Ticketing Tactics: Examining Ticketmaster's Market Power and Role in the Future of Live Entertainment

Abstract

Live music performances such as concerts, tours, festivals, etc. have always been a major contributor towards the profits of artists, venues and staff, managers and promoters, and other related organizations. A major profit sector for the live music industry are ticket distribution organizations. One of these ticketing organizations, Ticketmaster, has established itself as the top ticketing service in the live music industry over the course of the past four decades. However, the company has engaged in problematic conduct throughout that time that has affected the careers of artists and workers within the live music industry, as well as limited customer's access to live music events and ticket purchasing. Ticketmaster has faced repeated challenges from the private and public sphere in response to a range of issues resulting from unfair and unethical business practices. Despite these challenges, the courts have not been effective in determining or enforcing actions to improve more inclusive customer access to and satisfaction with live concerts in the U.S. Due to this continuous use of unfair/unethical business practices by Ticketmaster and its partner company Live Nation, steps must be taken towards limiting the monopolistic powers of Live Nation-Ticketmaster and ultimately eliminating these tactics from the live music and ticketing industries.