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☆ Live Nation exec will face lawmakers about Taylor Swift concert tickets fiasco
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-24 | by ( Parija Kavilanz | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

“It goes without saying that I’m extremely protective of my fans,” Swift wrote on Instagram in November. The mergerCriticism of Ticketmaster’s dominance dates back decades, but the Swift ticketing incident has once again turned that issue into a dinner table discussion at many households. Concert promoter Live Nation and ticketing company Ticketmaster, two of the largest companies in the concert business, announced their merger in 2009. ‘Customers are the ones that pay the price’While irate fans were left scrambling to wade through the Swift ticket confusion, their collective anger caught lawmakers’ attention. To me, what happened with the Swift concert tickets was not necessarily the result of Ticketmaster being the dominant player in the industry,” he said.

☆ Ticketmaster under fire: 6 takeaways from hearing over Taylor Swift concert fiasco
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-24 | by ( Samantha Murphy Kelly | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

The venues controlled by Live Nation set fees that are “consistent with the other venues in the marketplace,” he said. Entertainment industry pushes back at Ticketmaster’s dominanceMembers of the entertainment industry and one rival spoke out against Ticketmaster’s dominance in the industry. Andrew Harnik/APClyde Lawrence, a singer-songwriter on the witness panel, explained how the company acts as a promoter, a venue and the ticketing company, which eats into performing artists’ revenues. Artists, he said, have no leverage over Live Nation. Lawmaker says Ticketmaster merger should ‘be on the table’Lawmakers repeatedly questioned the US government’s past handling of the Live Nation merger with Ticketmaster.

☆ Live Nation CFO to testify in Senate after Taylor Swift ticketing woes
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-23 | by ( David Shepardson | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

FILE PHOTO: The logo for Live Nation Entertainment is displayed on a screen on the floor at the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) in New York, U.S., May 3, 2019. REUTERS/Brendan McDermidWASHINGTON (Reuters) -Live Nation Entertainment President and Chief Financial Officer Joe Berchtold will testify at a U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on Tuesday after its Ticketmaster’s unit had problems managing the sale of Taylor Swift concert tickets, the committee said. Live Nation did not immediately comment. “As Live Nation leverages its power across the concert ecosystem to increase its profits, concertgoers see higher prices, and artists experience challenging touring dynamics,” Lawrence wrote in a New York Times essay last month. In November, Ticketmaster denied any anti-competitive practices and noted it remained under a consent decree with the Justice Department following its 2010 merger with Live Nation.

☆ Live Nation CFO defends Ticketmaster, blames bots for Taylor Swift debacle
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-23 | by ( David Shepardson | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

FILE PHOTO: The logo for Live Nation Entertainment is displayed on a screen on the floor at the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) in New York, U.S., May 3, 2019. Ticketmaster has come under harsh criticism from fans and lawmakers, accusing it of having too much control over the market for concert tickets. Berchtold’s testimony said Live Nation has invested over $1 billion over the years to improve Ticketmaster. “Whether it meets the legal definition of a monopoly or not, Live Nation’s control of the live music ecosystem is staggering.”Ticketmaster has denied any anti-competitive practices and remains under a consent decree with the Justice Department following its 2010 merger with Live Nation. Live Nation included letters of support with its testimony including one from singer Garth Brooks who asked” My question is, as a country, why don’t we just make scalping illegal?

WASHINGTON, Jan 17 (Reuters) - A U.S. Senate committee will hold a hearing on Jan. 24 on the lack of competition in the ticketing industry after Ticketmaster's problems managing the sale of Taylor Swift concert tickets. The Senate Judiciary Committee hearing is titled "That’s The Ticket: Promoting Competition and Protecting Consumers in Live Entertainment." "We will examine how consolidation in the live entertainment and ticketing industries harms customers and artists alike." Consent decrees are often used to prohibit potentially anticompetitive practices or impose other requirements as a condition of merger approvals. A previous Ticketmaster dispute with the Justice Department culminated in a December 2019 settlement extending the consent agreement into 2025.

