stubhub Archives - Wakeman Consulting Group

RE: $414 Million Saved is Only Half the Story

August 12, 2026
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In the joy of completing my math project, I forgot to mention two important things…to me, at least. First, in July, Pearl Jam made a grant in my honor to support youth soccer in the DC area. Pretty sweet. Another cool thing. Friend of the newsletter, podcast, and all of my assorted adventures, Tim Chambers, […]

August 11, 2026
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The secondary market has been in the news a lot lately…a lot. The D.C. RESALE ACT just passed. StubHub is facing a lawsuit over illegal practices. The Savannah Bananas kept resale in-house. They saved their fans $13.69M. No fraud. No black-market boogie man. Just real relationships with fans…sustained and deepened. StubHub’s CEO is under investigation […]

The Ticket Industry’s Biggest Fight is Really a Mirage

For decades, the ticket industry has been built on one battle. Regulation versus a “free market.” Closed versus open. Both sides claim similar things: “We are fighting for the fans.” Protecting the fan. Serving the fan. It’s a lie. Not an intentional one. But a lie. Every solution either side offers adds a layer between […]

The Secondary Ticket Market is Free Falling…

The secondary market is in free fall… Not metaphorically. Let me show you some evidence: I see three structural problems…and no one is offering good solutions. The Regulatory Squeeze: California and New York are considering bans on above-face-value resale. Massachusetts has passed a law to rein in resale. Ontario, Canada, is getting on board. The […]

The Fix Was Always In

Dan Wall stood in a Manhattan courthouse on Tuesday and said there’s “zero chance” the states will settle. Judge Subramanian shot back: “Not with that attitude.” (I like judges with the same dismissive attitude towards nonsense that I have.) 25 states are still fighting. They know this settlement is a bad deal. It doesn’t stop […]

I TOLD YOU SO! StubHub’s Earnings and Stock Crash!

About a year ago, I wrote about StubHub’s S-1. I spent days reading through it, analyzing it. I came away skeptical…if I’m being nice. Yesterday, the market caught up to me. StubHub’s stock fell 12.8%. Q4 revenue fell 16% to $449 million. Full year loss? $1.9 billion. I told you so. Let me recount the […]

The BIG Ticket: StubHub Delays IPO

Hi! Okay, I get it…you liked the StubHub analysis. I appreciate everyone who sent me a note about StubHub delaying its IPO. This delay points to a few things: This is not the first time StubHub has delayed an IPO. I’m not an investment advisor, but from a brand and strategy POV, every delay makes launching the IPO […]