Fans, Advocates Call for Changes to New York’s “Live Nation Welfare Bill”

Consumer advocates have raised red flags over proposed ticketing legislation in New York, arguing that the last-minute proposed changes to ticketing regulations in the state further empower the “monopoly cartel” by handing even more market power to Live Nation Entertainment and its ticketing subsidiary, Ticketmaster, at the expense of fans.

“This bill, as written, opens a backdoor that could let the monopoly cartel lock out fans from fair resale and deepen its grip on live events,” said Brian Hess, executive director of the Sports Fans Coalition. “That forces safe, protected ticket sales offline where consumers will get scammed many times over.”

The bill in question—A8651 in the Assembly and S822 in the Senate—is a dramatic shift from proposed legislation filed earlier in 2025 by the same primary bill sponsors, Sen. James Skoufis and Asm. Ron Kim. The January legislation had largely mirrored positions long-held by Sen. Skoufis since his 2021 investigation of the live entertainment ticketing industry. It had garnered support from groups like the National Consumers League (NCL) and Sports Fans Coalition (SFC), thanks to several pro-consumer provisions supported by the Senators investigative findings.

With the dramatic shift towards Live Nation Entertainment’s preferred regulatory climate reflected in the new bill, both organizations are calling for lawmakers to amend the legislation before moving forward.

FURTHER READING: NY Ticket Bill Contradicts Past Investigations, Including Sponsors

The advocacy groups argue that the revised legislation would give dominant platforms like Ticketmaster increased control over whether and how fans can resell tickets they’ve already purchased—potentially undermining consumer choice and competition. Ticketmaster, which is owned by Live Nation, already commands significant market share in both primary and secondary ticketing.

“Live Nation and its affiliated artists and venues are pitching ticket resale restrictions as a panacea for all of fans’ frustrations with the ticket marketplace. Unfortunately, the reality is that the proposed restrictions are a fast track to more fraud,” said John Breyault, vice president at NCL. “Artificially limiting consumer access to ticket marketplaces pushes fans into the shadows of the internet—Facebook Marketplace, Craigslist, and shady international sites—where scammers thrive.”

FURTHER READING: Analysis – Price-Cap Bills Would Push Fans to Risky Ticket Markets

The groups warn that the bill’s resale restrictions could exacerbate issues with ticket access and affordability. Life changes can prevent ticketholders from attending events, they note, and restricting resale options would leave consumers with fewer ways to recoup costs—or find discounted last-minute tickets from others.

According to a recent study cited by the advocates, 55% of tickets resold on secondary marketplaces in 2023 were offered below face value, saving consumers more than $440 million nationwide and $41.7 million in New York alone.

The legislation does include reforms that both organizations say fans should welcome. It would require disclosure of ticket holdbacks, a tactic used by primary sellers—including Ticketmaster, venues, and artists—to limit ticket supply at initial onsale, creating artificial scarcity. The bill would require more transparency about what’s actually available to fans, though only for the largest venues, and without any cap on the practice that the January legislation proposal had. Another provision mandates refunds if a postponed event is not rescheduled within 90 days.

Still, the overarching concern remains that these positive steps are outweighed by provisions that could further entrench Live Nation’s dominance. The groups warn that if Live Nation is allowed to dictate resale terms, it would almost certainly consolidate the secondary market by striking exclusive “preferred reseller” deals with venues and artists, collecting fees both at initial sale and resale.

“We’re all in for more transparency and stronger refund rules. That’s solid work,” said Hess. “But this bill… could let the monopoly cartel lock out fans from fair resale.”

The coalition urges Senator James Skoufis, who sponsors the bill, to amend the proposal to remove what they see as a dangerous expansion of Ticketmaster’s control.

“A8651/S822 is a bill that our organizations would very much like to support,” the advocates wrote in a May 28 letter to lawmakers. “Unfortunately, special interests have allowed it to become a vehicle for Live Nation’s monopoly ambitions in New York. We urge Senator Skoufis to work with us to ensure that fans—not Live Nation and the artists and venues it controls—are the real winners from this bill.”

TicketNews has requested comment regarding the pushback to the new proposed language of these bills from both Sen. Skoufis and Asm. Kim. No responses have been received despite multiple messages sent to staff members.