If you ask Donald Trump, his upcoming arena tour with disgraced ex–Fox News personality Bill O’Reilly is already an outrageous success. “I will be focusing on greatness for our Country, something seldom discussed in political dialogue,” the former president said, promising that the tour—which is scheduled to launch in Sunrise, Florida, in December and stops in Orlando, Dallas, and Houston, among other places—will be “fun, fun, fun for everyone who attends!”
If you ask box office employees, the story is very different. Tickets to hear the pair of accused sex pests in conversation have been on sale for more than a month, but thousands of seats remain available for purchase on Ticketmaster and AXS, according to Politico. “We have concerts that are doing a lot better than this,” one Orlando Amway Center employee told the outlet. For instance, a Bad Bunny concert at the Amway Center reportedly recently sold out within 48 hours, despite the fact that it won’t take place until next March. (In a text message to Politico, the marketing director for the Amway Center protested: “The box office person you talked with did not provide an accurate assessment nor do they speak for us.”)
A stadium employee at the American Airlines Center in Dallas told Politico that a “large number” of seats are still open for the event. And an employee with access to ticket-sales information said that at Houston’s Toyota Center, “60 to 65% of seats remain unsold.” (A Toyota Center spokesperson declined to comment to Politico, and an American Airlines Center spokesperson said they could not comment on ticket sales.)
The lackluster sales may represent flagging momentum for the right-wing stars—or the prices could be to blame. Those willing to settle for standard tickets—or even seats in the nosebleeds—can expect to pay between $100–$300, per Politico. For those who want to be closer to the action, prices are in the $1,000 neighborhood. And the “VIP Meet & Greet Package” runs up to $8,500, according to Insider, and includes a pregame reception, floor seats, and personal fan pictures with the hosts.
Like her boss, Trump spokesperson Liz Harrington insisted that the tour is already massively successful. “The History Tour has already sold over $5 million of tickets, and the excitement and enthusiasm is unlike anything we’ve seen before,” she told Politico. “Come December, the sold-out shows will be a memorable night for all.” For his part, O’Reilly bragged about the cash the two have already netted. “We have more than $7 million in the bank,” he said. “We haven’t spent a nickel on marketing, nothing. All those 7 million for four shows were done on the announcement. Marketing will start in about a week. Nobody has sold tickets this fast at this price, and VIPs are sold out at three of the four venues.” When asked specifically about lagging ticket sales in Orlando, he remarked: “bullshit.”
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