In a despicable move likely to disappoint even the crazy fans who didn't hate American Life, Madonna has signed an endorsement deal with StubHub that will make her the first musician to earn a profit on scalped tickets to her concerts. The 49-year-old pop star will reportedly be paid a flat fee, plus a percentage of sales of all tickets purchased by fans who were unable to get them through Ticketmaster (because they were all bought by scalpers planning to sell them online at an exorbitant markup through StubHub). "It's the future of the ticketing business," claims StubHub head of business development Chuck La Vallee — and he's probably right, at least until Madonna, the Rolling Stones, and the other dinosaurs who've been keeping the touring industry afloat this past decade keel over from old age. Anyway, if you've been looking for an excuse not to pay $700 for a balcony seat at one of the shows on her upcoming Sticky and Sweet Tour, we think this is a pretty great one.

StubHub Enlisted in Resale Of Madonna Concert Tickets [WSJ]