“We’re a Storytelling Machine”: Steve Pamon on Verzuz and the Future of Live Events

At the recent Trapital Summit, Verzuz CEO Steve Pamon pulled back the curtain on the franchise's evolution and philosophy. From live events with cultural weight to reimagining media strategies, he shared how Verzuz is positioning itself as more than just a battle platform. "We're a storytelling machine year in and year out. It happens to be built over music," he said.

That core belief, the power of story, has been the compass behind every matchup, from Monica vs. Brandy to the franchise's broader expansion. Pamon emphasized that success is not just about the names on the flyer, but the intention behind the matchups. "This isn't just putting two R&B singers up there against each other. That's an entire story. That's a movement. That's something that divides people, but it's also something that brings people together," he said. That attention to story is what has allowed Verzuz to thrive in an ecosystem that includes everything from NFL franchises to global pop tours.

More Than a Moment: Building a Movement

Throughout the conversation, Pamon highlighted that Verzuz is not about a one-off cultural moment. Instead, it is about building a long-lasting franchise model. "So that's our abilities, and it's not a one-off. The goal was to build Verzuz into a franchise," he explained. "Any individual event doesn't have that much value to the world. The franchise has the value."

He also spoke on Beyoncé’s Formation World Tour as a model for excellence and intentionality in live event execution. Drawing from his past work with Parkwood Entertainment, he emphasized how a clear framework and storytelling lens shaped everything, from ticket pricing to fan experience. "We want people to feel like when they come to Formation or On the Run or Renaissance, we want them to feel like these guys over-delivered," he said. "No matter what the price is, if you feel like you got more than what you paid for, guess what? You're going to end up building community and coming back."

Pamon got specific when discussing the real-time logistics that impact fan experience. "The most expensive ticket for On the Run II was what? A cocktail table on the field. Seventy percent of the buyers were women," he said. "When you think about the way these stadiums are constructed, it's not even 50-50. Men have more bathrooms. The best bathrooms are on the club level. They're not on the pitch. So we're asking people to pay 2,000 dollars a ticket and use porta potties. That's absurd."

He added that those details matter when building repeat business. "We did surveys. The number one and number two issues people had with Formation or On the Run were parking and bathrooms. That was organic. That was zero prompted."

Balancing Scale and Access

Ticket pricing and accessibility came up as one of the more nuanced challenges facing the industry. Using examples from major tours, Pamon explained how too many artists and promoters are approaching current demand as if it is the last chance to sell. "People are acting as if this is the last tour. People are acting as if it's Verzuz. If it didn't happen, it would never happen again. So they're taking every dollar off the table," he said.

He stressed the need to consider the long game. "If you don't have a ticket price where a lot of people can go to the concert on their own without asking their parents, you don't have a sustainable business. Because those young people are the reason the parents were there," he said. "The hardest thing in the world isn't to sell the tickets for the current tour. The hardest thing in the world is to sell future tours."

Pamon also emphasized punctuality as part of audience respect. "Everybody wants to be nice. I told everybody we need to stop thinking about bringing the music business. We're in the people business," he said. "If you can please people at a reasonable price point and get them to feel like they belong, they’ll come back. Nobody wants to wait until 8 PM if the show was supposed to start at 6."

He also pointed to consumer experience as something too often ignored. From poorly designed venues to overpriced concessions, the disconnect between ticket cost and experience can erode brand loyalty. "If someone pays 2,000 dollars for a ticket and ends up in a bathroom line with no ventilation, they are not coming back," he said.

From the Arena to the Ecosystem

Pamon drew a clear distinction between thinking of a concert as an isolated event versus treating it as part of a larger brand ecosystem. "You're not just selling a show. You're selling a story, a feeling, a reason for people to stay engaged even when the lights go down," he said.

Citing WWE as a blueprint, he explained how the wrestling franchise built an empire by thinking far beyond the ring. "Imagine a tour that has gone across arenas for five decades and at the same time sold tickets, delivered cable shows, pay-per-views, streaming," he said. "They built an empire by making people care about the characters."

That model of immersion is what Verzuz aspires to. Whether through licensed products, premium events, or media partnerships, the brand is constantly searching for new ways to deepen its impact. "We want to bring people into this music community and give them something they can be a part of, not just something to watch," he said.

Looking Past the Surface Metrics

One of the more revealing moments came when Pamon addressed assumptions about which Verzuz event was the most viewed. Contrary to popular belief, it was not Jeezy vs. Gucci Mane or The Lox vs. Dipset that pulled the highest numbers.

"Randy and Monica was not the biggest Verzuz, nor was Ashanti and Keyshia Cole," he said. "The biggest Verzuz in terms of viewership was Earth, Wind & Fire and The Isley Brothers." He explained that it was not necessarily the most talked-about, but it was the most watched, showing the power of silent reach. "We were surprised too. You wouldn’t have guessed it based on hype."

That data point helped shift how Verzuz approaches future matchups and marketing. "We realized we had to lean more into what resonates deeply with that base," he said. "It is not always about the biggest names. It is about the most meaningful connections."

Standing on Principle in the Business of Culture

Toward the end of the talk, Pamon addressed the brand's recent distribution decisions, including stepping back from certain partnerships. He made it clear that while commercial opportunity matters, community trust matters more. "If your core audience feels like you don't see them or respect them, the money doesn't matter," he said.

He specifically called out a deal that was declined due to a partner’s controversial comments about Black women. "You don't get to disrespect our audience and still do business with us," he said. As Verzuz continues to grow, he said its mission remains rooted in service to the culture. "We did this out of love for music and musicians," he said. "Until we find the next distribution lane that honors that love, we'll keep building independently."

Photo Credit: Sean T. Smith