Schakowsky, Bipartisan E&C Leaders Voice Concern Over Ticketmaster's Handling of Ticket Sales for Taylor Swift's Upcoming Tour
WASHINGTON - A bipartisan group of Energy and Commerce Committee leaders – including Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky, a Senior Chief Deputy Whip and Chair of the Consumer Protection and Commerce Subcommittee of the Energy and Commerce Committee – wrote to the CEO of Ticketmaster’s parent company Live Nation Entertainment, Inc. raising concerns about potentially unfair or deceptive practices in the live ticketing industry and the chaotic ticket pre-sale for Taylor Swift’s upcoming concert tour. The Committee leaders requested a staff briefing from the company on the key areas of concern.
“The Energy and Commerce Committee has previously raised concerns about business practices in the live ticketing industry,” wrote the lawmakers. “The recent pre-sale ticketing process for Taylor Swift’s upcoming Eras tour – in which millions of fans endured delays, lockouts, and competition with aggressive scammers, scalpers, and bots – raises concerns over the potential unfair and deceptive practices that face consumers and eventgoers.”
In addition to Schakowsky, the letter was signed by U.S. Reps. Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-NJ), Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA), Diana DeGette (D-CO), Morgan Griffith (R-VA), and Gus Bilirakis (R-FL).
In 2019, the Energy and Commerce Committee launched a bipartisan investigation into allegations of unfair and deceptive practices in the live event ticketing industry. In February 2020, the Committee held a hearing with industry leaders including then Ticketmaster North America President Amy Howe, where she testified, “[Ticketmaster] is thoroughly committed to business practices that promote transparency, deter deceptive practices, and provide customers with the ability to enjoy a concert, show, or game.”
The Committee leaders noted that the circumstances surrounding ticket sales for Swift’s upcoming tour as well as other recent major tour ticket sales cast serious doubt on those commitments.
“To better understand the obstacles consumers have recently faced and to hear an update on actions the company has taken to maximize the experiences of average consumers, we request a committee staff briefing with your company,” concluded the lawmakers. “This should include a discussion on additional fees, insider reserves, dynamic pricing, restrictions on transferability, limited ticket availability, speculative ticketing, verified fan program requirements, and scalping by bots and other scammers.”
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