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CBS report on ticket price increases, Ticketmaster/LiveNation monopoly, and scalpers
Posted on 4/6/25 at 4:56 pm
Posted on 4/6/25 at 4:56 pm
Interesting half-hour report on the state of the current ticket industry.
Some bullet points for those unable to watch:
* The rock band Something Corporate played a show in Los Angeles with tickets set by the band at $56. Out of the $200,000 in ticket sales, 50% goes to the venue, the band's management takes a quarter, travel/crew cost takes another quarter, they get none of the fees. The band makes about $10 per ticket, split 5 ways among the members.
* Ticket fees were introduced in the 1980s by the CEO of Ticketmaster after artists started asking for a bigger cut of the show's revenue. Because TM let the venues keep most of the fees, most of the big venues signed on with TM so they won exclusive control of all tickets.
* Since TM merged with LiveNation in 2010, some venues are complaining that TM is more concerned with helping LiveNation than any other venues. "We can't compete," said the Executive Director of the National Independent Venue Association. He says LiveNation uses its power across the industry to "strangle the competition." Basically making it so artists have to play all their shows at LiveNation venues.
* Anti-trust lawyer for TM/LN says any lawsuit against them is "performative" and will have no effect on ticket prices. Says people are jealous and scared of them, and that TM/LN is "100% for the artists and fans."
* Scalping company called "Elite" is starting to franchise their business to other scalpers. One broker made $34,000 in one month from scalping tickets online. Another broker got 4 tickets to a Taylor Swift show in Miami and made $10,000 off of them. "The market is the market, the prices are the prices."
* Scalpers sign up for artist and venue presales, get the codes, and get as many tickets as they can before they go on sale to the general public.
* Elite has a web plug-in that shows how many seats are available in each section to determine how many to buy. PrimoBrowser is their plug-in of choice, $250/month, which helps mask IPs and log in to many TM accounts to avoid caps on how many tickets they can buy. PrimoBrowser is only available to ticket brokers.
* President Trump has demanded the FTC to start enforcing the "bots act", which has only been enforced once since it was established.
* TM claims it "regularly" defends itself against millions and millions of bots and believes 99.9% of their tickets go to fans.
* StubHub CFO says StubHub has "democratized" the secondary ticket buying process and made it more efficient. They have partnered with brokers like Elite and charge them low fees to list.
* StubHub has offered artists the chance to get in on the money if StubHub is allowed to become a ticket partner with the artist.
* TM says they support any legislation to curtail scalping, saying it's "not beneficial" to anyone, and "a ripoff."
Anyway, pretty interesting video overall. Especially for those of us who have been fighting with TM for years.
Some bullet points for those unable to watch:
* The rock band Something Corporate played a show in Los Angeles with tickets set by the band at $56. Out of the $200,000 in ticket sales, 50% goes to the venue, the band's management takes a quarter, travel/crew cost takes another quarter, they get none of the fees. The band makes about $10 per ticket, split 5 ways among the members.
* Ticket fees were introduced in the 1980s by the CEO of Ticketmaster after artists started asking for a bigger cut of the show's revenue. Because TM let the venues keep most of the fees, most of the big venues signed on with TM so they won exclusive control of all tickets.
* Since TM merged with LiveNation in 2010, some venues are complaining that TM is more concerned with helping LiveNation than any other venues. "We can't compete," said the Executive Director of the National Independent Venue Association. He says LiveNation uses its power across the industry to "strangle the competition." Basically making it so artists have to play all their shows at LiveNation venues.
* Anti-trust lawyer for TM/LN says any lawsuit against them is "performative" and will have no effect on ticket prices. Says people are jealous and scared of them, and that TM/LN is "100% for the artists and fans."
* Scalping company called "Elite" is starting to franchise their business to other scalpers. One broker made $34,000 in one month from scalping tickets online. Another broker got 4 tickets to a Taylor Swift show in Miami and made $10,000 off of them. "The market is the market, the prices are the prices."
