photo_cameraPhoto · VIP-News
General News
Ticketmaster Agrees to Pricing and Transparency Changes
Ticketmaster has agreed to change its ticket sales practices following a year-long investigation by the UK’s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA), prompted by complaints over the Oasis reunion tour.
The watchdog said the company will no longer use “misleading” ticket labels or withhold key pricing information from fans.
Ticketmaster will also be required to give customers clearer details about pricing tiers, including 24 hours’ notice before sales begin, and provide real-time updates on ticket ranges while fans are in online queues.
The changes follow criticism of the company’s handling of Oasis tickets, where fans reported facing steep price increases by the time they reached the front of digital queues. Standard tickets were initially advertised at £148.50 but some buyers later faced prices of more than £350.
The CMA found no evidence that Ticketmaster used real-time dynamic pricing, but confirmed that it had applied “tiered pricing,” where similar tickets were sold at significantly different prices. It also concluded that so-called “platinum” tickets—sold at more than double the standard price—did not offer additional benefits despite being marketed as premium.
Sarah Cardell, chief executive of the CMA, said: “Fans who spend their hard-earned money to see artists they love deserve to see clear, accurate information, upfront. If Ticketmaster fails to deliver on these changes, we won’t hesitate to take further action.”
Culture secretary Lisa Nandy welcomed the commitments, while consumer group Which? argued the regulator should have gone further, including requiring refunds for fans who felt misled.
In response, Ticketmaster said it welcomed the CMA’s confirmation that no laws had been broken and that it had not used unfair practices. The company added it had “voluntarily committed to clearer communication about ticket prices in queues” and urged regulators to apply the same standards across the ticketing industry.
The CMA will monitor Ticketmaster’s compliance for two years and has warned of enforcement action if the company fails to uphold its commitments.
The move comes as Ticketmaster and its parent company Live Nation face separate legal challenges in the United States over alleged ticketing and resale practices.