The recent launch of Taylor Swift’s The Eras Tour has been mired in controversy, with fans expressing outrage over difficulties obtaining tickets on Ticketmaster. Massive demand overwhelmed the ticketing platform, leading to long wait times, error messages, and tickets selling out in minutes. The debacle has raised questions about Ticketmaster’s sales practices and market dominance in event ticketing. This article will examine the factors underlying the Ticketmaster fiasco and what it means for Swift fans hoping to see the pop superstar on tour.
Unprecedented Demand
By any measure, interest in Taylor Swift’s tour was astronomical. According to Ticketmaster, over 3.5 million people preregistered for the presale event, the largest registration in the company’s history. For comparison, registration for Swift’s 2018 Reputation Tour was around 1.5 million. The surge in demand is likely due to several factors:
Swift’s Mega-Popularity
Swift has grown into one of the biggest pop stars on the planet since her country music beginnings as a teenager in 2006. She has won 11 Grammy Awards, headlined massive world tours, and landed 50 songs on the Billboard Hot 100 charts. Her last album, Midnights, broke the Spotify record for most streams in a day upon release. Swift’s cultural dominance explains why so many fans jumped at the chance to see her live.
Increased Touring Capacity
While Swift has played large venues and stadiums in the past, her upcoming Eras Tour expands her touring capacity significantly. She’s booked major stadiums like SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles, home to over 70,000 seats. More available seats means more fans competing for tickets.
Post-Pandemic Demand
Pent-up excitement for live events has led to intense ticketing demand coming out of the pandemic. Music fans who missed seeing their favorite artists during 2020-2021 appear extremely eager to make up for lost time. Swift will also be touring for the first time since 2018, further driving anticipation.
Bot and Reseller Issues
While unprecedented demand was likely the primary driver of Ticketmaster’s troubles, there are also concerns about bot and reseller activity exacerbating the situation:
Bots Snatching Up Tickets
There are indications that ticket-buying bots played a major role in Swift ticket sales. These bots can submit thousands of automated requests per minute, crowding out real human buyers. Ticketmaster claimed “unprecedented” bot activity, though some critics are skeptical bots alone could have created such huge demand.
Resellers Flipping for Profit
Many tickets ended up not in the hands of fans, but on resale sites like StubHub at inflated prices. Ticket resellers use bots to buy up inventory which is then resold for 2-10 times the original value. Some U.S. states have laws limiting ticket resale markups.
Verification System Failure
Fans reported Ticketmaster’s verification system was flawed and ineffective. The system aims to ensure each user is a human ticket buyer, not a bot. But this measure clearly failed to block bots from gobbling up Swift tickets before they went on sale to the general public.
Ticketmaster’s Sales Approach
Ticketmaster’s own sales practices likely aggravated difficulties for fans trying to purchase Swift tickets:
Presales Without Wide Promotion
Ticketmaster offered multiple presales for Swift’s tour sponsors and members of Swift’s official fan club. But these presales were not widely promoted and appeared to catch many fans off guard, limiting who could participate. Only paying members of Swift’s fan club had access to an official presale code.
Staggered Onsale Times
In theory, staggering ticket sale start times for different cities could help absorb demand. But it may have also created confusion while prolonging the frenzy over multiple days. Some buyers trying for tickets on the first day were still shut out.
Excessive Wait Times
Fans complained of wait times stretching 8+ hours before they could access tickets. These extreme delays were due to insanely high simultaneous demand. They likely caused some buyers to lose tickets they had waited hours for.
Website Glitches
Along with extreme wait times, fans reported encountering website errors and crashing. Technical problems prevented additional buyers from entering the queue once waiting room capacity was reached. The overall system appeared unequipped to handle the demand surge.
Ticketmaster’s Market Dominance
Underlying the chaos of Taylor Swift ticket sales is Ticketmaster’s position as the dominant primary ticket seller for major concerts:
70% Market Share
Ticketmaster controls around 70% of the primary event ticketing market according to some estimates. This gives the company tremendous influence over ticketing for the top tours and events. Critics say Ticketmaster’s market power enables anti-consumer policies.
