Ask anyone that’s shopped program tickets by way of Ticketmaster this yr regarding their expertise. You’re almost certainly to be amused by a story that could be a Herculean job of sweat, willpower, persistence, and charge.
This week, followers of British rock band Oasis skilled this first-hand. After a prolonged respite and battle in between brother or sister bandmembers Liam and Noel Gallagher, the quintet launched a globe scenic tour, consisting of two Toronto days, to their followers’ pleasure.
But factors actually didn’t go as supposed. After lengthy strains and grievances from followers within the U.Ok., the band launched it will actually not not be using Ticketmaster’s dynamic pricing model, lengthy a thorn in followers’ sides for growing the value of present ticket prices.
The information adheres to grievances that followers invested hours in on-line strains simply to uncover prices that were up to four times higher than anticipated. Many clients counsel the system’s plans allow resellers or “dynamic pricing” to explode prices considerably.
Hate @TicketmasterUK loads now. Joined ready house at 8.30. Queue at 9.00 and was 80000 in line. Half hour afterward, queue simply decreased by 13000 but alerting low/no accessibility for tickets. Where have all of them gone after that?
Surely there’s a a lot better means pic.twitter.com/NuMO3MAcYh— Lucy P (@lucyboots) September 27, 2024
Earlier this yr, the united state Department of Justice launched an examination proper into Ticketmaster for “unlawful conduct that thwarts competition.”
In 2019, the Competition Bureau of Canada ordered Ticketmaster to pay $4.5 million for misleading customers in online ticket sales.
The investigation revealed that Ticketmaster’s marketed costs have been typically unattainable, as obligatory charges have been added later within the buying course of. These further charges often exceeded 20 per cent, and in some instances, they inflated the ultimate price by over 65 per cent in comparison with the marketed costs.
“Canadians should be able to trust that the prices advertised are the ones they will pay when purchasing tickets online,” Commission of Competition Matthew Boswell mentioned on the time.
He added: “The Bureau expects all ticket vendors to take note and review their marketing practices, knowing that the Bureau continues to examine similar issues in the marketplace and will take action as necessary.”
In 2023, the European Commission acknowledged that whereas dynamic pricing just isn’t unlawful, it can proceed to “monitor” the circumstance very carefully.
But what does that imply for simply how a lot you’ll pay to see your much-loved musician sooner or later?
Why are present tickets so pricey?
The complete value of a present ticket relies upon upon a sequence of points, from the musician’s enchantment and manufacturing prices to put costs and the rise in style for on-line events.
One of the present enterprise’s most controversial points is “dynamic pricing,” a way that readjusts ticket prices primarily based upon want.
When a musician introduces a visit, followers hurry to ticketing techniques, creating prices to climb promptly. British rock band Oasis acknowledged this drawback, mentioning that “when unprecedented ticket demand is combined with technology that cannot cope with that demand, … it can lead to an unacceptable experience for fans.”
Ticketmaster and different platforms beneath fireplace
In an e-mail to Yahoo News Canada, a Ticketmaster spokesperson clarified that the platform “does not set ticket prices.” Instead, they mentioned that pricing is decided by the artists or sports activities groups, with Ticketmaster performing as a distribution channel, offering expertise for presales and basic gross sales.
However, critics argue that Ticketmaster’s dominance creates a scarcity of competitors within the reside live performance trade.
The U.S. Department of Justice, together with 30 state and district attorneys basic, have accused the platform of “unlawfully exercising its monopoly,” leading to U.S. followers paying larger costs and being caught with outdated ticketing expertise.
Ticketmaster argues that the lawsuit is unlikely to solve fans’ concerns. Live Nation, its mother or father firm, pointed to a 1.4 per cent annual internet revenue as proof that it doesn’t wield monopoly energy. The firm additionally said that competitors in reside occasions has grown since 2010, leading to a decline in Ticketmaster’s market share.
How do costs get so excessive?
Outside of the dynamic pricing technique, occasion organizers oftentimes host what’s referred to as a “presale” separate from the overall sale. The distinction lies between who has entry to purchase tickets and after they should purchase them.
Ticketmaster explains that, “some tickets are made available to a certain group of fans before the general public, usually to recognize those in fan clubs and customer loyalty programs.”
If you’re not in a type of teams, you’ll possible find yourself within the basic sale, the place you would possibly face lengthy queues, with ticket costs typically skyrocketing — both on account of resellers on different websites or Ticketmaster’s dynamic pricing mannequin.
Prices for present tickets skyrocket since COVID-19 pandemic
As live performance venues refill once more with COVID-19 capability restrictions fully lifted, many followers are noticing a major distinction in ticket costs in comparison with pre-2020 ranges.
And in response to researchers at Pollstar, it’s not simply anecdotal. Concert ticket prices have steadily increased because the pandemic. In 2024 to this point, the typical ticket value reached a file excessive of $127.38 USD, in comparison with $116.41 in 2023 and $105.55 in 2022. In distinction, the typical ticket value in 2019 was $92.42.
The evaluation, which seemed on the prime 100 worldwide excursions of the primary half of 2024, highlighted artists like Bruno Mars, Madonna, Nicki Minaj, Bad Bunny, and U2, whose tickets have been the priciest, averaging $352.86 every.
Concert tickets for U2, Drake amongst priciest on the planet
These rising costs aren’t simply restricted to international acts.
A study by JeffBet analyzed Pollstar and Setlist.fm information over the previous 4 years and located that Canadian celebrity, Drake, has his followers paying among the highest ticket costs this decade.
The research was centered across the “most expensive musical acts of this decade.” Researchers situated that the bizarre ticket price for a Drake present as a result of 2019 is $239, 2nd simply to U2’s $272.
Over the years, the rap artist has really carried out all through North America, consisting of in his dwelling city of Toronto, the place his yearly OVO Festival has really likewise encountered criticism from fans for being overpriced.
In 2022, many followers have been in uproar when tickets turned obtainable on the Budweiser stage solely to search out out that garden entry, the place followers stand within the grassy space in the back of the outside venue, would price over $750.
For most followers nowadays, shopping for a ticket at face worth could be a headache all in itself — typically a warzone.
