Live event ticketing is not only under the microscope of the Department of Justice, but also at the center of attention for music fans across the country. This focus places our industry at a crossroads. We can either remain with the status quo, in which events are extremely expensive and the money goes to resellers rather than artists and venues, or we can use this moment to advocate for reform that benefits the wider live events ecosystem.
For too long, fans, artists and venues have been trapped in an unregulated market filled with speculative tickets, deceptive practices and exorbitant prices.
But all was not lost. We have an opportunity to create guardrails that protect fans, build trust and promote a healthy live events industry.
The Fans First Act is the right bill, at the right time. If passed, this important bipartisan legislation will bring needed enforcement and transparency, ban deceptive websites, expose resellers, and ban ticketing for profit. That's why we're calling on Congress to pass this important legislation and bring it to the White House for signature.
The problem
Understanding why we need the Fans First Act requires a full understanding of the problem and how we got here.
Fans are in for a perfect storm. Amid inflation and an unpredictable economy, they face bots, brokers and skyrocketing prices for live experiences (concert ticket prices have risen 35% since 2019), according to Pollstar. While fans are eager to see their favorite shows and artists live, too many cannot.
Music festivals are a prime example of live events looking to adapt to the current economic environment of increased costs for fans (tickets, travel/accommodation and food) and rising production fees. Unfortunately for fans, this means canceled events. This year, many festivals have been canceled as organizers try to consolidate and adjust to rising fees and financial constraints.
Dig deeper into the fan experience and we find that many fans' first engagement with live entertainment is through a reseller on a secondary ticketing site, which sometimes poses as the actual venue.
Fans are often asked to fork over $500 for a decent ticket on the secondary market, and that's for real tickets. A buyer has no sense of clarity about the primary ticket seller. For example, Seattle fan Kerry Dellisanti had her own dream crushed when her $895 nosebleed ticket to a Taylor Swift concert turned out to be speculative (fake). Her friends ended up enjoying the show without her.
Fans across genres and locations are often scammed by counterfeit tickets. Many book non-refundable travel and hotel deals for concerts they think they have a real ticket to, but have been scammed.
Everyone loses in this environment.
Rogue brokers and illegal bots are increasingly harmful to consumers. As they resell tickets at the highest possible price, it has a direct impact on the entire live event ecosystem, hurting fans, artists and venues.
High profit margins for the secondary ticket seller means fans see fewer shows and spend less on venue concessions and merchandise that support promoters and artists. When fans show up at a venue with a fake or overpriced ticket, the predatory seller who defrauded them is nowhere to be found. It's venue owners, artists and small businesses who are left to pick up the pieces of this unregulated ticketing ecosystem.
The solution
Our industry is at a crossroads. Reach out to resellers and brokers who have no investment in gigs? Or put the power of the live entertainment industry into the hands of fans, artists and venues?
We call on Congress to pass the Fans First Act. Fans, artists and venues are the lifeblood of the live entertainment industry and their experience should always be at the forefront. It's time to return the industry to the people who make it, and return to what makes live events and music so important — and what fuels local economies across the country.
The connection. The experience.
Julia Hartz is Co-Founder, CEO and Chair of the Executive Board of Eventbrite.
Stephen Parker is executive director of the National Independent Venue Association (NIVA).
