A coalition of consumer protection groups are taking their opposition to the proposed Ticketmaster/Live Nation merger to the internet with the launch of TicketDisaster.org, a Web site dedicated to convincing the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) to block the deal.
The Web site was launched Wednesday, December 16, with a press conference held by Congressman Bill Pascrell, Jr., who also opposes the merger.
According to John Breyault, spokesperson for the National Consumers League (NCL), one of the groups that spearheaded the site’s development, the purpose of it is to reach Congress to pressure the DOJ before the department decides what to do.
“We wanted to make sure that before the House of Representatives recessed for the Holidays that they knew that the deal is in the final stages, and that those House members should act to let the Justice Department know that the safest course of action is to block the merger,” Breyault told TicketNews. Over the summer, Pascrell gathered signatures from 50 House members on a letter of opposition he sent to DOJ.
The other goal of the site is to generate grass roots opposition to the merger, and asks interested people to sign up for updates on the deal. Breyault said the groups behind the site have not put a number on how many people it hopes to attract.
“It’s a pivotal moment for the merger, and we wanted high visibility,” Breyault said, adding that Ticketmaster Entertainment has scheduled its shareholders’ vote on the deal for January 8.
Live Nation and Ticketmaster have put on the full court press, so to speak, to get the merger approved, and the two have enlisted the help of cable giant Comcast to possibly buy some assets.
“We don’t feel that any of the divestitures being discussed would address the inherent anti-competitive nature of the deal,” Breyault said. The TicketDisaster Web site outlines several reasons why the groups oppose the deal, including that Ticketmaster has an alleged track record of anti-competitive behavior, and that the two companies would have unfettered control over ticket prices.
Spokespersons from both Live Nation and Ticketmaster did not respond to requests for comment. Breyault said neither company has reached out to consumer groups about the deal.
“This merger is a dead-end for consumers,” NCL Executive Director Sally Greenberg said in a statement. “For too long consumers have had to bear the burden of ever-higher ticket prices and add-on fees while Ticketmaster and Live Nation have been left to gobble up the competition. The time is now for the DOJ to step in and say ‘enough is enough.’”
Last Updated on December 18, 2009
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You are referring to the National Association of Ticket Brokers as a consumer protection group!? HA!!!!! Comedy at its finest.
As horrible as Ticketmaster is, the NATB, who hosts that website, is DISGUSTING. Hilarious anti-merger sentiment akin to right wing anti-Muslim hysteria. Gotta love ticketing drama & just hope Live Nation has a good influence on Ticketmaster.
LOL – exactly – since when have ticket brokers been concerned about the public good. Aren’t they the ones benefitting from jacking up ticket prices in the first place?
This would be like a group of car thieves starting a website to protest a new alarm system saying it’s not fair to consumers!
Just because the NATB is a joke of an organization does not make the NCL wrong in its concerns for consumers. As a broker, I obviously oppose the merger, but as a consumer, I also know it will be bad for me, just as it is anytime one company has the kind of control over an industry that the Ticketmaster – Live Nation company would. This is not an argument about brokers or what a piece of crap the NATB is, it’s an argument about whether a Ticketmaster/Live Nation merger would be good for consumers, and the answer is a resounding NO.
Actually, it’s just the opposite. When you sell tickets at market value, which is what brokers do, the cost of the ticket is only one factor. When the price of the ticket is already so high because of all the fees imposed by Ticketmaster, that just makes a smaller margin for brokers to deal with. Ask yourself this…if you were in the business of re-selling tickets for profit, would you rather have a $ 50 ticket you could sell for $ 100, or a $ 250 ticket you could sell for $ 275? If you think anyone other than Ticketmaster benefits from the continuous increase in ticket prices and service fees, then you need to re-think your logic because you’re wrong.
Hey excuse me, Not all brokers operate on the low levels as some brokers. There are some brokers who actually sell at reasonable prices to what their market will bear. It is brokers WHO gypsy in and do not know the market and list tickets for outrageous prices, then after prices way too high for that area, they start the fire sale and ruin it for us as now the consumers are now waiting for fire sales, and now expect seats below face value.
While NATB has been a disappointment to the brokers as they only seem to benefit the larger brokers, that essentially sit on the board. No confidence with NATB President, as he is part of this old boys network. Made a mistake when we renewed our membership in 2009, but we will be NATB free in 2010. Just no longer gonna throw good money away to NATB and get nothing back in return.
Actually you’re wrong as Ticketmaster does not set ticket prices and personally I’d rather pay the service charges Ticketmaster imposes than the jacked up prices scalpers charge.
Call me crazy but I consider a reasonable price to be face value.