Redbox Begins To Sell Event Tickets At Its DVD Rental Kiosks

The Coinstar-owned DVD kiosk company had signaled that it might begin to offer tickets ' although today's announcement doesn't include movie theaters, as at least one analyst expected.  Redbox, which is owned by Coinstar, says that it's teaming up with New Era Tickets and Sparkart for the new Redbox Tickets initiative which begins today in Philadelphia and should include all of the city's 650 kiosks by mid-October. Customers can buy passes at the machines for an additional $1 per ticket; the tickets themselves will be priced at face value 'or below,' the company says. Available events will be listed at the kiosk and online at www.redbox.com/tickets. Buyers then can either pick up tickets at the venue or, for New Era Tickets' clients, print them out at home. Redbox will start off with sporting events, concerts, cultural events and what it calls family-friendly attractions. They include the Philadelphia Film Festival, an upcoming Carrie Underwood concert, NASCAR at Pocono Raceway, and Villanova Athletics games. 'For the past 10 years, Redbox has made movie rentals convenient and affordable for consumers, and now we're bringing the same access to more entertainment with Redbox Tickets,' Redbox President Anne Saunders says.