Taylor Swift is currently embroiled in a public dispute with Ticketmaster over issues with ticket sales for her upcoming Eras tour. There has been enormous demand for tickets to Swift’s first tour in five years, leading to technical problems on Ticketmaster that infuriated fans. Swift herself has spoken out against Ticketmaster, accusing them of being unable to handle the demand. This conflict has highlighted ongoing frustrations with Ticketmaster’s dominance in event ticketing.
What happened with Ticketmaster and the Eras tour tickets?
Ticket sales for Taylor Swift’s Eras tour began on November 15, 2022 on Ticketmaster. However, the website quickly experienced major technical difficulties due to extremely high demand. Fans reported wait times of several hours just to access the website, only to then be kicked out and sent back to the end of the queue. Ticketmaster later blamed “historically unprecedented demand” with millions trying to buy.
Presales for Capital One card holders on November 15 were cancelled just as they were beginning, with Ticketmaster citing “extraordinarily high demands on ticketing systems and insufficient remaining ticket inventory”. Verified fan presales on November 16 also experienced issues, with Ticketmaster delaying sales from the initial 3pm EST and staggering entry into the queues. General ticket sales on November 18 were supposed to begin at 10am local venue times, but sales never opened properly.
What was the reaction to the ticket problems?
The response was extremely negative from Swift’s fans online, who heavily criticized Ticketmaster for their handling of the situation. There were complaints that Ticketmaster essentially allowed scalpers and bots to buy huge numbers of tickets before genuine fans even had a chance. Some fans speculated that Ticketmaster had severely underestimated demand and not prepared enough servers and capacity.
Swift herself posted a Story on Instagram expressing anger and frustration at the situation: “It’s really difficult for me to trust an outside entity with these relationships and loyalties, and excruciating for me to just watch mistakes happen with no recourse.”
Why were Ticketmaster struggling with such high demand?
There are a few key reasons why Ticketmaster struggled to handle the exceptional demand for Taylor Swift Eras tour tickets:
– Swift’s immense popularity – she has a massive global fanbase eager to see her first tour since 2018.
– Pent up demand post-pandemic – with tours cancelled for 2+ years, fans were desperate to attend events again.
– Scarcity and exclusivity – Swift is only performing in certain cities, making tickets harder to get.
– Bots and scalpers – large scale ticket resellers trying to buy ahead of fans.
– Insufficient tech infrastructure – Ticketmaster’s servers couldn’t handle the traffic.
The Aftermath of the Ticketing Issues
In the wake of the ticketing fiasco, Ticketmaster made the controversial move to cancel general ticket sales for Swift’s tour. They stated “Due to extraordinarily high demands on ticketing systems and insufficient remaining ticket inventory to meet that demand, tomorrow’s public on-sale for Taylor Swift | The Eras Tour has been cancelled”.
This outraged fans who had been waiting for their chance to buy tickets. Some questioned whether Ticketmaster actually had insufficient inventory, or just wanted to avoid another public failure. Ticketmaster did note that 2 million tickets had already been sold for the tour’s 52 dates.
Taylor Swift’s reaction
Taylor Swift posted a lengthy statement on her Instagram Stories expressing her anger at the situation. Some key points:
– She only wanted to do these special fan presales to make it easier for fans, but it went terribly wrong.
– She has trust issues now with outside companies like Ticketmaster mishandling relationships with fans.
– It “pisses her off” that many tickets seemed to end up on resale sites, with scalpers profiting.
– She sympathizes with fans who had a horrible experience trying to buy tickets.
– She hopes to provide more chances for fans to buy tickets in the future.
Lawsuits filed against Ticketmaster
A number of lawsuits have already been filed against Ticketmaster and their parent company Live Nation Entertainment over the Eras tour ticket debacle:
– A fan filed a lawsuit in LA, alleging antitrust violations and collusion between Ticketmaster and scalpers.
– A law firm filed a lawsuit in Tennessee accusing Ticketmaster of fraud, price fixing, and antitrust violations.
– Another lawsuit alleges Ticketmaster “intentionally and purposefully mislead the public”.
