The U.S. House of Representatives has passed a bill that would require ticket sellers of major music and sporting events to display the full price of tickets, including all fees, upfront.
this Transparent ticketing fees for important events (ticket) Behavior The bill passed with broad bipartisan support on Wednesday (May 15) by a vote of 388 to 24.
If passed into law, the bill would also ban the practice of “speculative ticketing,” in which ticket resellers sell tickets that they themselves have not purchased.
The bill also stipulates that refunds must be guaranteed when events are canceled or postponed, and prohibits the use of deceptive URLs to deceive consumers through fraudulent ticketing websites.
“This consensus legislation will end deceptive ticketing practices that frustrate consumers who just want to enjoy a concert, show or sporting event by restoring fairness and transparency to the ticket market,” House representatives said. Kathy McMorris Rogers (Washington Republican), Frank Pallone Jr. (D-NJ), and Gus Billakis (R-Fla.) in a joint statement.
Three members of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, who voted unanimously to approve the bill last December, added: “After years of bipartisan work, we will now be able to enhance the customer experience for purchasing event tickets online. We look forward to continuing to work together. , urging the Senate to pass it quickly so we can get it to the president’s desk to be signed into law.
A companion bill was introduced in the Senate last year around the same time as the House version of the bill.Senate version has support from Washington Democrats Senator Maria Cantwell and Texas Republicans. Senator Ted Cruz.
another similar bill Fans first scenewas introduced in the Senate in December by Democratic senators. Amy Klobuchar, Peter Welchand Ben Ray Lujanand Republican senators. John Corning, Marsha Blackburnand roger wick.
The bill, along with the Tickets Act, has the support of a number of music industry groups who have formed a group called Fix Tix. The group has been pushing for reforms to the U.S. ticketing business, which has been criticized by consumers.
“This consensus legislation will end deceptive ticketing practices that frustrate consumers who just want to enjoy a concert, show or sporting event by restoring fairness and transparency to the ticket market.”
House Representatives Cathy McMorris Rodgers, Frank Pallone, Jr. and Gus Bilirakis
The leader is National Association of Independent Venues (non-invasive ventilation) and ticketing companies Event BrittFix The Tix Alliance includes Recording Academythis American Independent Music Association (A2IM), this Artists Rights Alliancethis Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (Screen Actors Guild-AFTRA) and universal music group.
Last month, the Fix The Tix coalition organized a letter signed by more than 250 music artists, including billie eilish, green day, Lordand yes – Calling on the Senate to pass the Fans First Act.
The idea of ”all-inclusive” ticket pricing also gained ground live countrythe owner of Ticket Masteris the largest (and arguably dominant) ticketing company in the United States. Live Nation announced last year that it would move to “all-inclusive” ticket pricing regardless of federal legislation.
In a press release the day before the House voted on the TICKET bill, Live Nation said its comprehensive pricing model resulted in “ 8% The program saw an increase in sales completed within the first six months of launch across all Live Nation venues and festivals in the United States.
“Showing the total cost of admission upfront is better for fans and artists,” Live Nation CEO said. Michael Rapinoe explain.
A spokesperson for Live Nation said after the House vote that the company “applauds House members for advancing the TICKET Act. We are leading the industry by adopting lump sum pricing and supporting state laws to ensure everyone follows this legislation that benefits fans and Policies for artists. We also support other ticketing reforms, such as strengthening anti-bot legislation and banning speculative ticketing and other predatory resale practices. Bipartisan support for these reforms shows that protecting fans and artists is in everyone’s interest. Work with policymakers to make these changes become law.
The push for ticketing reform comes after a series of controversies surrounding the business in recent years.The most striking thing was the commotion from the fans Bruce Springsteenwho sees ticket prices for the 2023 tour rising by as much as $5,000 Every seat. Another incident involved Ticketmaster’s system crashing on sale. Taylor SwiftA journey through the ages.
“It’s better for fans and artists to show the total cost of getting in the door up front.”
Michael Rapinoe, Live Nation
However, it is unclear whether the proposed law would prevent similar situations in the future. Sting’s controversy stems from Ticketmaster’s “dynamic pricing” system, which adjusts ticket prices on the fly based on demand. Neither the Ticket Act nor the Fans First Act prohibit dynamic pricing.
According to Live Nation’s Rapino, Swift’s confusion is the result of Ticketmaster’s efforts to stop bots from buying large amounts of tickets and reselling them on the secondary market at higher prices.
America passed Better online ticket sales (robot) Behavior In 2016, the bill was designed to combat large-scale ticket buying by bots, but the bill seemed to have limited effect.
The Senate’s Fans First Act includes measures to strengthen enforcement of anti-bot laws; the House’s TICKET Act directs the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to investigate and report on enforcement of the BOTS Act.global music business
