Live Nation Announces Q4 And Full Year Results, Income Back Up To $6.27 Billion

Michael Rapino (Photo: LinkedIn)

LIVE NATION announced its Q4 and 2021 year-end results, its income more than tripling to $6.27 billion, according to the company’s earnings report issued yesterday. While that is just slightly more than half of its 2019 revenue of $11.55 billion, it is based on what was effectively a half-year at best of live entertainment. Concert revenue was $4.72 billion, up $3.3 billion.

Ticketing via TICKETMASTER was also robust, delivering its best quarter ever with Q4 operating income up 118%, AOI up 62% and sponsorship Q4 up 37% vs. Q4 2019. 

The outlook is good for this year, with 45 million tickets already sold and pricing on Top 10 tours up over 20% (over 2019).

Commented LIVE NATION ENTERTAINMENT President/CEO MICHAEL RAPINO, "The past two years have only reinforced the power of live music, and it's been great to see artists and fans reconnecting at scale around the world.

"Over the course of 2021, we saw the strength of live events.  The year started in the midst of the pandemic, but by summer, fans were returning to shows, and by the end of the year, we had a record pipeline of concerts, ticket sales and advertising commitments for 2022."

LIVE NATION put on over 17,000 concerts for 35 million fans in 2021, mostly in the U.S. and U.K. markets.  In the final five months of the year, in the U.S. and U.K., LIVE NATION had over 15 million fans attend outdoor events – festivals, stadims, and amphitheaters – nearly 25% higher than during the same period in 2019.

Sponsorship and advertising operating income and AOI was roughly the same for the second half of 2021 as it was in 2019, a record level, with brands like BACARDI, HEINEKEN and O2, as well as new brand partners including COINBASE, HULU and CINCH. 

Ticket sales for shows featuring BAD BUNNY, DUA LIPA and BILLIE EILISH are up 45% from this point in 2019, with eight artists having sold over 500,000 tickets for their tours this year.

Concluded RAPINO, "The two-year wait for artists and fans is over.  Never have the tailwinds to our business been so strong, and I believe this is just the start of what will be the strongest multi-year period ever for the concert industry."

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