Effective Monopoly
While competitors like AXS and SeatGeek exist, Ticketmaster is essentially a monopolist in the eyes of many industry experts. The 2010 merger between Ticketmaster and Live Nation, the world’s top concert promoter, bolstered Ticketmaster’s control over event ticketing.
Captive Venues
Ticketmaster has exclusive ticketing agreements with many major concert venues and sports stadiums. This makes Ticketmaster the mandatory seller for events at these locations, limiting options for fans. Attempts at competing services like AEG’s AXS have only made small dents.
Fan Club Presales
Even big artists like Taylor Swift who could exert leverage rely on Ticketmaster for official fan club presales. Ticketmaster’s exclusive access to these fan club customers further entrenches their power.
Calls for Investigation and Reform
The fiasco has led lawmakers and consumer advocates to demand investigation into Ticketmaster and propose legislative reforms:
Justice Department Review
U.S. lawmakers are asking the Department of Justice to review Ticketmaster’s practices and market dominance following the Swift ticketing failure. There are calls to enforce the antitrust conditions agreed to by Ticketmaster and Live Nation in their 2010 merger.
FTC and State Investigations
Others want the Federal Trade Commission and state attorneys general to open investigations. Possible consumer protection violations include inadequate disclosures around ticket availability and presales. New York’s AG already sent Ticketmaster a letter with questions.
BOTS Act
Some politicians have promoted legislation like the BOTS Act to crack down on ticket bots. The law would make using bots to purchase event tickets illegal rather than just the resale. But bots are difficult to police given evolving technology.
Resale Fee Caps
Lawmakers have also called for legislation capping the markup on ticket resales. This could curb exploitative practices by resellers using bots. Around 30 U.S. states already have anti-scalping laws.
Little Recourse for Swift Fans
Unfortunately for Taylor Swift fans unable to get tour tickets, there are few options for recourse:
Lack of Alternatives
With Ticketmaster the exclusive seller, fans can’t access tickets anywhere else for face value prices. Listings already on resale sites start around $500 and go up past $10,000.
No Refunds
Ticketmaster does not issue refunds for those unable to purchase tickets, even after lengthy wait times. The only option is reentering the queue and starting the process over.
No Class Action
Ticketmaster’s terms forbid participation in class action lawsuits. This means individuals can only pursue private arbitration. Costly legal action likely isn’t feasible over $200 tickets.
Watch for Newly Released Tickets
Stubborn fans should keep monitoring Ticketmaster in case a few tickets get returned and redistributed. Also look for added tour dates, though prices will likely be marked up far beyond face value.
Key Takeaways
– Demand for Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour vastly exceeded any previous onsale event in Ticketmaster’s history, driven by Swift’s popularity and post-pandemic excitement.
– Bot attacks and unethical resellers exploited the situation, but Ticketmaster’s own systems and policies failed to handle the exceptional demand.
– Ticketmaster’s dominant position in event ticketing left Swift fans no alternatives for buying tour tickets at original prices.
– The fiasco has lawmakers calling for oversight of Ticketmaster and new protections for consumers.
– Many Swift fans are left paying inflated resale prices or missing the tour altogether through no fault of their own.
The Future of Ticketing
The chaotic Taylor Swift ticket rollout highlighted serious problems in today’s event ticketing landscape. As legislators respond and Ticketmaster vows improvements, there are broader questions about the future of the industry:
– Will Ticketmaster make meaningful changes to improve sales fairness and access without losing its market leverage?
– Are anti-bot laws and resale regulations effective against evolving ticket scalping technology and practices?
– Will legal action and investigations actually reduce Ticketmaster’s ticket sales monopoly in live entertainment?
– How can artists balance providing fair ticket access for hardcore fans with meeting overall tour revenue goals?
– Could blockchain ticketing or other innovations truly reform the broken aspects of the current system?
The furor over Taylor Swift tickets is unlikely to fade anytime soon. But ideally the debacle will spark productive conversations on consumer-friendly ticketing and greater competition moving forward. Swifties undoubtedly look forward to the day buying tour tickets doesn’t require battle armor.
