The following statement regarding today’s full House Energy & Commerce Committee hearing is attributed to Brian Berry, executive director of the Ticket Policy Forum:
“The Ticket Policy Forum is proud to support provisions in the BOSS and SWIFT Act and the MAIN Event
Act as they would increase transparency for fans, cut down on deceptive practices, increase enforcement
against fraud and illegal bots, and ensure a more level playing field for fans. These bills will improve the
fan experience while not favoring any one segment of the for-profit live event industry. This is no small
feat given various special interests seek rules that will tip the scales of competition in their favor, the
biggest offender of all being the illegal monopoly Live Nation-Ticketmaster.
“We applaud the Committee for spending years studying the live event ticket market and, as a result, not
defaulting to ineffective scapegoating like resale price caps that leave Ticketmaster and its predatory and
deceptive box office fees and pricing practices untouched. No matter who a fan purchases their tickets
from, which is far and away most often Ticketmaster, policies that apply to one seller should also apply
to others. No more free passes for Live Nation-Ticketmaster.
“The bills heard today build on the Committee’s years of leadership with the bipartisan TICKET Act,
which passed the House of Representatives by an overwhelming 409-15 margin to guarantee refunds,
ban deceptive websites, marketing, and speculative ticketing. This was a victory for the Committee and
the best model for improving and protecting the fan experience. We hope to see it signed into law by the
President and look forward to continuing our work to further our shared goals of protecting fans and
fostering competition in the ticketing market.”
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For more background on what was uncovered during United States et al. v. Live Nation Entertainment & Ticketmaster, please see here.