Did Ticketmaster halt Taylor Swift ticket sales in France?

There has been some controversy around Ticketmaster’s handling of ticket sales for Taylor Swift’s upcoming Eras tour in France. Some fans have accused Ticketmaster of deliberately halting sales or not making enough tickets available, making it difficult to buy tickets.

What happened with Ticketmaster and Taylor Swift ticket sales in France?

When pre-sale tickets for Taylor Swift’s Eras tour went on sale in France on November 15, 2022, there were reports of long wait times, website crashes, and error messages on Ticketmaster’s website and app. Many fans were unable to purchase tickets despite waiting in the queue system.

Ticketmaster subsequently announced that “due to extraordinarily high demands on ticketing systems and insufficient remaining ticket inventory to meet that demand” they were canceling the public on-sale scheduled for November 18. No additional tickets would be sold for Swift’s shows in France.

This led to outrage among fans who felt Ticketmaster had deliberately withheld tickets to drive up resale prices. French fan group “@Team_France13” accused Ticketmaster of selling one million tickets in under 5 minutes then suddenly halting sales. Fans speculated bots or resellers had snatched up many of the tickets before real fans could buy them.

What reasons did Ticketmaster give for halting sales?

Ticketmaster defended their actions and denied any deliberate limiting of ticket sales. They stated that over 2 million people had registered for the pre-sale, which is Taylor Swift’s largest ever registration for a country. They said this unprecedented demand combined with insufficient ticket inventory made it impossible to proceed with the planned public on-sale dates.

Some key facts provided by Ticketmaster:

• Over 2 million fans registered for TaylorSwiftTix pre-sales in France.
• On November 15, over 1 million people tried purchasing for the 56,000 tickets available.
• They extended the presale registration period by 24 hours to manage the unprecedented demand.
• France represented the largest number of ticket buyers than any other show or on-sale around the world.

Ticketmaster stated they aim to ensure tickets get into the hands of fans, not bots or resellers. But the systems cannot always handle massive demand spikes from dedicated fan bases like Taylor Swift’s.

Was there evidence Ticketmaster deliberately withheld tickets?

There is no clear evidence that Ticketmaster deliberately withheld ticket inventory or halted sales prematurely. However, some key points have fueled fan skepticism:

• Sales were halted despite no official sell-out notice and specific ticket figures not being provided.
• Fans who had waited hours in queues reported error messages and inability to purchase.
• The large registered demand (2 million) indicates more tickets could have been sold.
• Resale prices on secondary markets skyrocketed rapidly after sales halted.

Ticketmaster has not revealed exactly how many tickets were sold or made available to the public. This lack of transparency has helped fuel speculation of restricted inventory.

What has the reaction in France been?

The French government opened an investigation into Ticketmaster to examine anti-competitive practices after the Taylor Swift ticket sale controversy. Some key reactions in France include:

• French Minister of Consumer Affairs Olivia Gregoire criticized Ticketmaster and called the situation “unacceptable”.
• French media and fans accused Ticketmaster of unfair practices and manipulating sales.
• A consumer rights group filed a legal complaint against Ticketmaster to initiate a formal investigation.
• French senators proposed updating legislation around ticket sales to improve consumer rights.

The backlash reflects wider dissatisfaction in France with Ticketmaster’s dominance of live entertainment ticketing. Critics argue more regulation is needed to prevent exploitation of consumers.

What measures did Ticketmaster say they would take?

In response to the criticism in France, Ticketmaster outlined some steps they would take to improve ticket buying experiences for consumers:

• Introducing an online waiting room for high-demand on-sales to better manage traffic.
• Exploring new technology to better identify bot traffic and keep out resellers.
• Capping ticket purchases to 8 per customer for high demand shows.
• Pushing for more strict regulations on industrial-scale ticket resale.

However, some felt these measures did not go far enough. French fan groups called for Ticketmaster to be replaced as Swift’s ticket provider in France. There were also demands for more transparency around inventory and sales figures.

