Share
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...
|
Senators are expected to grill Ticketmaster Tuesday, questioning whether the company’s dominance in the ticketing industry led to its spectacular breakdown last year during a sale of Taylor Swift concert tickets.
U.S. Sen. Amy Klobuchar, a Minnesota Democrat, said the Senate Judiciary Committee hearing will focus on consolidation in the live entertainment and ticketing industries and how it harms customers.
“For too long, consumers have faced high fees, long waits and website failures, and Ticketmaster’s dominant market position means the company faces inadequate pressure to innovate and improve,” Klobuchar said in a statement ahead of the hearing.
Ticketmaster is the world’s largest ticket seller, processing 500 million tickets each year in more than 30 countries. Around 70% of tickets for major concert venues in the U.S. are sold through Ticketmaster, according to data in a federal lawsuit filed by consumers last year.
In 2010, Ticketmaster merged with Live Nation, a Beverly Hills, California-based entertainment company that produces live shows, festivals and concert tours. Live Nation’s President and Chief Financial Officer Joe Berchtold is among those scheduled to testify Tuesday.
In mid-November, Ticketmaster’s site crashed during a presale event for Swift’s upcoming stadium tour. The company said its site was overwhelmed by both fans and bot attacks. Many people lost tickets after they had waited for hours in an online queue.
Ticketmaster required fans to register for the presale, and more than 3.5 million people did. The company said it was the largest registration in history.
Ticketmaster eventually canceled a planned ticket sales to the general public because it didn’t have enough inventory.
RELATED TOPICS:
Fresno Man Sentenced to Nearly 6 Years for $4.2 Million Tech Startup Fraud
8 hours ago
Bryan Kohberger Pleads Guilty in Murders of Four Idaho Students, ABC News Reports
8 hours ago
Fresno County CHP Arrest Two in Interstate 5 Drug, Gun, and Counterfeit Money Bust
9 hours ago
Where Trade Talks Stand With Major US Partners Ahead of Tariffs-Hike Deadline
9 hours ago
DOJ Announces Arrest, Indictments in North Korean IT Worker Scheme
9 hours ago
Fresno Man Arrested in Clovis for Sex-Related Crimes Against Minor
9 hours ago
Clovis Police Seek Public’s Help in Finding Missing 82-Year-Old Woman
7 hours ago
Categories

Clovis Police Seek Public’s Help in Finding Missing 82-Year-Old Woman

Fresno Woman Killed in Head-On Collision, CHP Investigating

Musk Vows to Punish Lawmakers Who Back Trump’s Spending Bill

Fresno Man Sentenced to Nearly 6 Years for $4.2 Million Tech Startup Fraud

Bryan Kohberger Pleads Guilty in Murders of Four Idaho Students, ABC News Reports