Experts say more lawsuits are likely. The legal action could potentially lead to fines, restrictions or even break up of Live Nation’s monopoly.
Calls for investigation of Ticketmaster
A number of US politicians have called for federal antitrust investigations into Ticketmaster following the controversy:
– Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and other House Reps signed a letter demanding the FTC and DOJ investigate Ticketmaster.
– Amy Klobuchar, Chair of Senate Judiciary antitrust subcommittee, said the issues show why Ticketmaster’s merger with Live Nation should be investigated.
– Richard Blumenthal called for the breakup of Ticketmaster and Live Nation’s “near monopoly”.
Investigations could examine anti-competitive practices, preferential treatment given to scalpers, and whether the 2010 merger should still be allowed.
Ticketmaster’s Dominance in Event Ticketing
At the heart of this controversy is Ticketmaster’s dominance over primary ticketing in the live events industry. Key facts about their strong market position:
Ticketmaster Market Share | 70% |
---|---|
Value of primary ticketing market | $10 billion/year |
Ticketmaster’s typical fees per ticket | 25% of ticket face value |
Tickets sold by Ticketmaster in 2021 | 500 million |
This market power means Ticketmaster has little incentive to innovate or improve systems – where else will events go? Fans and artists have limited alternatives for primary ticket sales.
Key factors in Ticketmaster’s dominance:
– Merger with Live Nation entertainment in 2010 made them a near monopoly.
– Exclusive long-term deals with major venues and leagues.
– Acquisitions of competitors like TicketExchange and Paciolan.
– High fees and charges make it hard for competitors to challenge them.
– Dynamic pricing models maximize revenue extraction from fans.
Previous antitrust concerns
Ticketmaster has faced antitrust scrutiny before, but avoided being broken up:
– Pearl Jam tried to boycott Ticketmaster in 1994, but venues’ exclusive deals prevented alternatives.
– String of mergers in 90s like Ticketmaster-Ticketron raised monopoly concerns.
– 2010 merger with Live Nation was approved with certain conditions to maintain competition.
– Government found Live Nation violated consent decree in 2019, but no meaningful action taken.
Could This Controversy Lead to Meaningful Change?
Will the latest ticket debacle and renewed scrutiny actually challenge Ticketmaster’s entrenched position in the industry? There are reasons for optimism and pessimism.
Reasons for optimism:
– Swift’s enormous public profile and outrage brings wide attention to the issue.
– Bipartisan political interest in investigating and penalizing Ticketmaster.
– DOJ/FTC may be more willing to enforce antitrust under Biden admin.
– Opens door for competitors to capture share from Ticketmaster.
– Artists may push back and demand alternatives to Ticketmaster.
Reasons for pessimism:
– Difficult to enforce behavioral remedies on Ticketmaster; breakup more impactful.
– No guarantee of political follow through; investigations can drag on.
– Ticketmaster-Live Nation will fiercely contest any major action.
– Venues and leagues have multi-year exclusive contracts with Ticketmaster.
– Fans may have short memories and return to Ticketmaster when convenient.
Potential outcomes:
– Fines for antitrust violations, but business model remains intact.
– Some restrictions placed around fees, dynamic pricing, or preferential treatment.
– Forced to sell Ticketmaster – but could be bought by similar company.
– Full break up of Ticketmaster and Live Nation monopoly.
– Increased scrutiny, but no substantial changes imposed.
Conclusion
The furor over Taylor Swift’s tour ticketing shows the extensive discontent and mistrust in Ticketmaster’s ticketing monopoly. However, it remains to be seen if anything will fundamentally change. Ticketmaster’s dominance is deeply entrenched, and the live events industry highly dependent on their systems. But the exceptional attention Swift’s public profile brings could inspire real momentum for reform and viable competition. Fans reject the current system that prioritizes scalpers over genuine supporters. Politicians and regulators may also recognize this is a pivotal moment to act. While Ticketmaster will aggressively protect its position, there is hope that their mistakes create an opening for more artist-friendly and fan-focused ticketing models.