More than 280 musicians, including Billie Eilish, Lorde, and Green Day, have signed an open letter calling for the implementation of the Fans First Act. The letter aims to protect gig-goers from ticket scams and people reselling tickets at unfair prices. The Fans First Act was introduced by a bipartisan group of senators last year and was referred to the committee, which would need to approve it so that it can be voted on. It focuses on three priorities: ticket sales transparency, consumer protection, and stopping bad actors.
If the Fans First Act is passed into law, it would require live event ticket sellers and resellers to share more information about ticket costs and seat location, refund customers the full ticket price when events are canceled and create a reporting website for fans to file complaints. Additionally, it details penalties and enforcements for ticket retailers who don’t comply. The letter reads: “We are joining together to say that the current system is broken: predatory resellers and secondary platforms engage in deceptive ticketing practices to inflate ticket prices and deprive fans of the chance to see their favorite artists at a fair price.”
The letter was put together by Fix the Tix, a coalition of over two dozen live event industry organizations led by the National Independent Venue Association (NIVA). Signees also include Fall Out Boy, Duran Duran, Finneas, Graham Nash, Nile Rodgers, Chappell Roan, Cyndi Lauper, and Sia. In conclusion, they said: “Predatory resellers should not be more profitable than the people dedicating their lives to their art.”
Live Nation, which is the parent company of Ticketmaster, is expected to face an antitrust lawsuit from the US Justice Department next month. The suit is reportedly set to allege that the company’s concert promotion and ticketing operations have undermined competition in the live music industry. It’s worth noting that Live Nation has controlled more than 80% of the market for ticket sales in the US since the 2010 merger with Ticketmaster. Live Nation’s head of corporate affairs, Dan Wall, argued that the company in fact has more competition than ever.
In late 2022, Ticketmaster faced controversy surrounding the ticket sales for Taylor Swift’s ‘Eras Tour’. As a result, US lawmakers called for an investigation into the company. Some fans of Swift later filed a class-action lawsuit against Ticketmaster, with plaintiffs accusing the company of violating two laws. The case was eventually dropped, with both sides “agreeing to continue their ongoing settlement discussions through mediation.
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