* Scalpers sign up for artist and venue presales, get the codes, and get as many tickets as they can before they go on sale to the general public.
* Elite has a web plug-in that shows how many seats are available in each section to determine how many to buy. PrimoBrowser is their plug-in of choice, $250/month, which helps mask IPs and log in to many TM accounts to avoid caps on how many tickets they can buy. PrimoBrowser is only available to ticket brokers.
* President Trump has demanded the FTC to start enforcing the "bots act", which has only been enforced once since it was established.
* TM claims it "regularly" defends itself against millions and millions of bots and believes 99.9% of their tickets go to fans.
* StubHub CFO says StubHub has "democratized" the secondary ticket buying process and made it more efficient. They have partnered with brokers like Elite and charge them low fees to list.
* StubHub has offered artists the chance to get in on the money if StubHub is allowed to become a ticket partner with the artist.
* TM says they support any legislation to curtail scalping, saying it's "not beneficial" to anyone, and "a ripoff."
Anyway, pretty interesting video overall. Especially for those of us who have been fighting with TM for years.
20
Posted on 4/6/25 at 5:00 pm to Kinderman
Ticket prices, and then the fricking fees. Gotta love buying two $50 tickets and when you check out the total is like $185.
Didn’t they sign some legislation to prevent that recently?
Didn’t they sign some legislation to prevent that recently?
Posted on 4/6/25 at 5:09 pm to CocomoLSU
quote:I don't know but it is definitely out of control. I have purchased several away baseball tickets recently on the secondary market and the hidden fees are ridiculous.
Ticket prices, and then the fricking fees. Gotta love buying two $50 tickets and when you check out the total is like $185.
Didn’t they sign some legislation to prevent that recently?
Posted on 4/6/25 at 5:11 pm to Kinderman
Drop the predatory fees, and raise the price of the tickets from primary sellers. Given the prices commanded on the secondary market, ticket prices clearly aren't high enough to begin with.
Posted on 4/6/25 at 5:11 pm to Classy Doge
I sincerely hate that shite.
Posted on 4/6/25 at 5:11 pm to Kinderman
quote:that’s over $7000 for one nights work. I’d take that.
The rock band Something Corporate played a show in Los Angeles with tickets set by the band at $56. Out of the $200,000 in ticket sales, 50% goes to the venue, the band's management takes a quarter, travel/crew cost takes another quarter, they get none of the fees. The band makes about $10 per ticket, split 5 ways among the members.
I agree with the premise of the article but I don’t necessarily feel bad for the band like this is trying to make me feel.
This post was edited on 4/6/25 at 5:13 pm
Posted on 4/6/25 at 5:12 pm to Kinderman
People going to live concerts are getting raped with no happy ending by all involved.
This post was edited on 4/6/25 at 6:13 pm
Posted on 4/6/25 at 5:18 pm to Pedro
quote:
I agree with the premise of the article but I don’t necessarily feel bad for the band like this is trying to make me feel.
When you realise that most artists make very little off of actual music sales and the overwhelming majority of their income from touring and ticket sales, you should at least have some empathy for them. Streaming music, and the minuscule revue drawn from it, has completely changed the music business for most acts.
Posted on 4/6/25 at 5:19 pm to Kinderman
As long as people buy the tickets, prices will continue to go up.
People complain very loudly about the high prices and feel getting ripped off, but continue to pay it.
"OMG THIS IS OUTRAGEOUS" as they hit the purchase button.
They really don't care if you're "outraged" they only care you hit the purchase button.
The only thing that will make prices come down are empty seats.
People complain very loudly about the high prices and feel getting ripped off, but continue to pay it.
"OMG THIS IS OUTRAGEOUS" as they hit the purchase button.
They really don't care if you're "outraged" they only care you hit the purchase button.
The only thing that will make prices come down are empty seats.
Posted on 4/6/25 at 5:23 pm to StansberryRules
You're 100% right.
Dammit.
Dammit.
