Starting Monday, the Biden administration’s prohibition on “junk rates” will take effect, prompting Ticketmaster to reveal all ticket prices right when consumers start their search.
Ticketmaster has faced ongoing complaints over hidden fees and other matters, making it one of the entities affected by the new regulations introduced by the Federal Trade Commission in December.
These guidelines mandate ticket sellers, hotels, vacation rental services, and similar businesses to clearly disclose processing, cleaning, and various other fees upfront.
Ticketmaster has stated its agreement with the FTC’s initiatives.
Michael Witcher, Ticketmaster’s Chief Operating Officer, commented, “We’ve always supported the idea that all-inclusive pricing should become a standard, allowing fans to easily compare ticket prices across platforms.”
Additionally, Ticketmaster plans to notify customers of their position in the queue when they log in to purchase tickets.
It will also provide real-time updates for wait times exceeding 30 minutes, updating customers on ticket prices, availability, and any new event dates.
As the largest ticket seller globally, Ticketmaster, owned by Live Nation in Beverly Hills, California, manages around 500 million tickets each year across over 30 countries and sells about 70% of tickets for major U.S. concert venues.
The changes set to occur on Monday aim to align North America with international standards by ensuring that complete ticket prices are visible from the outset of shopping.
SeatGeek, another ticket marketplace, announced that it would also implement an “all-in pricing” feature on its platform.
“Fans should have clear pricing from the very beginning,” said SeatGeek CEO Jack Groetzinger. “We’re excited to introduce this on our platform and are hopeful for industry-wide adoption.”
Ticketmaster has been under scrutiny since a major incident in 2022 when the website crashed during the pre-sale for Taylor Swift’s stadium tour due to overwhelming demand, compounded by bot attacks that mimicked users to acquire tickets for resale. Many fans lost their tickets after waiting for hours in online queues.
Last year, the U.S. Department of Justice filed a lawsuit against Ticketmaster and Live Nation, claiming they operated an illegal monopoly that inflates ticket prices and asking courts to take action. This case is ongoing.
Meanwhile, former President Donald Trump is paying attention to the industry, having signed an executive order in March aiming to tackle ticket scalping and advocate for more reasonable pricing for live events.
The order obligates the FTC to ensure transparency in pricing throughout the ticket purchasing process and enforce rules against unfair practices, deception, and anti-competitive behavior.
Kid Rock, who was present with Trump when the order was signed, reflected, “Anyone who’s bought a concert ticket in the last decade can tell you what a challenge it can be, regardless of their political views.”
