Ticketmaster critics not ready to shake it off

If you have teenage daughters, or are a fan yourself, you’re likely aware that the upcoming Taylor Swift tour is one hot ticket. So hot it broke the internet. Tickets to Swift’s performance in Minneapolis went on sale this week on Ticketmaster, but technical issues led to hours-long delays in completing a purchase, angering fans and turning some away empty-handed. That has captured the attention of Minnesota Senator Amy Klobuchar, chair of the Senate Subcommittee on Competition Policy, Antitrust and Consumer Rights. She has accused Ticketmaster of “abusing its market position” and criticized its CEO. Other politicians call Ticketmaster a monopoly, criticizing the ticketing company for its excessive wait times, excessive fees and dynamic pricing policy which causes ticket prices to rise when demand is high. Problems with Ticketmaster go way back, probably before T Swift was even born. But those problems have gotten worse since Ticketmaster merged with Live Nation about a decade ago. Ticketmaster is now the sole ticketing company for about 80% of U.S. venues. Reigning in Ticketmaster is hardly the biggest issue facing this country, but it affects millions of Americans and seems an issue our powerful Congress should be able to solve.