Palace Sports & Entertainment Maintains Market Lead in 2010

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AUBURN HILLS, January 12, 2011 — The Palace of Auburn Hills and DTE Energy Music Theatre maintained their national reputation as top entertainment facilities with high chart positions on the year-end sales charts of popular entertainment publications Pollstar and Billboard in 2010.

DTE Energy Music Theatre, which completed its 20th anniversary season under Palace Sports & Entertainment’s (PS&E) ownership in 2010, was listed as the year’s most-attended amphitheatre by popular entertainment trade publications, Billboard and Pollstar, making it the 20th consecutive year it has been listed as such by major entertainment trade publications.

The Palace upheld its hard-earned place as one of the world’s top arenas as it was listed as the eighth best-selling U.S. arena in Pollstar’s Top 100 Worldwide Arena Venues list.

The venues’ national ranking culminated another banner year for PS&E venues, which also includes management of Meadow Brook Music Festival on the campus of Oakland University, including such notable highlights:

  • The Palace and DTE Energy Music Theatre combined to host 30 of the top 50 selling tours, including 15 out of the top 20, according to Pollstar’s year-end list of Top 50 Tours of North America.
  • The Palace and DTE Energy Music Theatre hosted 15 of Billboard’s top 25 total grossing tours worldwide in 2010, including George Strait and Reba (ranked 18th), who will perform at The Palace on February 19.
  • PS&E was listed among only nine U.S. promoters with more than one million tickets sold in 2010, according to Pollstar’s Top 100 Worldwide Promoters year end ticket sales list.
  • DTE Energy Music Theatre and Meadow Brook Music Festival’s combined for 35 sellouts in 2010, which are the most ever under PS&E’s management.
  • DTE Energy Music Theatre hosted more than 715,000 patrons during its 60-show summer, resulting in an average of more than 11,900 and its 29 sellouts tied the mark for the second most sellouts under PS&E operation set in 1999, and just one off the record of 30 sellouts accomplished in 2001.
  • Meadow Brook Music Festival hosted a record-tying six sold out shows, which was also accomplished in 2008, and achieved its second highest attendance average under PS&E’s 17 years of management when they drew more than 165,000 spectators during its 35 shows, surpassing last year’s average of 4,286 for 37 shows.
  • In March, The Palace sold out all seven shows scheduled and attracted more than 100,000 fans, which was the best month for number of sold-out concerts and for concert attendance at the venue in nearly 14 years, since May 1996, when the building hosted and sold out eight concerts.
  • In April, The Palace was listed as the second highest selling arena in the U.S., and number four in the world, according to the First Quarter Ticket Sales Chart for Arena Venues compiled by Pollstar.
  • In August, PS&E combined for another milestone month when all venues combined for 17 sold out shows, including an astounding 12 of 19 shows at DTE Energy Music Theatre. The feat has only been bettered once in its history, in July of 2001, when the three venues combined to host 19 sellouts.

“This past year’s concert schedule was packed with many top-level acts and the turnout was outstanding,” said Alan Ostfield, President and CEO of PS&E. “Even though the economy still provides challenges, it gives us hope that better times are ahead for all of us. We also made sure we did our part to help by offering affordable ticket prices, promoting great ticket offers and providing an amazing overall concert experience for the hundreds of thousands of concert fans who attended our venues. We are extremely pleased to be a part of it all.”

PS&E ownership includes The Palace and DTE Energy Music Theatre, as well as the management of Meadow Brook Music Festival on the campus of Oakland University. Combined, PS&E’s Michigan venues average 300 events and 3.5 million guests annually.

The Palace has been voted Arena of the Year eight times by Performance magazine, twice by Pollstar magazine and is listed annually among North America’s top-grossing arenas. Voted “Best Outdoor Concert Venue” in Pollstar’s 2000 Readers’ Poll, DTE Energy Music Theatre has been listed as the nation’s most attended amphitheater by Amusement Business/Billboard each of the 20 years of PS&E ownership.

Shows and events at DTE Energy Music Theatre and Meadow Brook Music Festival were part of the Belle Tire Concert Series.

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Contact: Jeff Corey 1/12/11

248/377-8204

jcorey@palacenet.com