BEVERLY HILLS (CelebrityAccess) – Live Nation (LN) and Ticketmaster (TM) have released a statement responding to publicity to the recent Senate Judiciary Committee’s hearing that discussed the two companies being a monopoly and concurrent practices within the live music industry.
Music Industry veteran and writer Bob Lefsetz wrote in his column yesterday (February 23) about Irving Azoff hosting a panel at the Pollstar conference with Country music megastar Garth Brooks, CEO of Madison Square Garden Entertainment (MSGE), Jim Dolan, and attorney, Makan Delrahim.
Irving read a several-page explanation of the ticketing situation from the artist’s perspective. This, as Lefsetz wrote, and this writer agrees, is the only true perspective. Lefsetz wrote, “There is no show without the artist. To point the finger at Ticketmaster is to miss the point. Today, Live Nation finally fought back, and announced the desire for a Fair Ticketing Act.”
In its FAIR Ticketing Act, LN states that “Fans mean everything to artists, and the best way to ensure a fair ticketing experience for live music fans is to put more control in the hands of the artists themselves.”
That is exactly what country artist Zach Bryan did for his latest Burn Burn Burn Tour utilizing the AXS ticketing platform instead of TM. His tour sold out in exactly 30 seconds and his camp was able to eliminate bots and scalpers.
However, Bryan and his camp did exactly what TM has been pushing FOR … transparent all-in pricing with fees included. The tickets were sold in three waves with Bryan and his camp hiring teams to limit bots and as Bryan said himself in a statement, “We sacrificed a lot of personal things to give real people, real seats.”
Bryan released a statement on Instagram that read, “I didn’t care about selling out the tour in thirty seconds, I care about people getting reasonably priced tickets. I wish I could play more to meet the demand but the boys & I only have so much to give. Thank you all so much for your patience during this process, no one has ever done this before at this scale and that’s something I’m extremely proud of. Not one ticket was sold for more than $156, at their absolute highest, including taxes and fees. There will continue to be no tickets for sale on scalping sites. Fair ticketing for all, for an almost sold-out tour.”
On Thursday (February 23), TM shared, “If there’s any chance of improving ticketing for fans and artists, we all need to focus on the facts. In the last few weeks alone, we’ve submitted more than 35 pages of information to provide greater context and transparency to policymakers on the realities of the industry. We remain committed to working with lawmakers on developing reforms that will benefit fans and artists including those outlined in a FAIR Ticketing Act.”
The company states a variety of things they claim hurts ticketing and the live music industry, including that “Artists should decide resale rules” by protecting “artists’ ability to use face-value exchanges and limited transfer to keep pricing lower for fans, and prevent scalpers from exploiting fans.”
The statement also says that the government should “make it illegal to sell speculative tickets. Scalpers use deceptive tactics to trick fans into spending more or buying tickets the seller doesn’t even have – this confuses fans and should be banned.”
The company wants to see policymakers “expand the scope of the Bots Act and increase enforcement to deter those who break the law, cheating artists and fans in the process.”
LN also says via the statement that “Resale sites that turn a blind eye to illegally acquired tickets, allow ticket speculation, and ignore artists’ rules need real consequences from policymakers to curb their bad behavior.”
Another topic they support is mandating an all-in pricing strategy nationwide. “Avoid surprises at check out and give fans the ability to easily compare prices as they shop by mandating all-in pricing that shows the full out-of-pocket cost of the ticket and fees right up front.”
LN says, “We already follow many of these common-sense policies and are ready to make additional changes, but we can’t do it alone. We need the entire industry and policymakers to stand up for fans and artists. Advocating for fair ticketing policies has never been more important because artists are actively losing their ability to control their tickets in states all over the country – which is hurting fans, and helping scalpers.”
Illinois, Colorado, Connecticut, New York, Virginia, and Utah have already passed legislation protecting resale. California, Florida, Georgia, Maryland, New Jersey, and Washington state are already considering new laws for reselling tickets.
The company says the only way to “truly protect consumers” is by having Congress enact “a federal law that backstops an artists’ ability to control their tickets. Together, we can create a fair system that benefits everyone.”
On Wednesday (February 22), Senators Klobuchar and Mike Lee sent evidence from the recent hearing to the Department of Justice asking them to continue examining both companies and their practices. In their bipartisan letter, the Senate Judiciary Committee states, “For too long, Live Nation and Ticketmaster have wielded monopoly power anticompetitively, harming fans and artists alike.”
They detail their findings in the letter before concluding, “Live Nation’s responses amount to ‘trust us.’ We believe that is wholly insufficient. We thank you for your prompt attention to these matters and encourage the Antitrust Division to take action if it finds that Ticketmaster has walled itself off from competitive pressure at the expense of the industry and fans.”
I’ll leave you with Lefsetz’s final comments …
“This is a perspective change. Rather than starting with Ticketmaster, the end of the food chain, start at the beginning. We’ve got the act, it does or does not decide to go on tour. If it does decide, it needs a promoter. Could be Live Nation, could be AEG, could be an independent. And the dirty little secret is casinos pay the most! Generally speaking, whoever pays the most gets the act. There’s no inherent monopoly in concerts. Then again, few want to get in, because margins are so low. And promoters construct buildings to increase their margins.
“As for the price… The acts decide. The Fair Ticketing Act is about letting the artists’ decisions stand, eliminating the impediments. I’m on the side of the artist, and everybody in the food chain works for the artist, REMEMBER THAT!”
You can read the LN statement in its entirety HERE and their letter to the Judiciary Committee HERE.
