makes concerts less accessible, as fans face exorbitant costs or miss out entirely. To combat this, Red Rocks and AXS enforce strict policies, like limiting ticket transfers and promoting AXS’s official resale platform, where fans can resell tickets at face value or with capped markups.

The Reality of Resale Prices

Contrary to the narrative, tickets on resale platforms like BuyTickets.com, StubHub or VividSeats are often priced lower than face value on AXS, especially for less popular shows or closer to the event date. Market dynamics dictate resale prices—when demand is low, resellers lower prices to offload inventory, sometimes selling below the original cost. For example, a $60 ticket on AXS might appear on a secondary market for $40, excluding fees. This undercuts the idea that resellers always gouge fans and suggests fans can benefit from competitive pricing outside AXS’s ecosystem.

The Double-Dip Hypothesis

Why, then, do Red Rocks and AXS push back so hard against resellers? One plausible reason is control over fees. AXS charges service fees on every ticket sold, often 10-20% of the ticket price. When fans resell through AXS’s platform, AXS collects additional fees on those transactions. If fans use third-party platforms like StubHub, AXS loses this revenue stream. By discouraging or restricting third-party resales, Red Rocks and AXS may be protecting their ability to “double-dip” on fees—once on the initial sale and again on the resale.

Who Are the Real Crooks?

The irony is that AXS and Red Rocks, while framing resellers as the villains, may be prioritizing their own profits over fan accessibility. Resellers, operating in a competitive market, often provide cheaper options when demand is soft. Meanwhile, AXS’s fees remain non-negotiable, adding significant costs to every transaction, whether primary or resale. By limiting resale options to their platform, Red Rocks and AXS could be stifling competition that benefits fans, ensuring they maximize revenue at every step.

Conclusion

Red Rocks and AXS’s campaign against ticket brokers and resellers isn’t just about protecting fans—it’s about controlling the market. While resellers can inflate prices for high-demand shows, they also offer discounts when tickets don’t sell out. By contrast, AXS’s fees are a constant burden, and their push for exclusive resale rights smells like a ploy to double-dip on profits. Fans deserve transparency and choice, not a system that vilifies resellers while quietly padding corporate wallets.