Craig Hutchison’s Crocmedia caught in another ticket gouge
Just days after one of his businesses was forced to withdraw AFL finals tickets from sale amid a price-gouging investigation, another of Craig Hutchison’s companies has been caught out.
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Footy powerbroker Craig Hutchison’s company has been caught selling tickets for the invitation-only Flemington Birdcage at up to $2200, with the help of the AFL.
Victoria Racing Club has directed Hutchison’s media firm Crocmedia to stop spruiking access to its Birdcage marquee at the Melbourne Cup carnival.
The AFL has also been caught up in the ruse, with its Medallion Club members targeted with the offer.
It comes just days after Hutchison’s BallPark Entertainment firm was forced to withdraw AFL finals tickets from sale amid concerns over price-gouging.
The VRC intervened in Hutchison’s Spring Carnival hustle after the Herald Sun showed the authority an email sent to Medallion Club members, offering the chance to buy exclusive Crocmedia marquee tickets.
It is against VRC rules and conditions to sell tickets for the invite-only Birdcage to the public.
Crocmedia was offering access for Melbourne Cup Day for $2200 per person, Derby and Oaks days at $2000 each and Stakes Day at $1100.
“During the Melbourne Cup Carnival, the Birdcage is known as the most exclusive ticket in town!” the email says.
“We are excited to share with you the following hospitality opportunities … Through the AFL’s broadcast relationship with Crocmedia, we are pleased to offer our valued Medallion Club members exclusive access into the Crocmedia marquee at Flemington over the Melbourne Cup Carnival.
“Please note there is limited availability.”
The VRC said Crocmedia had agreed to stop selling the marquee tickets after the issue was flagged with Hutchison’s company.
“Crocmedia is an Event Partner of the Victoria Racing Club,” a statement said.
“The VRC has clarified with Crocmedia the club’s position relating to ticketing rules for the Birdcage, and Crocmedia and the VRC are aligned moving forward.”
Regarding the scheme, AFL spokesman Jay Allen said, “The AFL offers its Medallion Club members access to many different sporting events across the calendar year. In this specific case we understand Crocmedia is an event partner of the VRC. The AFL is not privy to the commercial arrangements between Crocmedia and the VRC and so we don’t believe it would be appropriate to comment on those arrangements.”
It is not known how many marquee tickets have already been sold or whether they will be valid.
On Wednesday, the Herald Sun revealed that sports ticketing business BallPark Entertainment, chaired by Hutchison and owned by Crocmedia, was being investigated for gouging on AFL finals tickets.
BallPark was selling Level 2 seats to tonight’s Geelong-West Coast match for $170. The top-priced public ticket on Level 2 is $93.
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Tickets to other finals at inflated prices offering fans “access to premium beverage and food outlets” were also being sold by BallPark.
Hutchison blamed a third party for the issue after the State Government notified the AFL, which ordered the removal of the packages from sale.
When 3AW’s Neil Mitchell today asked AFL chief executive Gillon McLachlan whether BallPark Entertainment had “ripped people off with finals tickets”, the league boss said: “Yeah, no clearly. It’s poor practice. They made a mistake.”
But McLachlan said the AFL would be not be taking punitive action against Hutchison or the company.
“The tickets have been retired and in terms of actually under the (anti-scalping) act it’s a decision for the government,” he said.
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The Department of Jobs, Precincts and Regions investigation into the BallPark listings this evening concluded that given they were “packages” they were not captured by anti-scalping legislation.
The AFL has close links to Hutchison, with Crocmedia the owner of the radio rights for most matches, and former league commercial boss Richard Simkiss, sacked two years ago over an inappropriate relationship with a female staffer, now in a top job there.
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