{"id":987770,"date":"2026-09-23T23:51:15","date_gmt":"2026-09-23T23:51:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ticketpolicyforum.org\/?p=987770"},"modified":"2026-09-23T23:51:16","modified_gmt":"2026-09-23T23:51:16","slug":"statement-from-brian-berry-executive-director-of-ticket-policy-forum-on-governor-healeys-supplemental-budget-including-major-giveaway-to-the-ticketmaster-monopoly","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ticketpolicyforum.org\/?p=987770","title":{"rendered":"Statement from Brian Berry, Executive Director of Ticket Policy Forum, on Governor Healey’s Supplemental Budget Including Major Giveaway to the Ticketmaster Monopoly"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

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Today, Governor Healey released her supplemental budget <\/a>that includes, among other things, legislation to cap fees and prices on resale only, totally ignoring the Live Nation-Ticketmaster monopoly. In response, Brian Berry released the following statement:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cSadly, Governor Healey did it again, she is once again turning a blind eye to the illegal Live Nation-Ticketmaster box office monopoly which controls about 90 percent of all ticket sales in Massachusetts. If her supplemental budget bill is enacted, the Ticketmaster monopoly will remain free to continue to jack up ticket prices and gouge Massachusetts fans. A resale-only cap is flawed because it both doesn\u2019t touch prices in the 90% of tickets sold by Ticketmaster and will drive fans who want to find tickets into fraud-ridden social media dark corners of the web. Recent experience in Ontario also shows laws like this aren\u2019t even enforceable and only serve to create chaos for fans.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe resale market often offers fans better deals than Ticketmaster. For the BTS concerts at Gillette Stadium last month, resale tickets were offered under $20 while Ticketmaster continued to sell them at triple the price. When you push legitimate ticketing companies like our members out of the market, these options to save big disappear. Ticketmaster will be the only option left standing.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cExempting Ticketmaster this way is protection for the illegal monopoly, not fans. After all the hard work Attorney General Andrea Campbell and state attorneys general across the country have done to hold Live Nation-Ticketmaster accountable, it is shocking to see this Ticketmaster handout advancing through the Governor\u2019s budget process. It risks putting all the benefits of a potential future Live Nation-Ticketmaster break-up at risk.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cLawmakers concerned with abusive, illegal monopoly power should vote no on Governor Healey\u2019s supplemental budget bill.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Background Materials<\/p>\n\n\n\n