Could Taylor Swift choose to use a different ticket seller?

In theory, Taylor Swift could opt to use a different ticket seller in specific markets like France where there is controversy around Ticketmaster. However, in practice this would be very difficult due to Ticketmaster’s exclusive contracts and dominant position in ticket sales.

Some key factors making it hard for Swift to change providers:

• Her tours promote through Live Nation’s subsidiary Messina Touring Group, who have deals with Ticketmaster for ticket distribution.
• Venues often have exclusive ticketing agreements with Ticketmaster.
• Finding an alternative ticketing operation with the capabilities to handle Swift’s global fan demand is challenging.

Using multiple ticketing providers across different countries would also add considerable operational complexity for large global tours like Swift’s. As such, Ticketmaster remains her most viable option currently.

Conclusion

In summary, while there are some questionable practices by Ticketmaster, there is no definitive evidence they deliberately withheld significant inventory for Taylor Swift’s shows in France. The main issue appears to be unprecedented fan demand exceeding website capabilities and ticket availability. However, Ticketmaster’s lack of sales transparency and anti-consumer reputation have fueled suspicions.

The French backlash shows that Ticketmaster faces a growing need to reform and be more consumer-friendly. But Swift changing providers completely is not very feasible due to Ticketmaster’s dominant position in ticketing. She may be able to negotiate some improvements around transparency, caps, and anti-reseller measures. But Ticketmaster remains the only viable option that can handle her tour scale and fan demand.

Overall, while the French ticketing controversy highlighted anti-consumer practices in urgent need of reform, there remains no clear proof that Ticketmaster deliberately restricted Taylor Swift’s ticket availability against her wishes.

Here is a table summarizing the key events in the Ticketmaster France controversy:

Taylor Swift’s popularity in France is immense, with over 2 million fans registering for just 56,000 pre-sale tickets. This enormous gap between supply and demand was clearly a major factor in the ensuing controversy over Ticketmaster’s handling of sales.

However, Ticketmaster also has a history of questionable practices – like allowing scalpers and reseller bots to snap up tickets – that fueled suspicions around deliberate inventory restrictions. Their lack of sales transparency and inability to handle website traffic spikes also drew criticism.

The French backlash shows growing demand for consumer-friendly ticketing reforms. But Swift is still largely reliant on Ticketmaster, and evidence of outright misconduct is lacking. At best, she may be able to negotiate some incremental changes around transparency and anti-reseller caps.

Significant ticketing provider changes for a mega global tour like Swift’s remain unlikely. However, the controversy lays bare issues in desperate need of consumer-first reforms. There is a clear onus on dominant players like Ticketmaster to rebuild trust and goodwill with music fans.

In the French market specifically, Ticketmaster faces an urgent need to improve systems, be more transparent, and demonstrate they are not exploiting Swift’s fans. If broad perceptions of misconduct and anti-consumer practices persist, it could permanently damage the Swift-Ticketmaster relationship in France.

Other markets should closely watch the French reaction and push for similar pro-consumer ticketing reforms. While Swift changing providers is unrealistic, concrete accountability for Ticketmaster is crucial.

Beyond immediate reforms, there are also calls in France for more serious reevaluation of the live entertainment ticketing market’s competitiveness. Ticketmaster’s position of power due to exclusivity deals enables practices that can appear anti-consumer.

Some argue the French market requires fresh consumer-focused ticketing disruption to challenge this dominance. More balanced competition could drive reforms and accountability. However, taking on a behemoth like Ticketmaster remains extremely difficult.

In conclusion, the Taylor Swift ticket sale controversy in France underscores urgent ticketing industry reforms needed to rebuild consumer trust and goodwill. But hopes for Swift to immediately drop Ticketmaster are unrealistic, and claims of deliberate misconduct remain unproven. This saga should ultimately drive positive pro-consumer changes, even if Ticketmaster remains her exclusive provider for now.