—ivanna⁷ (@inlovejhs) October 9, 2021
BTS fans' awful ticketing experience is one of many
Earlier this year, fans of Lorde criticized Ticketmaster's endless queues and website crashes as they tried to secure tickets to the singer's "Solar Power" tour. This month, fans of Adele complained about Ticketmaster's "Verified Fan" presale system and outrageous resale prices, while Olivia Rodrigo fans were outraged by multiple technical difficulties.
When tickets went on sale for the US leg of Harry Styles' "Love on Tour," which was postponed from 2020 to 2021 because of COVID-19, fans on Twitter were especially vocal about Official Platinum Seats, which Ticketmaster's website says are tickets sold at flexible prices by event organizers to enable "market-based pricing."
Fans like me, see them as an excuse to hike up prices.
—Sandra Donda (@Sandra_Donda) November 5, 2021
"Ticketmaster can only get away with such exorbitant 'scalping' behavior because it has a 70% market share and no meaningful competition," Mark Perry, an economist and professor at the University of Michigan, told me.
In a recent op-ed for The Hill, Perry wrote that Ticketmaster could also hold back tickets to create a false sense of scarcity. The method leaves consumers in the dark about the true supply of tickets and whether more tickets will be released later, causing a purchasing frenzy. This, I believe, is what BTS fans experienced.
With the resurgence of live events, economists and lawmakers are calling on the government to address Ticketmaster's monopoly on the live-entertainment market
In 1994, the band Pearl Jam tried to retaliate against the company in hopes of keeping ticket prices low and looking out for fans. The Department of Justice investigated Pearl Jam's allegations, but the band ultimately lost, with the DOJ concluding Ticketmaster didn't breach antitrust laws.
When it came time for Pearl Jam's next tour, they were forced to use Ticketmaster just like everyone else.
"This was a battle in which not even the biggest band in the world had a chance," The Independent's Ed Power wrote in 2019.
But times are changing. In April, five members of Congress signed a letter to Attorney General Merrick Garland and acting Federal Trade Commission Chair Rebecca Slaughter urging strong antitrust-regulation enforcement against Live Nation Entertainment "to protect consumers' future access to live events."
Two years ago, Rep. Bill Pascrell reintroduced the Better Oversight of Secondary Sales and Accountability in Concert Ticketing (BOSS) Act to Congress, which would further regulate the live-event-ticketing industry by requiring transparency about the volume and pricing of tickets.
"The BOSS Act is the best way to restore a pro-consumer ticket market by challenging Ticketmaster's anticompetitive monopoly position," Perry said, adding that the bill was being reconsidered in Congress.
If passed, it would also mean some relief for people like me. It would not only take away some of the stress and pressure associated with ticket purchases but also create a more equitable system for all music fans.
Editor's note: Ticketmaster did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment.
