The short answer is: kind of. When Taylor Swift announced her upcoming Eras Tour, Ticketmaster essentially broke under the immense demand from fans trying to secure tickets. The presale event on November 15 was plagued with long wait times, website crashes, and rampant scalping – leaving many fans frustrated and empty-handed. While Ticketmaster has had issues before, the scale of problems during the Eras presale has led many to accuse Swift and Ticketmaster of prioritizing scalpers and VIP packages over average fans. So did Swift “break” Ticketmaster? Let’s dive into the details.
What Happened During the Eras Presale?
Here’s a quick recap of what went down on November 15:
– Millions of fans with presale codes queued up on Ticketmaster starting at 8AM local venue times
– Fans reported wait times of 8+ hours just to access the ticket buying page
– Ticketmaster’s website and mobile app repeatedly crashed due to high demand
– When fans did gain access, many desirable tickets were instantly snatched up and resold at inflated prices
– Ticket limits were inconsistent, allowing some buyers to purchase hundreds of tickets at once
– Fans complained of exorbitant fees topping $800 for a pair of tickets
By the Numbers
To comprehend the scale of demand, here are some key statistics:
– 3.5 million people pre-registered for the Eras presale through Ticketmaster’s Verified Fan system
– 1.5 million Verified Fans were given presale codes for this first round
– Another 14 million are still waiting for codes for future presales
– Ticketmaster estimated over 2 million tickets were sold on November 15
– The Eras Tour includes 52 concerts in stadiums from March-August 2023
Ticketmaster’s Explanation
Ticketmaster has deflected blame and stated the website didn’t actually crash from the traffic. They say the long wait times were due to a deliberate system queue designed to control demand. As evidence, they noted over 2 million total tickets were still sold without full-on technical failures. They plan to adjust for future presales by staggering entrance times and doing more to block bulk purchasers.
Was the Verified Fan system ineffective?
Ticketmaster’s Verified Fan program was clearly overwhelmed, providing little advantage to registered users vs. scalper bots. Their system aims to identify real humans vs. bots, but still resulted in long queues, site crashes, and rampant scalping.
How Did Scalpers Get So Many Tickets?
Despite Ticketmaster’s anti-bot efforts, scalpers still managed to snap up large batches of tickets:
– Hundreds of tickets were available on reseller sites during the presale itself
– StubHub offered over 2000 tickets with some going for $6000-$7500
– Ticket privatization and limits as high as 12 enabled bulk buying
Ticketmaster’s controversies around scalping
This isn’t the first time Ticketmaster has faced criticism for enabling scalpers:
– They owned resale site TicketsNow up until 2008
– In 2018 they were discovered to be directly working with scalpers to harvest large quantities
– Face-value verified resale does little to discourage scalping
So Ticketmaster appears to continue benefitting from – or at least turning a blind eye toward – the scalping economy.
The Role of Platinum Tickets
Ticketmaster’s “Platinum Tickets” – a scalper-style pricing model where they self-adjust prices based on demand – likely made the situation worse:
– Platinum seats bypass normal fixed ticket limits and can cost 5-10x the base price
– The practice encourages scalping behavior directly from Ticketmaster itself
– It replaces accessible pricing tiers with predatory dynamic costs
– Half the stadium can end up dominated by high-end Platinum sections
Here is a breakdown of Platinum pricing during the Eras presale:
| City | Platinum Ticket Price |
|---|---|
| Chicago | $869 |
| Philadelphia | $799 |
| Foxborough | $589 |
Botching the VIP Packages
Another way average fans got squeezed out was through Taylor Swift’s VIP ticket packages:
– “VIP Tickets” bundled seats with special perks like a tour book, laminate, or meet & greet
– Packages ranged from $299 on up to $899 per seat
– Caused backlash as fans perceived them as extracting higher profits over regular tickets
Here are some of the Eras Tour VIP package options and prices:
| Package | Price Per Ticket | Inclusions |
|---|---|---|
| VIP Party | $899 | Group photo op, tour merchandise |
| Premium Plus | $579 | Tour book, laminate |
| Premium | $309 | Commemorative ticket, merch item |
The catch
While VIPs were marketed as “early access,” the packages didn’t actually guarantee regular seats:
– Fans only found out section info after completing VIP purchase
– Many ended up with rear balcony or obstructed view seats
– Defeated the purpose of paying extra for “priority” access
This contradicted how VIPs are normally promoted as the best seats, fueling criticism of Swift’s cash grab tactics.
How Were Average Fans Impacted?
While Swift is breaking records, her everyday admirers are being left behind:
– Fans described feeling “betrayed” and “swindled” by Swift and Ticketmaster
– Parents and older fans argued the presale shut them out entirely
– Younger fans missed school and work waiting in queues for nothing
– Loyal supporters felt their dedication was exploited – especially those who failed to land tickets
Here are some example fan reactions:
| “I took off work, waited for over 8 hours, finally got tickets and the total came out to $950 for 2 tickets. This is absolutely insane.” |
| “I’m a nurse & mom of 3. Waited ALL day then finally just 1 ticket gets “plucked” from my cart. Why do the rich get all the perks?!?” |
| “@taylorswift13 it’s extremely difficult for working class families and young people like myself to get tickets with these prices ???? we love you but we’re disappointed ????” |
This backlash stems from feeling Taylor herself is approving these sky-high costs that squeeze out ordinary fans.
Does Swift Deserve the Blame?
As one of the biggest pop stars ever, Swift has considerable influence in how her tours are handled. Here are two sides to the debate around her culpability:
The case against Swift
– She could pressure Ticketmaster to improve access for non-VIPs
– Her team approves the ticket pricing and presale systems
– She’s staying silent and not acknowledging fans’ complaints
– Swift is vastly wealthy – she could scale back excessive tour merchandising
– Her dynamic pricing contributes to an exploitative business model
In Swift’s defense
– Ticketmaster has a near-monopoly so she has little vendor choice
– The last-minute venue size bumps increased ticket scarcity
– Policing scalpers is technically Ticketmaster’s job
– She may be unaware or disconnected from floor-level presale issues
– Swift alone didn’t cause the industry-wide corporatization of live music
So while Swift isn’t blameless, Ticketmaster does shoulder more direct responsibility here.
Looking Ahead
The Eras presale fiasco has sparked wider debate about the live music industry’s practices. Here are some potential impacts going forward:
– Increased bipartisan support for Ticket Act legislation to ban scalper bots
– More artist backlash against unfair ticketing platforms like Ticketmaster
– Fan pressure on Swift to advocate for consumer protections
– Class action lawsuits based on Ticketmaster’s bait-and-switch tactics
– Renewed public scrutiny over monopolistic control of primary + resale markets
– Further innovation of blockchain/NFTs for more fan-centered ticketing
But Ticketmaster still occupies an immensely dominant position – as evidenced by their brazen response here. Until the fundamental incentives shift, fans will continue getting the short end of the stick. Swift’s next moves might provide clues if she’s really ready to shake off Ticketmaster’s stranglehold.
Conclusion
Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour presale provided a case study in everything wrong with the modern ticketing industry. Monopolistic practices, predatory pricing models, and rampant scalping left too many fans feeling shaken off. Moving forward, Swift’s superstardom gives her a chance to amplify calls for reform. With Ticketmaster controlling so much of touring infrastructure, incremental changes seem more realistic than rapid revolutionary shifts. But exposing shady practices can fuel wider momentum amongst artists, lawmakers, and the public. The debacle showed Swift has power to bend industry precedents to her will. Many hope she’ll now flex that power to pull fans closer into her orbit.
