Yikes.
I thought the vultures at LiveNation/TicketMaster had figured out how to squeeze every last dollar out of their customers, what with ticket surcharges, junk fees, upsell offers, and merchandize tie-ins.
But then I saw this…
When I visited the website to purchase tickets today, I discovered that the “type these distorted letters to prove you’re human” captcha had been replaced.
The new system shows this screen, with a helpful “click here” link.
When you click, a video ad begins playing. You have to watch for at least five seconds before you see the magic phrase, which you must then type in the box below the ad to continue.
And that phrase is actually a tagline from the ad.
Head. Desk. Head. Desk. Head. Desk.
Ed Bott (@ wordpress.com) 
That this well-seasoned cynic can still be flabbergasted — well played, LiveNation. Here, take my money. You’ve earned it.
This is ingenious!
PS: How can I follow your blog on WordPress? It would be convenient and easy but I don’t see the typical WordPress bar over the top.
(Delete at will, after answering my query! 🙂 )
I didn’t even know that was a feature. I use the WordPress bar but only for admin purposes. You can just follow me using the RSS feed, I suppose.