After seeing this report, U.S. Senators Richard Blumenthal and Amy Klobuchar urged the Department of Justice to determine if the promoter is in compliance with a 2010 consent decree.
Livenation said this:
“The live entertainment industry has never been more vibrant and competitive, which is evident from the many companies that continue entering the market and growin., We are proud of the many progressive policies we have innovated and advocated for – from refunds, to all-in pricing, transparent resale disclosures and more. We will continue using our influence to improve the industry.”
Ticketmaster said this:
“There is little evidence that live event ticketing or related markets are any more competitive today than they were in 2010. There have been few new entrants in these markets and troubling indicators of durable market power, such as excessive processing fees imposed on consumers that exceed one-quarter of a ticket price.”
Ticketmaster also said they don't set many of the fees. The promoter or venue does. Well seeing Livenation OWNS hundreds of these said venues....conflict of interest much?? These is so much dirt to be dug up here I'm guessing this will takes YEARS to sift through. However, when it's all said and done, you're favorite artists are going to get caught up in this too. Especially those "Official Platinum tickets" which mean NOTHING. There's no VIP, extra perks or anything. They are being sold for the first time through Ticketmaster on behalf of the artist or Event Organizer.
Other amounts or fees may also be included in the Current Price, or may be added on top of the Current Price. If additional amounts are added on top of the Current Price, they will be displayed before you complete your purchase.
Who knows what we'll get out of this, but I hope they get knocked down several pegs.
photo: getty images