☆ Ticketmaster’s Market Power, Explained
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-15 | by ( Wall Street Journal | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Crypto’s Crash Has Been Swift but Largely Self-Contained. Crypto imploded in 2022, as investors lost faith in digital assets and the industry was plagued with crisis. But unlike other collapses, it has largely avoided rippling into other markets. WSJ explains how crypto became so interconnected. Illustration: Mallory Brangan

☆ Taylor Swift Tickets: How Many Might Be Left?
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-10 | by ( Anne Steele | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

When historic demand for presale tickets to Taylor Swift ‘s next tour overwhelmed Ticketmaster’s system last month, many empty-handed fans hoped they would get another crack at tickets during a sale to the general public. Then, a day before those tickets were to be offered, Ticketmaster called the sale off, citing an insufficient number of tickets to meet demand.

☆ Congress wants to grill Live Nation’s CEO over the Taylor Swift Ticketmaster fiasco
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-06 | by ( David Goldman | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

It also wants answers about how Ticketmaster plans to improve in the future. Swift’s Eras tour kicks off March 17 and will have 52 concerts in multiple stadiums across the United States over five months. In its letter to Rapino, the committee also said it wants information about the fees Ticketmaster charges customers. Rapino and Live Nation have caught the ire of Congress before. Senator Amy Klobuchar criticized Ticketmaster in an open letter Rapino in the days following the ticket snafu, saying she has “serious concerns” about the company’s operations.

☆ More than two dozen Taylor Swift fans sue Ticketmaster
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-05 | by ( Ramishah Maruf | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

More than two dozen Taylor Swift fans are suing Ticketmaster parent Live Nation Entertainment, Inc. for “unlawful conduct” in the pop star’s chaotic tour sale, claiming the ticketing giant violated antitrust laws, among others. The lawsuit, filed in a California court on Friday, alleges Ticketmaster and its parent company were anti-competitive, imposing higher prices on fans in the presale, sale and resale market. The lawsuit also claimed that since Ticketmaster has agreements with the large stadiums in the tour, Swift “has no choice” but to work with Ticketmaster due to the size of her fan base. It also alleges that Ticketmaster profits off the resale of tickets in the secondary market by adding a service fee to its fan-to-fan exchange. Pre-sale tickets for “The Eras Tour” frustrated Swift fans across the country in a debacle that stayed in the headlines for weeks.

☆ Taylor Swift fans sue Ticketmaster following fumbled presale
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-04 | by ( Francesca Gariano | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +3 min

The plaintiffs are seeking a penalty of $2,500 against Ticketmaster for every violation of Business and Professions Code, section 17200. The lawsuit specifically cited the “ticket sale disaster” that occurred on Nov. 15 and Nov. 16 during the Verified Fan presale, which caused the site to crash, and the Capital One presale. “We believe that both Taylor Swift and her fans were hurt by Ticketmaster,” said Jennifer Kinder, an attorney for the plaintiffs, in a statement. “Even when a high demand on sale goes flawlessly from a tech perspective, many fans are left empty handed,” Ticketmaster said. “It goes without saying that I’m extremely protective of my fans,” Swift wrote.

☆ Taylor Swift Concert-Ticket Mess Draws Scrutiny for Live Nation and Ticketmaster
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-26 | by ( Anne Steele | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Singer Taylor Swift sold more than two million tickets on Ticketmaster in one day. Ticketmaster’s Taylor Swift tour fiasco last week renewed calls to investigate the 12-year-old merger that joined the world’s largest live event promoter with the dominant ticketing company. But some legal experts are skeptical that dismantling the behemoth would address the problems raised by officials and fans. Lawmakers and attorneys general have lined up to hold Live Nation Entertainment Inc. and its Ticketmaster unit accountable for a botched ticket-sale process for Ms. Swift’s first concert tour in five years, blaming the website’s failure and high fees on a lack of competition.

