Ticketmaster Ireland has been offering cash incentives and rebates to Gaelic Athletic Association county boards, which may violate a 2020 court order limiting such deal structures according to The Irish Times. The reporting is based off of the publication’s review of internal GAA emails that show the ticket platform offering rebates and “loyalty credits” paid out to the county boards.
Such kickbacks were limited in a 2020 court order that Ticketmaster Ireland agreed to, following an investigation by the Competition and Consumer Protection Commission. That investigation identified infringements of Irish competition law by Ticketmaster, but the company avoided prosecution by agreeing to address the concerns brought by the regulator. Any finding by the regulator which indicates the ticketing platform has not held up its end of the deal would lead to a finding of contempt of court.
“The CCPC has also been actively monitoring the impact of the required changes on the sector generally,” said the commission. “Within this context, the CCPC is aware of the issues that have been raised and is continuing to engage with Ticketmaster and with live event organisers and venues.”
According to The Irish Times report, internal GAA emails detail the kickbacks to county boards from the ticketing agency. Individual counties to sign up for the Universe ticket sales system were offered rebates of 15 percent of commissions paid to Ticketmaster and a loyalty payment to “existing and new counties” who signed three-year deals with the company.
“If the direct cost of Universe to your county board was €60,000 last year in direct fees for Universe sales – €9,000 will be paid back in the form a rebate directly to the county,” says the mail from Emma Tormey, GAA ticketing manager, to county boards. The GAA refers to Ticketmaster as its “preferred” ticketing provider.
Ticketmaster Ireland has also allegedly drawn the notice of regulators related to their entering of an exclusive deal with promoter MCD, which made it the exclusive ticket vendor for Coldplay concerts held at Croake Park in Dublin in 2024. The 2020 court order bans exclusive agreements between Ticketmaster Ireland and any venue, and also bars exclusive deals with promoters if the deal lasts longer than three years.
Ticketmaster parent Live Nation is the parent company of MCD Productions, having purchased the promotional company four years ago in a deal that drew the scrutiny of the UK’s Competition and Markets Authority.
Ticketmaster Ireland says that it is in “full compliance” with the court order, while adding that “The terms of our financial agreements are confidential.” It also maintains that it is free to make exclusive deals within the structure of the court order, as long as it doesn’t violate the specific terms outlined.
