The merged corporate behemoths Ticketmaster and Live Nation came under renewed scrutiny last fall when Ticketmaster’s servers buckled under the weight of demand from Taylor Swift tickets, a failure that “pissed off” Swift and turned her fans into anti-monopoly crusaders. The incident caused lawmakers to call for the breakup of the companies and inspired a bunch of Senators to quote Swift songs during Ticketmaster’s hearing. Now the executive branch has gotten involved with the concert ticketing situation.
President Joe Biden is attempting to crack down on hidden “junk fees” added to the price of goods and services by banks, airlines, and other companies. Ticketing companies are among the most notorious offenders, and now they’ve made a deal with the president to make their prices fully transparent. As the New York Post reports, after a White House meeting, Ticketmaster and Live Nation as well as SeatGeek have agreed to an “all-in” pricing model that displays the real price of a ticket. Live Nation committed to institute all-in pricing by September, while Ticketmaster and SeatGeek did not offer a timeline.
In April, the Senate passed a bipartisan-sponsored bill mandating all-in pricing on a federal level. New York and California have also passed laws to the effect, with Tennessee considering similar legislation.
