As a new regulation from the Biden administration on โjunk feesโ came into force on Monday, Ticketmaster announced a shift in how ticket prices will be displayed. Now, the full price of a ticket will be visible from the moment consumers begin their purchasing journey.
Ticketmaster, often criticized for its hidden fees, is among the companies affected by this new rule introduced by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) in December. The directive mandates that ticket sellers, hotel chains, vacation rental services, and others must upfront disclose any processing, cleaning, or additional fees.
Acknowledging the FTCโs move, Ticketmaster expressed its support. The companyโs Chief Operating Officer, Michael Wichser, stated, โTicketmaster has long supported the concept of nation-wide standardized all-in pricing to facilitate easier price comparisons across various ticketing sites for fans.โ
Additionally, Ticketmaster promised some improvements to its customer experience. Buyers will be informed about their position in line at the onset of the ticket purchasing process. Furthermore, those facing wait times exceeding 30 minutes will receive real-time updates regarding ticket prices, availability, and potential new event dates.
Headquartered in Los Angeles, Ticketmaster operates under Live Nation, a prominent concert promoter. The company leads the global ticket market, processing around 500 million tickets annually across over 30 countries. Approximately 70% of tickets for major concerts in the U.S. are sold through Ticketmaster.
These changes, implemented by Ticketmaster, aim to align North American practices with international standards where full ticket prices are usually visible from the initial shopping phase.
Another key player in the ticketing industry, SeatGeek, also made updates to its system on Monday. The platform declared that โall-in pricingโ has become the default setting. โFans deserve clear pricing from the beginning,โ commented SeatGeek CEO Jack Groetzinger, highlighting their pride in steering this movement.
Ticketmaster was thrust into controversy in 2022 after its website collapsed during a pre-sale for Taylor Swiftโs much-anticipated stadium tour. The siteโs overwhelming traffic, attributed to both fervent fans and automated bots attempting to monopolize tickets for resale, left thousands unable to secure their desired tickets despite lengthy waits.
In light of these challenges, the U.S. Department of Justice filed suit against Ticketmaster and Live Nation last year, accusing them of monopolistic practices inflating ticket prices. The case is ongoing.
President Donald Trump has also expressed concern over the industry. Earlier, he signed an executive order in March, aimed at reducing ticket scalping and implementing โcommonsenseโ reforms on live event pricing.
According to this executive order, the FTC is tasked with ensuring โprice transparency at every phase of the ticket-purchase processโ and taking action against any unfair, deceptive, or anti-competitive behaviors.
โAnybody whoโs purchased a concert ticket in the last decade, maybe even two decades โ regardless of political orientation โ understands the difficulty,โ said Kid Rock, who was present alongside Trump in the Oval Office during the signing of the order.