November 10, 2024

ARTS

 Culture OC - With the second anniversary of Ticketmaster’s Nov. 15, 2022 meltdown approaching – the botched release of Taylor Swift tour tickets that outraged the world’s largest fanbase – it’s easy to trace the fallout. Multiple class action and civil lawsuits filed against Ticketmaster and its parent company, Live Nation Entertainment. Grassroots organizations and coalitions formed to advocate for ticket reform. Over 100 bills introduced at the state and federal levels, along with hearings and investigations culminating in an antitrust lawsuit filed by the Department of Justice in May 2024.

It’s more difficult to gather what’s changed. Not much, besides major ticket providers agreeing to a Biden Administration request to display all fees upfront. Ticketmaster remains the largest ticket provider within the world’s biggest live entertainment company, Live Nation, which reported a revenue of $22.9 billion in 2023 – a 33% increase from 2019. Service fees and dynamic pricing persist, pushing concert ticket prices to record highs, while Ticketmaster’s infrastructure remains problematic.

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