Ticketmaster agrees to give better price information after Oasis ticket complaints

Following complaints about the ticketing scheme used for Oasis' reunion tour last year, Ticketmaster will be required to provide music fans with more advance information about ticket prices. The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) announced that the company has committed to notifying customers at least 24 hours in advance if a tiered pricing scheme is being used—as was the case for the Oasis tickets—and that ticket prices will be published in advance. This follows a CMA statement that Ticketmaster "may have deceived Oasis fans" with inconsistent pricing last year. Platinum tickets were sold for almost two and a half times the price of standard tickets, but Ticketmaster did not inform customers that these tickets came with no additional benefits.

As a result of the CMA's investigation, Ticketmaster will also have to provide more details about online queues, reassuring fans about what they might have to pay. It must also use precise labeling to ensure that the website does not create the impression that one ticket is better than another when that is not the case. In addition, the company will have to report regularly to the CMA over the next two years to ensure it is adhering to the new regulations.

"Fans who spend their hard-earned money to see artists they love deserve to get clear, accurate information right away," said CMA chief executive Sarah Cardell. "We would not hesitate to take further action if Ticketmaster doesn't comply with these updates." The CMA also noted that it had not made any formal findings regarding whether consumer law was violated.

A spokesperson for Ticketmaster said in a tweet: "We welcome the CMA's announcement that there were no dynamic pricing, no unfair discrimination, and that we did not breach consumer legislation. We've intentionally committed to clearer communication regarding ticket prices in queues to help the customer experience. This builds on our capped resale, strong bot security, and concise pricing information – and we recommend that the CMA hold the entire industry to these same requirements."

'No Dynamic Pricing'

Last year, Oasis' highly anticipated reunion tour descended into chaos, with many fans finding tickets hundreds of pounds more expensive than they had expected. Many expressed their displeasure and there were rumors that Ticketmaster had used "dynamic pricing"—where ticket prices increase and fall according to demand—which prompted the CMA to open an investigation.

However, the CMA said it had "no evidence" that such an algorithmic pricing method had been used to adjust the price of Oasis tickets in real time. The confusion appears to have arisen because identical or similar tickets were sold for widely different rates, a phenomenon known as tiered pricing. Although these prices were set in advance, the cheaper tickets sold out first, leaving only the more expensive ones, which created the impression that prices were being hiked due to demand. Even Oasis seemed to believe that dynamic pricing had been used, issuing a statement that they had not agreed to the procedure in advance.

However, the head of Ticketmaster UK, Andrew Parsons, told MPs that prices "did not rise during the on-sale period. There's no technology-driven change to those rates. They are the rates that humans have agreed to. There isn't a PC or a bot behind it."

Fans 'Feel Let Down'

The consumer magazine Which? welcomed the CMA's pressure on Ticketmaster to make its pricing more transparent but argued that the agreement was not comprehensive. "While it's positive that Ticketmaster has agreed to follow the rules going forward, it's sad that the CMA isn't using its authority to request refunds for fans," said Lisa Webb, a consumer law specialist for the magazine. "Those who were furious at buying Oasis tickets last year will undoubtedly be shocked that Ticketmaster hasn't been held accountable for its past behavior."

The CMA has been given greater authority since the incident. "It must demonstrate that it is able to use them to create a useful deterrent for consumer abuses," Webb added.

The CMA's action comes as Ticketmaster and its parent company, Live Nation, face a lawsuit in the United States over allegations that they encouraged brokers to buy up millions of dollars worth of tickets and resell them at inflated rates. The lawsuit, brought by the Federal Trade Commission and seven US states in California, alleges that Ticketmaster engaged in "deceptive" practices, including advertising lower prices that were actually unattainable. The complaint also alleges that during Beyoncé's 2023 Renaissance tour, a broker was able to purchase more than 9,000 tickets for a single concert. The lawsuit claims that Ticketmaster could then charge additional fees if any of those tickets were resold at a higher price. Ticketmaster and Live Nation have yet to respond.

Meanwhile, Live Nation CEO Michael Rapino has said that concert tickets are underpriced. Comparing rock and pop shows to sporting events last week, he told Rolling Stone: "I joke it's like a badge of honour to spend $70,000 for a Knicks courtside [seat]. They beat me up if we charge $800 for Beyoncé."

According to statistics from the live industry trade journal Pollstar, the average global ticket price for a concert increased by 2.3% last year, surpassing a record high of $130.81 (£104.36). However, Rapino said there was "a lot of runway left" in terms of price increases. "If you read about ticket prices increasing, the average concert price is still $72.50. For that, try going to a Laker game, and there are 80 of them. The concert is underpriced and has been for a long time."

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