Following the debacle regarding Ticketmaster's operations during the pre-selling of tickets for Taylor Swift's The Eras Tour, Live Nation Entertainment proposed reforms to the global business and demanded officials give artists more control over ticket sales regulations.
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WASHINGTON, DC - JANUARY 24: Penny Harrison and her son Parker Harrison rally against the live entertainment ticket industry outside the U.S. Capitol January 24, 2023 in Washington, DC. The Senate Judiciary Committee is holding a hearing this morning to explore whether the merger of Live Nation and Ticketmaster has stifled competition and harmed the consumer marketplace.
Supporting Fair Ticketing Act
Live Nation Entertainment released a statement regarding its support for FAIR Ticketing Act. The company urged Congress to give artists control over ticket resale regulations to use face-value exchanges and avoid fans exploitation from scalpers.
Aside from this, the company demanded to make speculative ticket selling illegal as scalpers usually use deceptive tactics to trick consumers into spending more. Expanding the BOTS Act is also part of the reform in an effort to increase enforcement to determine those who break the law.
Resale sites are also becoming rampant nowadays that usually acquiring tickets illegally. In this way, it allows ticket speculation and ignores artists' rules. Lastly, the reform states to mandate all-in pricing nationally to avoid surprises at check out and give fans the ability to easily compare ticket prices before purchasing.
"We already follow many of these common-sense policies and are ready to make additional changes, but we can't do it alone. We need the entire industry and policymakers to stand up for fans and artists," Live Nation stated.
Live Nation clarified that they do not want to ban scalpers, but only wants to limit their ability to take advance orders for shows before tickets are actually on sale. This is why they aim to push the expansion of the BOTS Act (Better Online Ticket Sales) to neutralize the programs for ticket selling.
Taylor Swift's Ticket Pre-Selling
This comes after the debacle of ticket pre-selling by Ticketmaster for Taylor Swift's The Eras Tour, which resulted in a meltdown that angered fans and led government officials to clamor for industry reform.
As per Bloomberg's report, Live Nation was accused by several artists and competitors that it has abused its power as the world's top concert promoted and top ticket seller via Ticketmaster. But the company and its allies have pushed back against the criticism and dismissed politicians as ignorant about its operations.
While Ticketmaster and Live Nation blame scalpers and unregulated online practices for this matter, Congress believes that the problem relies on the shoulders of the company and its dominant position in the industry.
Forbes reported that Democrat Senator Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota and Republican Senator Mike Lee of Utah urged the Department of Justice to investigate the company for possible anticompetitive conduct.
Live Nation responded through a statement and said that the company already submitted more than 35 pages of information to provide greater context and transparency on the realities of the industry. "If there's any chance of improving ticketing for fans and artists, we all need to focus on the facts," the statement added.
Related Article: Taylor Swift Fans to Sue Ticketmaster After Online Ticket Selling Chaos, Accusing of Anticompetitive Conduct
