Dome owner pledges to take on Ticketmaster

A company owned by the US billionaire Phil Anschutz plans to take on Ticketmaster by launching a rival ticket-selling website.

The concert promoter Anschutz Entertainment Group (AEG) yesterday unveiled its Axs ticketing brand and website, which will start selling tickets for events at two theatres in the American city of Denver on Saturday. It plans to roll out the service to other US and global cities including London's O2 arena, which it owns and operates, after the Olympic Games next year. AEG said it planned to develop Axs into a consumer brand for all its events and theatres. That would see it take on Ticketmaster, a part of Live Nation Entertainment, the world's largest concert promoter.