New Massachusetts bill criticised for strengthening Ticketmaster monopoly

nme.com:

an anti-trust lawsuit from the US Justice Department. The suit alleged that the company’s concert promotion and ticketing operations have undermined competition in the live music industry, leading to unfair market leverage, high transaction fees and flawed customer service.The report claims that since the 2010 merger of Live Nation and Ticketmaster, the enterprise has gone on to control more than 80 per cent of the market for ticket sales in the US.“Massachusetts joined the federal antitrust suit against Live Nation — but now it’s opening the door for Live Nation to strengthen its monopoly by cutting off the transfer of tickets” said Chamber Of Progress Senior Director Of Technology Policy Todd O’Boyle. “Bay Staters are some of the most dedicated sports fans, but this will make it harder for families to support the Red Sox at Fenway.

When the General Court reconvenes in 2025, they should fix this anti-fan mistake.”The Boston Globe reports that a coalition of consumer advocacy groups sent a letter to Governor Maura Healey last week saying, “Ticket transferability gives consumers control of their tickets after they purchase them, empowering fans to comparison shop across different marketplaces.”Statistics show that resale marketplaces often save ticket holders a significant amount of money.

According to analysis by fan advocacy organisation Protect Ticket Rights, concertgoers in Massachusetts saved $13.87 million when purchasing on resale marketplaces [via Boston.com].

The consumer advocacy organisation Sports Fans Coalition did a similar study and found that fans across the US saved $351 million by buying tickets to sporting events through the secondary ticket market between 2017 and 2024.In response, Live Nation issued a.