Pressure is mounting on Congress to pass legislation to clean up the live event ticketing business after the Transparency In Charges for Key Events Ticketing (TICKET) Act passed in the House of Representatives in May.
The Fix the Tix Coalition, led by the National Independent Venue Association (NIVA), is calling for a national day of action on Tuesday (July 9) to encourage music fans, professionals and supporters to lobby their representatives in Congress to pass meaningful legislation to curb the growing problem of ticket fraud and deceptive practices in the live music industry.
NIVA and other members of the Fix the Tix coalition, which also includes the Recording Academy and the National Organization of Independent Talent, are supporting their own legislation — the Senate Fan First Act, sponsored by U.S. Senators John Cornyn (R-Texas), Amy Klobuchar (W-Minn.) and Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) — while also advocating for passage of the ticket bill, which is sponsored by Cathy McMorris Rogers (R-Wash.), Gus Bilirakis (R-Fla) and Frank Pallone, Jr. (DN.J.), among others.
Both bills would ban the use of speculative ticket listings on sites like StubHub and SeatGeek, require all-in-pricing before checkout is complete, and crack down on the use of deceptive websites and URLs. The Fans First Act would also require resellers to disclose the locations of seats in their resale listings, prohibit scalpers from using fan clubs to buy concert tickets, and include greater consumer protections for canceled events.
Fix Tix officials are asking fans, artists and members of the music and performance communities to address Congress on Tuesday to demand action by the end of 2024.
The US House of Representatives passed the ticket bill by a vote of 388-24 on May 15. The bill is currently in the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee.
A case study conducted by Fix The Tix of five independent venues in Washington, DC, shows that in 2024, 73,000 speculative tickets totaling approximately $49 million have been listed on resale platforms. Speculative tickets are tickets that are not actually available for purchase, but are sold to consumers at a significant price by sellers who promise to procure and deliver the tickets before the concert. These listings can often be misleading and lead to fraud.
“Fix the Tix Day of Action is an important moment for all of us who believe in fair and transparent ticketing,” he said. Steven Parker, executive director of NIVA, in a press release. “It's time to raise the voices of fans and artists and harness their power as constituents. This is more than a one-day campaign. It is a collective cry to protect the integrity of the live performance. We urge Congress to listen to the voices of fans and artists and put comprehensive ticket reform on the list of must-pass legislation in 2024, along with other critical legislation such as the FY 2025 appropriations bill and the Farm Bill ».
Information on how to contact senators, members of Congress and the White House for tomorrow's day of action can be found at fixthetix.org.
