Ticketmaster, the leading online ticket vendor globally, has pledged to take action against large-scale scalpers who utilize hundreds or even thousands of fake Ticketmaster accounts to purchase and resell tickets for various events such as concerts, theater shows, and sports games. This commitment follows a lawsuit filed by the U.S. Federal Trade Commission in September, accusing Ticketmaster and its parent company, LiveNation, of engaging in unlawful ticket resale practices that deceive both consumers and artists.
Fans have long been frustrated by the challenges of obtaining face-value tickets directly from Ticketmaster, as scalpers and resellers frequently acquire most of the tickets for popular events, later reselling them at exorbitant prices on secondary websites. The FTC lawsuit was partly based on findings from a 2018 investigative report by CBC News and the Toronto Star, which revealed how Ticketmaster collaborated with mass scalpers, enabling them to bypass ticket-buying limits using fake accounts.
In response to the lawsuit, Ticketmaster has defended its practices, stating that while ticket brokers indeed maintain multiple accounts, labeling this as a conspiracy is misleading. The company plans to restrict everyone, including brokers, to a single Ticketmaster account and implement advanced AI technology to identify fraudulent activities.
Furthermore, Ticketmaster announced the closure of a portion of its TradeDesk platform, which facilitates ticket reselling, indicating that only mass reselling of sports and theater tickets may still be permitted. The decision to discontinue certain functionalities of TradeDesk was driven by concerns over potential reputational damage.
Despite Ticketmaster’s historical collaboration with scalpers, the company now appears committed to addressing the issue under mounting pressure from regulators and lawmakers. The promised crackdown on scalpers using fake accounts signals a shift in Ticketmaster’s approach to ticket sales and resale practices.
