The United Kingdom’s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) announced Thursday that Ticketmaster has agreed to make sweeping changes to its ticket sales process, following widespread consumer backlash to this summer’s Oasis reunion tour onsale.
The CMA’s investigation found that Ticketmaster failed to clearly disclose major pricing details as millions of fans attempted to secure seats for Oasis’ 41-date stadium tour. Among the regulator’s concerns:
- Fans waiting in the online queues were not told that identical tickets were being sold in two tiers, with cheaper passes quickly selling out and leaving only higher-priced options.
- So-called “platinum” tickets were marketed at nearly two-and-a-half times the cost of standard tickets despite offering no real benefits over seats in the same sections.
In response, Ticketmaster has formally committed to several changes: notifying fans at least 24 hours in advance when tiered pricing will be used; providing clearer information about price ranges while fans are waiting in online queues; dropping misleading labels like “platinum” if they imply that one ticket is better than a less expensive one; and regularly reporting to the CMA for the next two years to prove compliance.
“Fans who spend their hard-earned money to see artists they love deserve to see clear, accurate information, upfront,” CMA Chief Executive Sarah Cardell said in announcing the changes. “The changes we’ve secured will give fans more information about prices and clear descriptions of exactly what they are getting for their money. If Ticketmaster fails to deliver on these changes, we won’t hesitate to take further action.”
A spokesperson for Ticketmaster said in a statement: “We welcome the CMA’s confirmation there was no dynamic pricing, no unfair practices and that we did not breach consumer law.
“To further improve the customer experience, we’ve voluntarily committed to clearer communication about ticket prices in queues.
“This builds on our capped resale, strong bot protection, and clear pricing displays – and we encourage the CMA to hold the entire industry to these same standards.”
A Long-Running Fight
As TicketNews previously reported, the CMA first opened its inquiry in September 2024 after the Oasis onsale drew more than 14 million purchase attempts and a flood of complaints. Fans described chaotic queues, confusing price jumps, and premium ticket labels that offered no discernible upgrades.
By July, the watchdog was threatening to take Ticketmaster to court, saying there was a “fundamental disagreement” over whether the company’s practices violated consumer-protection laws. Lawmakers hauled Live Nation Touring chief Phil Bowdery and Ticketmaster U.K. boss Andrew Parsons before Parliament, pressing them on whether the firm used “dynamic pricing” akin to airlines. Ticketmaster denied it, though its own terms and conditions at the time suggested otherwise.
While the CMA ultimately concluded there was no algorithmic real-time pricing, it determined that consumers were left without the clear and timely information needed to make informed decisions. The new undertakings—which Ticketmaster accepted without admitting liability—stop short of financial penalties, but the CMA’s updated consumer law powers now allow fines up to 10% of global turnover for future violations.
Part of a Broader Pattern
The Oasis fiasco is just one of many regulatory challenges facing Live Nation Entertainment and its ticketing arm. In the U.S., the Federal Trade Commission and seven states filed suit this month accusing Ticketmaster of working hand-in-glove with large brokers to harvest tickets, inflate prices, and “triple dip” on fees when those tickets were resold through its own marketplace. That complaint alleges consumers paid billions more than face value between 2019 and 2024. It is also being sued by the Department of Justice and 40 Attorneys General in a massive antitrust lawsuit seeking to split the companies up as an illegal monopoly.
Read More: Ticketmaster Under Fire: FTC Lawsuit, DOJ Antitrust Case Explained
All three cases highlight a common thread: regulators on both sides of the Atlantic increasingly see Ticketmaster’s opaque pricing and resale practices as harmful to consumers. For fans, the CMA’s enforcement in Britain could mark the start of more transparent onsales—though the true test will come the next time a high-demand act puts tickets on sale.
