StubHub Ranks Best-Selling Artists And Sports Events In The UK

Matt Sayles / Invision / AP – BTS were StubHub’s best selling musical act in 2018
This picture was taken at a performance at the American Music Awards at Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles Nov. 19.

Ticket reseller StubHub has released its fourth annual Year In Live Experience report, which ranks the best-selling events of the year, as well as the most sought-after artists, sports matches, teams, festivals and shows.

Based on ticket transactions conducted via StubHub, BTS were the best-selling act in the UK in 2018, followed by The Rolling Stones and Foo Fighters.  Pearl Jam and Beyoncé also made the top 5.

The remaining top 10 is made up of Paul McCartney, Sam Smith, Eminem, Taylor Swift and U2, in that order.

The two best-selling sports events in the UK were boxing matches involving reigning WBO, IBF and WBA heavy weight champion and born Englishman Anthony Joshua, who faced Joseph Parkes, March 31, at Principality Stadium in Cardiff, Wales, and Alexander Povetkin at Wembley Stadium, London, Sept. 22.

Ranks three to six are occupied by visits of the NFL International Series and NBA Global Games, respectively, to the English capital. The rematch between heavyweight boxers Tony Bellew and David Haye ranks seven, followed by the 2018 Wimbledon gentlemen’s singles finals. The derby between London soccer clubs Tottenham Hotspur and Chelsea FC came in on nine, followed by Chris Eubank Jr vs George Groves on ten.

StubHub also ranked the world’s most travel-happy nations when it comes to attending live events. According to the numbers, in 2018, nearly 200,000 StubHub customers from 144 countries crossed a border to attend a live event. Fans from the U.S. were the most likely to travel abroad to see a live event, followed by the UK, Japan, Canada and Mexico. Spain, Germany, Ireland, South Korea and France round out the top 10.

“The power of live experiences transcends languages and borders,” said Sukhinder Singh Cassidy, president of StubHub. “This year, StubHub saw fans from 144 countries cross borders to travel to live events, indicating that shared experiences pull people together, even during challenging times. With nearly 200,000 StubHub customers crossing borders to attend over 30,000 events in 2018, it’s clear that people continue to love being with fellow fans, seeing their favorite artists or teams live.”