WASHINGTON, Nov 22 (Reuters) - A U.S. Senate antitrust panel will hold a hearing on the lack of competition in the ticketing industry after Ticketmaster's problems last week managing the sale of Taylor Swift tickets, Senator Amy Klobuchar, chair of the panel, said on Tuesday. "That’s why we will hold a hearing on how consolidation in the live entertainment and ticketing industry harms customers and artists alike." Senators Klobuchar and Mike Lee, the top Republican on the committee, did not provide a date for the hearing or a list of witnesses. For her part, the pop superstar on Friday said it was "excruciating" for her to watch fans struggle to secure tickets and that she had been assured that Ticketmaster could handle large demand. Reporting by Diane Bartz; Editing by Mark PorterOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Taylor Swift dominates at American Music Awards as Colorado Springs shooting victims honored
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-21 | by ( ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +3 min

Superstar singer and songwriter Taylor Swift won all six trophies she was contending for on Sunday at the American Music Awards, including the night’s top prize: artist of the year. The new AMA accolades lifted Swift’s lifetime total to 40, breaking her own record for most wins at the world’s largest fan-voted awards ceremony. “I have the fans to thank essentially for my happiness,” Swift said to a cheering crowd at the ceremony in Los Angeles. Colorado Springs shooting victims honoredDove Cameron, a former Disney Channel actress who reached the Billboard charts this year with the pop single “Boyfriend,” was named best new artist. Comedian and host Wayne Brady also paid tribute to the victims and their families, saying: "We have to stop this senseless and terrible gun violence."

☆ Taylor Swift Fans Grieve ‘Eras Tour’ Presale With Merch
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-19 | by ( Ashley Wong | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Taylor Swift fans who couldn’t get tickets to her upcoming tour may appreciate cheeky merch about the presale. As third-party sellers look to make thousands on Taylor Swift tickets, fans who couldn’t secure seats to her tour are turning their disappointment into cheeky merchandise that takes aim at ticketing sites. Another refers to the “Eras Tour” as the “Errors Tour.” Soy wax candles and smartphone cases display a tweet styled as if it were sent from Ticketmaster’s account that says “It’s me, hi. I’m the problem, it’s me,” echoing another of Swift’s song lyrics. The “2000+ people ahead of you” message that crushed many fans’ tour-going dreams appears on T-shirts, crew-neck sweatshirts and stickers.

☆ Ticketmaster Sells More Than Two Million Taylor Swift Tickets in One Day, a Record
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-17 | by ( Anne Steele | Alyssa Lukpat | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Taylor Swift ’s presale for her first tour in five years broke sales records as millions of fans rushed to snap up tickets despite glitches affecting Ticketmaster’s system and backlash from politicians over the ticket seller’s power. Ms. Swift’s 52-date stadium run sold over two million tickets on Tuesday—more than any other artist in a single day, according to the company. Tuesday’s presale was limited to a select group of people who had registered with Ticketmaster, part of an effort to ensure that actual fans, rather than scalpers, got first crack at tickets.

☆ Taylor Swift Breaks Ticket-Sales Record With ‘Eras Tour’ Despite Ticketmaster Glitches
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-17 | by ( Anne Steele | Alyssa Lukpat | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Taylor Swift ‘s presale for her first tour in five years broke sales records as millions of fans rushed to snap up tickets despite glitches affecting Ticketmaster’s system and backlash from politicians over the ticket seller’s power. Ms. Swift’s 52-date stadium run sold over two million tickets on Tuesday—more than any other artist in a single day, according to the company. Tuesday’s presale was limited to a select group of people who had registered with Ticketmaster, part of an effort to ensure that actual fans, rather than scalpers, got first crack at tickets.

