Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) is the latest legislator to push for all-in pricing in the industry, calling for more transparent ticket costs from entertainment giant Live Nation.
In a letter sent to Live Nation CEO Michael Rapino on Wednesday, Klobuchar called on Live Nation to make its all-in pricing view a default setting across Live Nation and Ticketmaster platforms.
“Millions of Americans rely on your company for the chance to see their favorite artist, band, or sports team,” Klobuchar wrote. “In return for their business and trust, your customers expect a transparent and honest ticket buying process free from hidden fees.”
Klobuchar went on to note that while Live Nation-Ticketmaster had agreed to “roll out an upfront all-in pricing experience in September showing just one, clear total price,” as of now, “it is still too difficult for consumers to find the all-in price of a ticket before checkout.”
Live Nation responded to the letter, noting in a statement to NBC News that Klobuchar’s request is “impractical and inaccurate,” as it already fulfilled its promise to disclose all-in prices at the venues it operates — not the thousands of other venues that Ticketmaster sells tickets to on its site. A spokesperson said the change only applies to venues it owns and operates.
“If we had the power to do that it would have been part of our commitment to the White House and our June 15 announcement,” a Live Nation spokesperson said. “This just underscores the importance of all-in pricing legislation.”
The spokesperson also pointed out that customers can use the new tool on Ticketmaster to “filter” tickets to “show prices including fees.” However, Klobuchar said that this just shows the ticketing company has the ability to display all-in prices, “but chooses not to display that price to consumers as the default setting.”
In a response to Klobuchar, Live Nation wrote in a letter that “Ticketmaster does not have the right to do that, as it is an agent for the venues that issue tickets and along with the content owners (artists, sports teams, etc.) determine ticket pricing and how fees are displayed.” Klobuchar, however, isn’t buying it. She told NBC News that the company could still be more transparent, noting, “They can show how much the ticket costs, and that’s what they need to do.”
Earlier this month, it was announced that President Biden is reportedly preparing to announce plans for rules that will require fee transparency across multiple industries, including event ticketing.
“We want companies competing on price, not on their ability to hide prices from consumers,” a Biden Administration official told CNN. “So what our rule would do is require upfront pricing, so that consumers can look for the ticket seller with the best deal and an honest business and have a fair chance to compete.”’
While several states have already brought-forth legislation to mandate all-in pricing, no federal ticket reforms — alike the BOSS and SWIFT Act — have made it to a floor vote yet.
