(PRNewsfoto/Live Nation Entertainment)
Live Nation /Ticketmaster have come under fire in recent years for what many concertgoers and bands decry as price fixing and artificially inflating ticket pricing, and scalping/reselling. The brand has been under investigation by the US Government after a major public outrage by fans after ticket fiascos such as Taylor Swift, Bruce Springsteen, Paul McCartney, and recently Blink-182. Now according to published reports by CNN and The Washington Post The United States Justice Department and several states are expected to file a lawsuit as soon as Thursday against Live Nation Inc, citing alleged antitrust violations at least in part due to the market dominance of the company’s Ticketmaster unit, a person briefed on the planned legal action said. If this lawsuit is successful, if would send shockwaves through the music induistry, the concert industry, down to booking agents, bands and fans. Live Nation has been the past recipient of ire specifically from metalheads after proof of collusion with bands to create a resale market with major bands, such as Metallica (Editor’s Note: basically every huge touring band has a rep that manages their Live Nation relationship), causing a major embarrassment for the band. In their rebuttal to the current case (but before the filing) being made against them (one of which is that they hold an unfair monopoly on the entire concert industry) they claim they are not unfair and entrants into the field for ticket sales have caused them to defend their brand. They have tried several campaigns to offset this lawsuit from coming down, including their support of the “Fair Ticketing Act,” launching the option for “all-in pricing,” and the On The Road program with Willie Nelson to help venues and stop the practice of merch cuts.
https://www.cnn.com/2024/05/22/business/live-nation-ticketmaster-doj-antitrust/index.html
Live Nation’s previous plan to prevent their disbandment!
Live Nation Entertainment Announces Support For A FAIR Ticketing Act
LIVE NATION ENTERTAINMENT ANNOUNCES SUPPORT FOR A FAIR TICKETING ACT
Fans & Artists Insisting on Reforms in Ticketing:
Fans mean everything to artists, and the best way to ensure a fair ticketing experience for live music fans is to put more control in the hands of the artists themselves.
ARTISTS SHOULD DECIDE RESALE RULES.
Protect artists’ ability to use face-value exchanges and limited transfer to keep pricing lower for fans, and prevent scalpers from exploiting fans.
MAKE IT ILLEGAL TO SELL SPECULATIVE TICKETS.
Scalpers use deceptive tactics to trick fans into spending more or buying tickets the seller doesn’t even have – this confuses fans and should be banned.
EXPAND THE BOTS ACT.
Policymakers should expand the scope of the BOTS Act and increase enforcement to deter those who break the law, cheating artists and fans in the process.
CRACK DOWN ON RESALE SITES THAT ARE SAFE HAVENS FOR SCALPERS.
Resale sites that turn a blind eye to illegally acquired tickets, allow ticket speculation, and ignore artists’ rules need real consequences from policymakers to curb their bad behavior.
MANDATE ALL-IN PRICING NATIONALLY.
Avoid surprises at check out and give fans the ability to easily compare prices as they shop by mandating all-in pricing that shows the full out of pocket cost of the ticket and fees right upfront.
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.
Advocating for FAIR Ticketing policies has never been more important because artists are actively losing their ability to control their tickets in states all over the country – which is hurting fans, and helping scalpers.
6 states already passed legislation protecting resale:
– Illinois
– Colorado
– Connecticut
– New York
– Virginia
– Utah
5 more states are considering new laws to protect resale:
– California
– Florida
– Georgia
– Maryland
– Washington
Why it matters?
Scalper lobbyists use terms like “fan freedom” to sound like they are looking out for consumers – but unlimited resale protects scalpers more than fans. Programs like fan-to-fan face value exchanges are designed specifically to ensure fans still have maximum flexibility when buying tickets, but tickets stay at prices artists set. Runaway resale laws make programs like this illegal.
How to Fix it?
To truly protect consumers, Congress should make a federal law that backstops artist’s ability to control their tickets. Together, we can create a FAIR system that benefits everyone.
The post LIVE NATION ENTERTAINMENT ANNOUNCES SUPPORT FOR A FAIR TICKETING ACT appeared first on Live Nation Entertainment.