Ticketfly
A United States ticket-distribution platform for independent music venues and events that was acquired by Eventbrite and discontinued in 2018.
Last updated August 25, 2026
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Overview
Ticketfly was an American online ticket-distribution and event-marketing platform founded in San Francisco in 2008. It served music venues, promoters, artists, and other event organizers, with particular emphasis on independent and mid-sized venues rather than the largest national ticketing accounts. The service provided organizers with tools for selling tickets online, managing event inventory, and promoting shows through digital and social channels. The company emerged as a competitor to larger ticketing businesses such as Ticketmaster. Its proposition combined ticket sales with venue and promoter technology, social-media functionality, and a pricing approach intended to be attractive to independent operators. Andrew Dreskin, who served as Ticketfly's chief executive, had previously co-founded TicketWeb, a ticketing company later owned by Ticketmaster. This background connected Ticketfly to the broader evolution of online concert ticketing while the company positioned itself as an alternative for independent music businesses. Ticketfly expanded across the United States and Canada during the early 2010s. In 2012 it managed ticket distribution for approximately 360 venues, and by 2015 that figure had grown to more than 1,100 venues. The platform also handled a large volume of event activity: reference material reports that in 2013 it processed 11.2 million tickets for more than 80,000 events and generated approximately $500 million in gross transaction volume or related ticketing activity. Ticketfly raised $37 million from investors including Sapphire Ventures, Mohr Davidow Ventures, and High Peaks Venture Partners. In October 2015, Pandora announced that it would acquire Ticketfly in a transaction valued at $450 million in cash and stock. Pandora viewed Ticketfly as a way to connect its music-streaming audience with live-event ticket purchases and to give artists and promoters another route to reach fans. The transaction made Ticketfly part of Pandora's broader effort to extend beyond streaming into music discovery and concert commerce. Pandora later sold Ticketfly to Eventbrite for $200 million in June 2017. Eventbrite was Ticketfly's largest competitor, and the acquisition brought Ticketfly's music-focused ticketing relationships and technology into Eventbrite's event-management business. In May 2018, Ticketfly took its website offline after confirming a major security breach. The company initially described the incident as involving some client and customer information; subsequent reporting indicated that information relating to approximately 26 million users, including names, addresses, and telephone numbers, had been compromised. A party identifying itself as IsHaKdZ claimed responsibility and threatened to publish an internal database used by event organizers. Eventbrite announced in November 2018 that Ticketfly would be shut down and that music-oriented functionality would be incorporated into Eventbrite. Ticketfly therefore no longer operates as an independent brand. Its history reflects the consolidation of online event ticketing, the growing integration of streaming and live music, and the operational and security challenges faced by digital ticketing platforms.
History
Ticketfly began operations in San Francisco in 2008 as an online ticket-distribution service focused on live music. Its intended customers included independent venues, concert promoters, and artists that needed ticketing infrastructure and promotional tools but did not necessarily have the scale or commercial priorities of the largest national ticketing accounts. The company developed an alternative to incumbent ticketing systems by combining online sales with organizer-facing technology, social-media capabilities, and a focus on music discovery and fan engagement. Andrew Dreskin became Ticketfly's chief executive. His earlier involvement in founding TicketWeb gave him experience in the concert-ticketing sector, although Ticketfly developed as a separate business and competed with the larger ticketing companies that served major venues and events. The company raised $37 million from investors including Sapphire Ventures, Mohr Davidow Ventures, and High Peaks Venture Partners. Its growth strategy centered on signing venues and promoters, increasing the number of events available through its platform, and making ticket purchasing part of a broader digital relationship between fans and music businesses. The platform expanded materially during the first half of the 2010s. In 2012, it distributed tickets for roughly 360 venues. Within three years, its venue network had grown to more than 1,100 locations. Reference material also reports that Ticketfly processed 11.2 million tickets for more than 80,000 events in 2013 and generated approximately $500 million in gross activity that year. Its reach covered both the United States and Canada. Ticketfly's operating model was especially associated with music venues and independent promoters, although its technology could support a wider range of live events. Pandora acquired Ticketfly in 2015. The transaction, announced on October 7, was valued at $450 million in cash and stock. Pandora's rationale was to complement music streaming with live-event commerce: listening data and an engaged music audience could help artists and promoters market shows, while Ticketfly supplied ticketing relationships and infrastructure. The acquisition reflected a wider industry trend in which music platforms sought to connect discovery, artist engagement, and concert attendance. The combination did not last long. On June 9, 2017, Pandora sold Ticketfly to Eventbrite for $200 million. Eventbrite was identified as Ticketfly's largest competitor, so the deal represented a change in ownership as well as consolidation within the online ticketing market. Eventbrite acquired a music-oriented platform and customer base while Pandora exited the ticketing business. Ticketfly faced a serious operational and reputational crisis in 2018. On May 31, it confirmed that its services had been affected by a major security breach and took the site offline as a precaution. A person or group using the name IsHaKdZ claimed responsibility through a message that appeared on the site and threatened to release an internal database used by event organizers. In early June, Ticketfly said the breach involved approximately 26 million users and included personal information such as names, addresses, and telephone numbers. The incident made data security a central issue in the platform's final months. In November 2018, Eventbrite announced that Ticketfly would be shut down. Music-focused features and capabilities were to be incorporated into Eventbrite rather than maintained under the Ticketfly name. The brand consequently became defunct, ending a decade-long history that had taken it from an independent-venue ticketing challenger to a Pandora asset and finally into Eventbrite's consolidated event platform.
