Ticketmaster has long been the dominant player in the ticket sales industry, but over the years it has faced growing backlash from consumers over high fees and other issues. This has led many to wonder – are there viable alternatives out there for buying tickets? In this article, we’ll explore the current ticketing landscape and look at the various options that exist beyond just Ticketmaster.
What issues do consumers have with Ticketmaster?
Ticketmaster is the primary ticket provider for many major concerts, sports leagues, and live events. According to a recent congressional report, Ticketmaster sells over 500 million tickets per year across 30 countries. This enormous market share has led to a near monopoly position in the ticketing industry.
One of the biggest frustrations for consumers is Ticketmaster’s fees. On top of the ticket price, customers are charged an array of fees like service fees, order processing fees, and facility fees. These can add over 30% to the base price of a ticket. Ticketmaster also utilizes “dynamic pricing,” meaning ticket prices fluctuate based on demand. So a seat that costs $50 one day could jump to $150 the next.
There are also concerns over bots snatching up tickets and lack of transparency around how tickets are allocated during presales and general sales. Overall, many feel Ticketmaster no longer has the consumer’s interest in mind and mostly caters to the venues, teams, and artists they work with.
What are some Ticketmaster competitors?
Despite their market dominance, Ticketmaster does still face some competition in the industry. Here are a few of the major players:
AXS
AXS is owned by AEG and works as the official ticketing partner for AEG venues around the world. It serves major arenas like Los Angeles’ Staples Center and has rights to big name tours like Justin Bieber. They charge lower fees than Ticketmaster and utilize a lottery system for high demand shows.
StubHub
StubHub is a ticket resale marketplace owned by Viagogo, not a primary ticket seller. Fans can buy and sell tickets to events on StubHub, with the site taking a commission. Prices are set by individual sellers. StubHub does offer buyers protection via a FanProtect guarantee.
Live Nation
Live Nation is one of the world’s largest concert and ticketing companies. They own and operate major venues like House of Blues. They sell tickets under the Live Nation brand as well as Ticketmaster after a merger in 2010. Live Nation venues will often list tickets on their own site to avoid Ticketmaster fees.
SeatGeek
Much like StubHub, SeatGeek is a resale ticket marketplace. Sellers list event tickets and set their own prices. Buyers can shop for deals and use interactive maps to view seat locations. SeatGeek charges buyers a 15% service fee but it is much lower than Ticketmaster’s fees.
Vivid Seats
Vivid Seats is another option for buying previously purchased event tickets. They offer a 100% buyer guarantee and provide a view of all fees upfront. Similar to StubHub and SeatGeek, prices are set by individual resellers, not Vivid Seats themselves.
Are there ways to buy directly from venues?
Oftentimes the best way to avoid Ticketmaster fees is to purchase tickets directly from the venue’s box office or website. Many venues will sell tickets to their events without any additional service fees. Purchasing direct can also give buyers access to presales and fan club offers.
For example, major artists like Bruce Springsteen and Taylor Swift have chosen to sell tickets to their stadium tours through their own official sites. Various sports teams will sell season ticket packages and individual game seats at set box office prices.
The downside is that buying direct often means no resale options. If plans change, you can’t resell or transfer those tickets through an exchange site. Direct sales also require more effort since you have to work with each individual venue rather than a centralized marketplace.
What about band and artist presales?
Getting early access to presales is one of the best ways to score tickets before the general public sale (and before scalpers and bots grab them). Presales commonly occur for fan club members, credit card holders, mobile app users, and subscribers to artist newsletters and streaming platforms.
Joining a band’s official fan club, such as Pearl Jam’s Ten Club, is one avenue for finding out about presales. Signing up for an artist’s email list through their website is another way. Spotify and other streaming services will sometimes offer presale ticket access for users.
The downside is it can get costly to join all the fan clubs of bands you want to see. You’ll also have to wait and search for each presale code rather than shopping in one spot. But it does increase your chances of scoring tickets at face value.
Should you use a ticket membership program?
Some companies offer ticket buying memberships to help fans avoid high fees and gain early access. For an annual fee ($50-500), members can purchase tickets before the general public.
Examples of memberships include:
- Gametime – $99 per year for early access to sports, concert and theater tickets.
- Qcue Advance – $25 per month for presale concert, sports and arts tickets.
- H.O.T. AXS – $40 per month for presale AXS tickets.
Memberships can be cost-effective for avid concertgoers and people who attend a lot of live events. You may easily save more than the membership fee in reduced Ticketmaster service charges. It also simplifies the ticket buying process. But occasional buyers may not see as much benefit.
Is ticket scalping legal?
Ticket scalping refers to the resale of tickets, often at inflated prices for hot shows. Anti-scalping laws exist in some states to prevent predatory scalping practices. Some states limit the resale price of tickets to the original price or a small markup.
For example, New York’s anti-scalping law says resellers can only charge up to 45% more than face value. Nevada bans scalping entirely. But other states like California, Texas and Florida have repealed anti-scalping laws, allowing a free market.
Buyers should be aware of scalping laws in their state. Sellers may try to offload tickets above face value even where prohibited. In general, scalping raises ethical concerns when sellers manipulate the market.
Are there other ethical concerns with secondary sales?
The secondary ticket market also raises concerns over privacy, counterfeit tickets, and unfair ticket access. Secondary sellers may not protect buyer’s personal and payment data sufficiently. Fake paper and digital tickets are also a risk when buying from resellers.
There are also ethical questions around ticket access being bought up quickly by scalpers, then sold for higher prices. Some brokers use bots and bulk-buying tools to snatch up inventory. This often leaves regular fans ticketless or having to pay inflated resale prices.
Many artists and teams try to combat these practices by using personalized paperless tickets, ticket transfer rules, and canceling suspicious bulk orders. But it’s an ongoing battle as technology evolves.
Does Ticketmaster have redemption programs?
Ticketmaster does aim to maintain goodwill through redemption offers when things go wrong. If an event is canceled or postponed, they allow refunds or exchanges of the ticket value towards a future event. This offer comes with a 5-7 year validity period in most cases.
They also have a Fan Support Initiative that offers select complimentary tickets to fans who lost tickets due to platform issues. Overall, they do try to smooth things over with customers when feasible. But the offers are limited and some feel they should do more.
Conclusion
While Ticketmaster still dominates the primary event ticketing industry, alternatives do exist for fans frustrated with fees and other issues. Buying directly through venues, utilizing presales and memberships, and being selective on resale sites can help avoid Ticketmaster’s commissions.
There are some ethical concerns and risks to weigh when utilizing the secondary market, however. And buying direct or via presales takes more effort than Ticketmaster’s one-stop shopping experience. Ultimately, consumers need to balance convenience with cost when choosing ticketing options.
While Ticketmaster isn’t going anywhere soon, it’s good for buyers to be aware of all the ticketing avenues at their disposal. Taking advantage of presales, weighing resale sites carefully, buying directly when possible, and using ticketing memberships can provide alternatives to satisfy your live event needs.