Statement from Brian Berry, Executive Director of Ticket Policy Forum, on Massachusetts Ticket Resale Proposal:
“We emphatically support banning deceptive marketing practices and speculative tickets and agree with Governor Healey that tickets are more expensive than ever, but her proposal ignores the illegal Ticketmaster-Live Nation box office monopoly, which continues to push up fees and prices and is the source of the vast majority of tickets for fans in Massachusetts. Failing to include Ticketmaster’s fees and dynamic and platinum pricing means prices will continue to rise from the largest source of tickets in the state since the cap would only apply to resale, which represents a small fraction of overall ticket sales. Further, the resale marketplace fee cap was pulled out of thin air, with no consultation or study, and allows Ticketmaster’s fees to continue to hover upwards of 30 and 40 percent. Exempting Ticketmaster this way is protection for the illegal monopoly, not fans. Lawmakers should right this wrong immediately and ensure Ticketmaster’s pricing tactics are included in any new ticketing regulations.
“Massachusetts’ Attorney General is helping lead the fight to break this monopoly up, and this bill undercuts that critical work. After all the hard work of the Attorney General to help find Live Nation-Ticketmaster guilty of operating an illegal monopoly, this Ticketmaster handout could put the benefits of a future Live Nation-Ticketmaster break-up at risk for the Massachusetts live event market and fans. There is an easy fix here, remove the Ticketmaster exemption.”
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For more background on what was uncovered during United States et al. v. Live Nation Entertainment & Ticketmaster, please see here.