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Ticketmaster is trying to address the lawsuit filed by the Federal Trade Commission with several moves intended to block scalpers from abusing the platform. But the National Association Of Independent Venues (NIVA) and the National Independent Talent Organization (NITO) say it’s too little, too late. In a letter to congress obtained by Variety, Ticketmaster and parent company Live Nation claim “Ticketmaster does more than anyone to fight bots and get tickets into the hands of real fans.” Here’s what you need to know about this back and forth.
What does the FTC lawsuit claim?
The FTC and seven states sued Live Nation and Ticketmaster September 18. The complaint alleges the companies collude with ticket resellers, enabling scalpers to buy more tickets than the advertised limit and permitting their resale at jacked prices. This would be a violation of the Better Online Ticket Sales Act (BOTS ACT). They also accuse Ticketmaster of “bait-and-switch” by misrepresenting the price of tickets. The suit blames the tool TradeDesk, which allowed resellers to track their sales, is used to mislead customers.
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How did Ticketmaster respond?
Ticketmaster is initiating some new anti-scalper measures, which include making resellers use either their SSN or a taxpayer ID verification and AI tools that will supposedly aid in “faster assessment and cancellation of bot-purchased tickets.” The company will also get rid of TradeDesk.
Ticketmaster outright denied violating the BOTS Act. But indie venues weren’t buying it.
What do NIVA and NITO have to say about it?
NIVA called the measures “too little and too late” in a statement. “This looks like an attempt to clean up their devastated public image following the Federal Trade Commission’s strong BOTS Act and deceptive practices case against them,” they wrote. “Based on that suit and this letter, we have seen clear evidence that Live Nation and Ticketmaster are in bed with scalpers, and resale platforms like StubHub and Vivid Seats benefit daily from it.”
NITO echoed their sentiments, writing that neither “Ticketmaster nor any other platform should engage in reselling tickets above face value. This practice hurts both artists and their fans.”
Is this the same lawsuit as the one from 2024?
No, that one was an antitrust suit filed by Biden’s Department of Justice. That case is still ongoing, despite a pretty drastic turnover at the DOJ.
