You should realize that venues and artists are equally beneficiaries of what Ticketmaster enables. In a sense they enjoy having Ticketmaster be the hated scapegoat for high prices that they then also enjoy the benefits of.
Without Ticketmaster who knows how much less tickets would sell for. And venues get paid a cut by Ticketmaster. Artists get paid a cut by Ticketmaster. Sometimes those parties are glad for that value extraction from the concertgoer to be done on their behalf, and to be blamed on an entity that diverts attention from the fact that they want more $ too.
Ticketmaster did not just emerge to prey on an unwilling helpless industry. They occupy a niche that is part of a semi willing ecosystem.
I’ve watched the rise, domination and effects first hand as to what live nation has done. Hell, I’ve lived it! It’s an utter disaster hell scape. Only lessoned because its “entertainment.” Regardless if it was a more strategically important industry it would have already been broken up standard oil style.
Once upon a time payolla was a crime. Live nation is worse than payolla ever was and I don’t say that lightly. At least with payolla it was a simple quid pro quo pay to play. Live nation has the radio stations, it has the venues, it has the ticketing, it has the booking agents, it has the labels, it has the artists, and it has the vast majority of the personal. When theyre in a city they region lock it , which is to say if you’re not live nation you’re priced out or just playing black listed. Think the opposite of net-neutrality only physical and literally every facet of the industry up and down.
The ticket prices may be what triggered the doj because it effects the public, behind the scenes its even worse.
"Ticketmaster is such a terrible company!" he says as he buys more concert tickets from them.
So, why bring it now?
This will not prevent any future execs from aggressively building another such monopoly, causing years of financial and other harm.
They still walk away with their bags of cash. Their names won't even be tarnished so they can go right back to doing the same thing.
They really pushed it head & shoulders above the rest, regardless of how much alternative orgs have aspired to this type of pursuit.
It couldn't happen to a more deserving bastion of the music industry !
One can only hope they promptly receive their just rewards for everything they have done, and then some, as a shining example to others who might aspire to such a level of accomplishment.
For security reasons the ticket format should probably be the venue's choice, the bulk/block rate would probably include a specific time window for the bulk buyer to have their bonded agent print off the tickets on the venue's hardware.
https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/pearl-jam-taki... (1995)
Justice Department to file antitrust suit against Live Nation - https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=40047094 - April 2024 (378 comments)
I know that Ticketmaster's role is to play the bad guys and most artists are in on the scam because they get some of the "fees" without the blame. But this is ridiculous. I found some old tickets that I saved as mementos and some were as low as $20. I saw someone posted pics from a show in the 80s that was $5. This is just absurd.
Take them down. As one of my favorite bands would say (Floyd) "cut them into little pieces."
Won't break up Google, telecoms, banks ,agriciltural behemoths, and a myriad of other monster corporates that control prices.
Color me not surprised.
If Ticketmaster is the original seller, you do have to go through them to transfer the digital ticket but many venues still have physical ticket options.