- 2018
Ticketfly suffers a major data breach
[1]The service is taken offline after a breach that Ticketfly later said affected information associated with approximately 26 million users.
- 2018
Ticketfly is discontinued
[1]Eventbrite announces that Ticketfly will be shut down and music-related capabilities will be integrated into Eventbrite.
- 2017
Eventbrite acquires Ticketfly from Pandora
[1]Pandora sells Ticketfly to Eventbrite for $200 million.
- 2015
Venue network exceeds 1,100 locations
[1]Ticketfly's venue network grows to more than 1,100 venues, roughly tripling its 2012 level.
- 2015
Pandora announces Ticketfly acquisition
[1]Pandora agrees to acquire Ticketfly in a cash-and-stock transaction valued at $450 million.
- 2013
Ticketfly processes more than 11 million tickets
[1]The company reports processing 11.2 million tickets for more than 80,000 events and approximately $500 million in gross activity.
- 2012
The platform serves approximately 360 venues
[1]Ticketfly's ticket-distribution network reaches about 360 venues in the United States.
- 2008
Ticketfly is founded in San Francisco
[1]Ticketfly begins as an online ticket-distribution service focused on independent music venues and live events.
Products and positioning
A technology-led ticketing and event-marketing platform for independent music venues, promoters, artists, and live-event organizers, positioned as an alternative to larger incumbent ticketing companies.
Online event ticketing · 2008
Ticketfly ticketing platform
Ticketfly's core service enabled music venues, promoters, artists, and event organizers to distribute and sell tickets online. The platform was designed around live music and independent venues, supporting event listings, ticket inventory, customer transactions, and related organizer workflows. It operated in the United States and Canada before the brand was retired and its music-oriented capabilities were incorporated into Eventbrite.
Event management software
Venue and promoter tools
The company offered technology for venues and promoters to manage ticket distribution and promote events. Its differentiation included social-media functionality and an emphasis on helping independent music businesses reach audiences directly. These tools complemented the ticket-sales function and supported Ticketfly's positioning as an event-marketing platform rather than only a transactional ticket marketplace.
Controversies
2018
Ticketfly customer-data breach
Ticketfly confirmed in May 2018 that its services had been compromised and took the website offline during its investigation. A party using the name IsHaKdZ claimed responsibility and threatened to publish an internal organizer database. Ticketfly later stated that the incident involved approximately 26 million users and information including names, addresses, and telephone numbers.
Brand decisions
2018
Eventbrite retires the Ticketfly brandStrategyBackground
After acquiring Ticketfly and following the platform's 2018 security incident, Eventbrite chose to consolidate music-oriented functionality within its own event platform.
Action taken
Eventbrite announced that Ticketfly would be shut down and its music features merged into Eventbrite.
Aftermath
Ticketfly ceased to operate as an independent brand and became defunct.
2017
Pandora sells Ticketfly to EventbriteM&ABackground
Pandora divested Ticketfly after owning the platform for roughly two years; Eventbrite was Ticketfly's largest competitor.
Action taken
Pandora sold Ticketfly to Eventbrite for $200 million.
Aftermath
Ticketfly operated under Eventbrite until its brand and standalone service were discontinued in 2018.
Sale price. $200 million (June 2017)
2015
Pandora acquires TicketflyM&ABackground
Pandora sought to extend its music-streaming business into live events and connect artists and fans with concert tickets.
Action taken
Pandora announced a $450 million cash-and-stock acquisition of Ticketfly.
Aftermath
Ticketfly became part of Pandora's business, but Pandora later sold it to Eventbrite in 2017.
Transaction value. $450 million (2015 announcement)
Recent events
- 2018
Ticketfly is shut down and music features move to Eventbrite[1]
Other
Eventbrite announced that Ticketfly would be discontinued and that its music-oriented capabilities would be integrated into Eventbrite.
- 2017
Pandora sells Ticketfly to Eventbrite[1]
M&A
Pandora sold Ticketfly to Eventbrite for $200 million, transferring the platform to its largest competitor.
- 2015
Ticketfly expands its venue network[1]
Other
The company grew from about 360 venues in 2012 to more than 1,100 venues by 2015, strengthening its position in music-focused ticket distribution.
- 2015
Pandora agrees to acquire Ticketfly[1]
M&A
Pandora announced a $450 million cash-and-stock acquisition intended to connect its streaming audience with live-event ticket sales.
Ticketfly raises $37 million to expand its independent-venue ticketing platform[1]
Other
Ticketfly raised funding from investors including Sapphire Ventures, Mohr Davidow Ventures, and High Peaks Venture Partners as it competed in online event ticketing.
Sources1 sources
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