Ticketmaster被判垄断：每张票多收了你的钱

Speaking of buying concert tickets, something big just happened in America.

A court ruled that Ticketmaster is a monopoly.

What is Ticketmaster?

Ticketmaster is America's biggest ticket-selling platform.

You want to go see a concert, a sports game, a play.

Most tickets are bought on Ticketmaster.

It controls about eighty percent of America's concert ticket market.

Eighty percent.

That means you have almost no other place to buy.

Ticketmaster's parent company is called Live Nation.

Live Nation doesn't just sell tickets.

It also organizes concerts.

It also manages performance venues.

Meaning the place where singers perform is theirs.

The ticket-selling platform is also theirs.

The concert organizing company is also theirs.

All under one family.

This is the problem.

If you are a singer.

You want to organize a concert.

You have to use Live Nation's venues.

Because the best venues are all theirs.

You have to use Ticketmaster to sell tickets.

Because the biggest platform is theirs.

You have no choice.

If you are a ticket buyer.

You want to see this singer.

You can only buy from Ticketmaster.

Because tickets are only sold there.

You also have no choice.

Having no choice means what?

It means they can charge very high prices.

They can add lots of service fees.

You're unhappy?

Then don't go.

There's no other place to buy anyway.

Many people are unhappy about this.

Especially in 2022.

Taylor Swift's concert started selling tickets.

Ticketmaster's website crashed.

Millions of people tried to buy tickets at the same time.

The system couldn't handle it.

Many people waited hours and still couldn't buy any.

Some people finally got in.

And found the price was much higher than they expected.

Because the service fees were too expensive.

After that incident.

The American government started seriously investigating Ticketmaster.

In 2024 the US Department of Justice and over thirty states sued Live Nation together.

Sued them for what?

Sued them for monopoly.

Sued them for violating America's antitrust law.

Antitrust law is a law.

That says a company cannot control an entire market.

Because that's unfair to consumers.

The case started being tried in March.

The trial lasted five weeks.

Then the jury deliberated for four days.

Finally on April 15th they reached a verdict.

What was the verdict?

Ticketmaster and Live Nation are a monopoly.

They broke the law.

They overcharged consumers.

Each ticket was overcharged by one dollar and seventy-two cents.

One dollar seventy-two doesn't sound like much.

But America sells hundreds of millions of tickets each year.

Times one dollar seventy-two.

That's several hundred million dollars.

Several hundred million dollars extra taken from your pocket.

New York State's attorney general said something.

She said: "Live Nation and Ticketmaster broke the law, costing consumers millions of dollars."

What did Ticketmaster say?

They said they disagree with the verdict.

They said they will appeal.

They said there is competition in the market.

They are not a monopoly.

But the court doesn't think so.

Now the most important question is what happens next.

The judge has to decide what to do.

Many people hope the judge orders Live Nation and Ticketmaster to be split up.

Split up means divided into two independent companies.

One only organizes concerts.

One only sells tickets.

That way you can't be both the referee and the player.

If they're split up.

Other ticket-selling companies would have a chance to compete.

With competition ticket prices would come down.

Service fees would also come down.

For ticket buyers this is a good thing.

During this case's trial.

The US Department of Justice already reached a small agreement with Live Nation.

Live Nation agreed to limit service fees at some venues.

And agreed to let venues have more freedom to choose which platform sells tickets.

But this is just a beginning.

Real change depends on how the judge rules.

Many singers are also unhappy with Ticketmaster.

Pearl Jam, Taylor Swift, The Cure, Olivia Dean.

They have all publicly criticized Ticketmaster's practices.

Feeling the service fees are too high.

Feeling the system often has problems.

Feeling the ticket-buying experience is terrible.

This verdict is a signal.

Telling big companies: you can't dominate alone.

You can't just raise prices because there's no competition.

The law will hold you accountable.

For us ordinary ticket buyers.

This is good news.

Maybe in the future buying tickets will really be cheaper.

Maybe in the future you'll have more choices.