On Monday, in response to this calamity, former President Donald Trump signed an executive order. This executive order will protect fans against what he called the “exploitative practice of ticket scalping.” Many long-standing consumer protection concerns about excessive ticket prices have been raised by countless concert attendees for decades.
Recent high-profile controversies have focused more attention on the issue. Indeed, many may remember the outrage on Ticketmaster when the ticket sales for Taylor Swift’s Eras tour went awry. These controversies only point to a much larger problem. Bad actors like ticket scalpers are using high-tech tools, including bots, to take thousands of tickets at a time, instantly reselling them at a huge markup on the secondary market.
In June and September, Senate leaders played an active role, holding parallel hearings to scrutinize these practices. At the same time, the Biden administration announced an antitrust investigation into Ticketmaster, which has been accused of forming an “illegal monopoly” that raises ticket costs. On the live side, the new executive order brings in “commonsense reforms” to how live entertainment events are priced. For one, it goes right at the heart of scalpers and their nasty tactics.
The Executive Order, signed on Nov. It further instructs Attorney General Pam Bondi to aggressively enforce the state’s competition laws. Its purpose is to prevent scalpers engaging in ticket bots from re-selling tickets at a markup. This benefits fans and ensures equitable access to tickets.
Even Live Nation, perhaps the most powerful force in the live entertainment business — think Ticketmaster, which it owns — called for such an order. The company stated, “Scalpers and bots prevent fans from getting tickets at the prices artists set, and we thank President Trump for taking them head-on.”
Trump acknowledged the seriousness of the issue, stating, “I didn’t know too much about it, but I checked it out, and this is a big problem.” This admission reflects a growing recognition across political spectrums of the challenges consumers face in purchasing tickets for live events.
Rock, who stood with Trump at the bill’s signing ceremony, illustrated just how far-reaching the issue is. He noted, “Anyone who’s bought a concert ticket in the last decade, maybe 20 years – no matter what your politics are – knows that it’s a conundrum.” Rock emphasized his desire for fair ticket pricing, saying, “I want the fans to have fair ticket prices. There’s plenty of money to go around. Nobody’s going to lose here.”
The new executive order strikes the right balance by protecting consumers and promoting competition in the ticketing industry. It continues to stand up for more equitable practices for all parties. In addition to launching the initiatives above, the order directs the Federal Trade Commission to collaborate with the Attorney General. Together, they will aggressively enforce our nation’s competition laws and reform unfair ticket sales practices.
Ticket prices continue to climb, thanks in part to the booming demand for live events. This executive order is a huge victory for fans in addressing the challenges they face. It illustrates the need for systemic change across our industry so that access to live entertainment is equitable and affordable.