Today Massachusetts signed their Mass Leads act. The bill focuses on economic development but one provision is being criticized for what has been claimed to allegedly strengthen Ticketmaster’s impact on the live entertainment ticketing space.
The provision allows ticket sellers to prohibit the transferring or reselling of tickets. Opponents are criticizing the bill for undercutting the competition between ticket sites while allegedly raising prices for fans, according to Stereogum.
Additionally, ticket sellers are now able to impose restrictions that require any resale or transfer of tickets to occur solely on the platform where the tickets were bought, which critics allege subsequently limit resale options for buyers and allow these platforms to retain control over the resale process. For example, Ticketmaster now has the option to require buyers to resell their tickets exclusively through its platform.
“Massachusetts joined the federal antitrust suit against Live Nation — but now it’s opening the door for Live Nation to strengthen its monopoly by cutting off the transfer of tickets,” Chamber Of Progress Senior Director Of Technology Policy Todd O’Boyle claimed via Stereogum. “Bay Staters are some of the most dedicated sports fans, but this will make it harder for families to support the Red Sox at Fenway. When the General Court reconvenes in 2025, they should fix this anti-fan mistake.”
Leave a Comment