Posted on 4/6/25 at 5:26 pm to Kinderman
In Europe, you have to join a football (soccer) club in order to get tickets. They ask for IDs, docs, etc
That way, they avoid scalpers.
Venues, imo, should do the same, as well as American and university athletics.
That way, they avoid scalpers.
Venues, imo, should do the same, as well as American and university athletics.
Posted on 4/6/25 at 5:32 pm to StansberryRules
quote:
The only thing that will make prices come down are empty seats.
Ticket prices in general aren't super expensive. I'd pay $150 to go see someone I really liked. For instance, Luke Bryan is coming to Lafayette. Presale (Citibank) tickets for the floor was $132 a piece. I'm not mad at that. The fees and taxes involved brought the total to $423....for $264 tickets. However, this was the Wednesday prior to public sale and there were resale seats already for sale. Same section.
Now, i have gotten multiple emails from TM to get back with them if I want to resale them. TM hits the resale with fees too is my guess. So, they get to double dip. That's some shite.
Posted on 4/6/25 at 5:32 pm to LegendInMyMind
I have zero empathy for Something Corporate if they are pulling in 7 grand a night on tour
I do have empathy for someone having to pay 60 bucks to see Something Corporate
I do have empathy for someone having to pay 60 bucks to see Something Corporate
Posted on 4/6/25 at 5:39 pm to Kinderman
As long as dumbasses keep paying it, nothing will change. Same goes for 90k trucks.
Posted on 4/6/25 at 5:49 pm to Kinderman
TMLN WANTS tickets to be scalped and resold as many times as possible. They make a percentage off of each transaction on the secondary market.
They see infinite upside. The artist only sees the initial transaction.
They see infinite upside. The artist only sees the initial transaction.
This post was edited on 4/6/25 at 5:50 pm
Posted on 4/6/25 at 5:50 pm to MyRockstarComplex
quote:
TMLN WANTS tickets to be scalped and resold as many times as possible. They make a percentage off of each transaction on the secondary market.
If they gave a shite, they would charge massive fees for resale tickets. But they don't, so they won't.
Posted on 4/6/25 at 5:55 pm to CocomoLSU
quote:
Ticket prices, and then the fricking fees. Gotta love buying two $50 tickets and when you check out the total is like $185.
This sucks. The fact that they don't put the exact cost of the tickets upfront is bullshite. It shows $50, but you are really paying $92.50 a ticket. While you know you have to pay fees, it still feels like they are stealing from you just because the fees are hidden from the advertised price of the ticket.
Posted on 4/6/25 at 6:00 pm to OweO
On Stubhub and Seat Geak you just click the button to show price with fees included.
Posted on 4/6/25 at 6:05 pm to Kinderman
I remember when that dude Anthony Oliver started playing at festivals, etc and he saying he never wanted people to pay more than $60 to see him but said that even $60 was too much and he would always try to get ticket prices as cheap as possible.
He was scheduled to perform at some event and they were selling his tickets for $100. When he found out he was pissed and pulled out and then said he would refund everyone who paid that much for their tickets.
People shouldn't have to pay an arm and a leg to go out and enjoy themselves.
He was scheduled to perform at some event and they were selling his tickets for $100. When he found out he was pissed and pulled out and then said he would refund everyone who paid that much for their tickets.
People shouldn't have to pay an arm and a leg to go out and enjoy themselves.
Posted on 4/6/25 at 6:06 pm to CocomoLSU
Ticketmaster is horrible.
Example: Buying a ticket through Ticketmaster for something as simple as a Cajuns football game.
Admission itself can be as cheap as $15, but after all the Ticketmaster shite fees, you're looking at $30. Now folks may say to buy tickets directly with the school, and I agree. But not everyone knows that. So they get sticker shock and never attend again.
Example: Buying a ticket through Ticketmaster for something as simple as a Cajuns football game.
Admission itself can be as cheap as $15, but after all the Ticketmaster shite fees, you're looking at $30. Now folks may say to buy tickets directly with the school, and I agree. But not everyone knows that. So they get sticker shock and never attend again.
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