Concerts are supposed to be fun. Unfortunately, the typical excitement and anticipation of attending a show or sporting event has been overshadowed by panic and stress. Approximately 50% of concert attendees They recently admitted that they had considered get a second job Just to buy a ticket.
Fans now not only have to spend a small amount of money on concert tickets, but they also have to worry about whether or not they will be able to secure their tickets. disappear into thin airthanks to an epic data breach by a company earlier this year. With data available from around 560 million people, your ticket could be the most popular item on a hacker's wish list.
We're in this situation because Live Nation-Ticketmaster manages artists, operates venues, sells tickets – pretty much every part of the ecosystem.
Why is this happening? Ticketmaster, the ticket industry monopoly, has changed things and it's time for us as fans to do something.
of merger In 2010, Ticketmaster and its parent company, Live Nation Entertainment, confusion and frustration The same goes for artists, concert venues, and consumers. But while many affected by Ticketmaster's monopoly on the live events and ticketing ecosystem are speaking out, not much has changed.
Thankfully, lawsuit The Department of Justice and a bipartisan group of more than 40 state and local attorneys general find that there is no real competition in the live events and ticketing industry, leading to increased costs and fewer event opportunities for fans. We have compiled over 10 years of evidence showing that
Ticketmaster's recent failure regarding Oasis' long-awaited 2025 comeback tour highlights Oasis' continued failure to put their fans first. Initially, the overwhelming traffic caused Ticketmaster's system to crash, leaving thousands of British fans queuing without a chance to buy tickets, while paying significantly more than expected. Some fans paid .
Does Swifty sound familiar?
We're in this situation because Live Nation-Ticketmaster manages artists, operates venues, sells tickets – pretty much every part of this ecosystem. Overwhelming control over ticket sales, tours, and promotions limits consumer choice and drives up ticket prices, while Live Nation-Ticketmaster becomes increasingly capable. make a profit.
It is clear that there is no real competition between Ticketmaster and other ticket sellers. Live Nation owns or controls 60% of the most profitable venues in the United States and has given Ticketmaster exclusive rights to first-run ticket sales at those venues. In addition, Live Nation directly manages over 350 music artists and their tours. What venue do you think they use?
Additionally, there are concerns about business strategies that exclude other market participants. A network of exclusive contracts eliminates choice, leaving venues and artists in the hands of a single corporate player.
And of course, as we've seen with Oasis and many other high-demand sales, lack of competition results in poor execution quality and poor customer service.
In some cases, Live Nation even sells its own canned water (Liquid Death) exclusively at the venue. The list goes on.
The federal government must take decisive action to break up this monopoly and introduce real competition to the live events industry. Now that former President Donald Trump has won the election, we can only hope that his new team at the Justice Department will continue to be at the forefront of antitrust enforcement.
Transparency in primary ticket sales is non-existent and venues, artists and promoters remain under the control of a single entity. Restrictive terms and conditions limit what you can do with your tickets.
Now is the time for fans to say Enough is enough — Especially if you are one of the following: 145 million Americans who are planning to attend a live event next year don't want to see the tickets they paid a small fortune for disappear.