☆ U.S. senator questions Ticketmaster after Taylor Swift sales complaints
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-17 | by ( Lisa Richwine | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

LOS ANGELES, Nov 17 (Reuters) - Ticketmaster faced new questions from a Democratic U.S. senator over its sales practices on Thursday, two days after Taylor Swift fans complained about website outages and long waits to buy tickets to her upcoming U.S. tour. In the letter to Ticketmaster parent Live Nation Entertainment Inc (LYV.N), Senator Amy Klobuchar voiced "serious concern about the state of competition in the ticketing industry and its harmful impact on consumers." On Tuesday, Swift fans swarmed the Ticketmaster website and encountered long wait times, with many unable to buy tickets. Ticketmaster said the tour generated unprecedented demand and it worked quickly to fix problems. Live Nation and Ticketmaster merged in a 2010 deal approved by the Justice Department.

☆ Taylor Swift meltdown caused by Ticketmaster abusing its market power, Senate antitrust chair says
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-17 | by ( Jordan Valinsky | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

New York CNN Business —Senator Amy Klobuchar criticized Ticketmaster in an open letter to its CEO, saying she has “serious concerns” about the company’s operations following a service meltdown Tuesday that left Taylor Swift fans irate. Ticketmaster and Live Nation, the country’s largest concert promoter, merged about a decade ago. Klobuchar noted that the company at the time pledged to “develop an easy-access, one-stop platform” for ticket delivery. It’s no secret that Live Nation-Ticketmaster is an unchecked monopoly,” Rep. David Cicilline, currently the chairman of the Antitrust Subcommittee, tweeted on Tuesday. The Justice Department and states allowed the Live Nation Ticketmaster merger to go through despite a 2010 court filing in the case raising objections to the merger.

☆ Ticketmaster meltdown for Taylor Swift tickets sparks outrage
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-16 | by ( Chris Isidore | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

The Justice Department and many state attorneys general have made similar complaints over the years. The Justice Department and states allowed the Live Nation Ticketmaster merger to go through despite a 2010 court filing in the case raising objections to the merger. In the filing, the Justice Department said that Ticketmaster’s share among major concert venues exceeded 80%. Past efforts to rein in Ticketmaster control over the ticket market have failed. The Justice Department and the states gave approval of to the Live Nation-Ticketmaster combination, but did call for some oversight.

#TaylorSwiftTix” one fan wrote, echoing the frustration of thousands of “Swifties,” the nickname for diehard Swift fans, vying to see their favorite artist in her first concert tour since before the pandemic. Backlash against the ticketing companies has also grown: When a major artist announces a tour, fans inevitably complain on social media about Ticketmaster’s high fees and unchecked scalping. Users shared screenshots of emails from Ticketmaster that said “Your invitation to TaylorSwiftTix Presale powered by Verified Fan.” “You’ve been selected!” the email reads. As for the Swift ticket sales chaos on Tuesday, Ticketmaster urged fans on Twitter to avoid going through its homepage to get tickets. "If you received a code to the TaylorSwiftTix Presale, please login and access the queue through the link you received via text rather than entering through the Ticketmaster homepage," Ticketmaster tweeted.

☆ Taylor Swift’s Concert Ticket Sales Plagued by Ticketmaster Delays
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-15 | by ( Anne Steele | Ashley Wong | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Taylor Swift’s 52-date run is slated to be her most extensive U.S. stadium tour to date. A rush to buy tickets for Taylor Swift ’s first tour in five years—and five albums—left fans scrambling and distraught Tuesday as Ticketmaster’s system was overwhelmed in markets across the U.S. and would-be buyers waited in long lines. Live Nation Entertainment Inc.’s Ticketmaster site, which is selling tickets for the 2023 tour via a system meant to give preferential treatment to longtime fans, crashed in New York and other cities amid a crush of fans trying to snap up what industry executives have anticipated will be the hottest tickets since the lift of pandemic restrictions on the live touring business.

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