Senators and Swifties take on Ticketmaster in Washington

Months after Ticketmaster botched gross sales for Taylor Swift’s most up-to-date tour, a high government from its guardian firm, Reside Nation, confronted scrutiny over its market dominance on Capitol Hill from senators and Swifties alike.

Members of the Senate Judiciary Committee grilled Reside Nation president and CFO Joe Berchtold all through the listening to on Tuesday, arguing that the corporate’s management over the live performance and occasions trade has harmed customers. In her opening assertion, antitrust committee chair Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) referred to as Reside Nation’s enterprise mannequin the “definition of monopoly.” 

“As tens of millions of Taylor Swift followers came upon final fall, there are few penalties for failing to ship the service,” Klobuchar mentioned Tuesday. “However whether or not it’s Bruce Springsteen, or BTS, or Dangerous Bunny, or previously Pearl Jam or the Pixies, followers, artists, and venues are going through actual points with Reside Nation.”

Reside Nation and Ticketmaster have lengthy been the main focus of congressional criticism, usually receiving threats of investigation and regulation from lawmakers when their companies fail to satisfy fan expectations. However that scrutiny hit a fever pitch final November when Reside Nation was compelled to cancel ticket gross sales for Taylor Swift’s upcoming The Eras Tour. 

On the time, the corporate mentioned the cancellation was “because of terribly excessive calls for on ticketing techniques and inadequate remaining ticket stock to satisfy that demand.” Nonetheless, Berchtold mentioned Tuesday that gross sales have been halted due to an unexpected bot assault. 

“That is what led to a horrible shopper expertise, which we deeply remorse,” Berchtold mentioned throughout Tuesday’s listening to.

Reside Nation’s bot clarification didn’t cease senators from attacking its market dominance, particularly its 2010 merger with Ticketmaster. In a January 2022 antitrust lawsuit, aggrieved clients argued that the corporate holds greater than 70 p.c market share amongst main ticketing companies. With that dominance, senators argued that Reside Nation can drive up ticketing prices and costs for customers and venues by way of anti-competitive contracts. 

Fan disgust over Reside Nation’s practices was on full show Tuesday as Swifties, a nickname for Swift followers, protested the corporate exterior the Capitol, in accordance with NPR.

It’s unclear whether or not the Senate plans to roll out new laws to handle Reside Nation’s progress, however the Justice Division has reportedly opened its personal investigation into the corporate. The investigation is reportedly targeted on whether or not Reside Nation has abused its market energy over the music trade, in accordance with The New York Occasions final November. If the Justice Division deems that it has, officers might go so far as suing to unwind the corporate’s merger with Ticketmaster. 

“Whether or not it’s for followers, promoters, or venue operators, we want to ensure we now have competitors to convey costs down and produce innovation in and cease the fiascos,” Klobuchar mentioned Tuesday.