Is Live Music Broken: It's Not Just Ticketmaster; It's Everything.
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Is Live Music Broken: It's Not Just Ticketmaster; It's Everything.

The nightmarish experience Taylor Swift fans went through earlier this year has sparked debate over monopolies and how tickets are sold. But it’s more than just Swift’s upcoming tour — the entire concert industry is facing unprecedented challenges.

Nate Rogers
The Ringer, 2022
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In the 1970s, Ticketmaster computerized its operations to gain first-mover benefits and market share. Since then, following its growth strategy, Ticketmaster has bought up its rivals in its effort to control the live-event industry from venues to promotions to tickets. Writing for The Ringer, arts and entertainment journalist Nate Rogers lays out the perils artists face in a one-corporation market and probes potential fixes to keep live music vital. Ticketmaster/Live Nation’s near monopoly of live events helps superstars succeed, but, Rogers reports, other artists can’t make a living. Anti-trust experts worry about similar consolidation in other sectors.

Summary

By the mid-1990s, online ticket seller Ticketmaster controlled 90% of live event ticketing. Its control of the market has expanded

In 1994, the rock band Pearl Jam filed an antitrust complaint against Ticketmaster in an attempt to cap the additional fees the seller added to event prices. Fees then typically ranged from $4 to $8 for each ticket sold. Pearl Jam wanted to cap those fees at $1.80. The band testified before Congress about Ticketmaster’s unfair business practices and, for a brief moment, the Department of Justice considered acting against Ticketmaster’s apparently monopolistic behavior. Nothing came of that moment. Pearl Jam tried to tour without Ticketmaster, but eventually had to deal with the company. Ticketmaster’s exclusive deals with concert venues prevented the band from booking a tour without it.

Ticketmaster acquired its direct competitor Ticketron in 1991. In 2010, it merged with Live Nation, a company that owned and operated event venues across the United States. The US Department of Justice approved the merger, even though experts said the resulting company resembled a vertical monopoly. Ticketmaster/Live Nation controlled the live-event market...

About the Author

Nate Rogers is a freelance journalist covering arts and entertainment.

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