Ticketmaster weighs in on UK’s new secondhand ticketing legislation

This week, new legislation was passed by the House of Lords in the UK to amend the Consumer Rights Bill so that secondary ticketing sellers are monitored more closely.

Online ticket marketplaces like Viagogo, StubHub and Seatwave (all of which operate in Australia) must now provide details such as the original price, seating details, details of their employment if it relates to the entertainment industry, and whether or not the ticket is being sold in breach of terms and conditions of the original purchase. 

Ticketmaster UK, which operates under promoter giant Live Nation, has told TMN that while they are behind the amendment, it remains to be seen how this will affect fans of live events.

“The ultimate success of the Amendment will be dependent upon how it is adopted by the live events sector,” a representative told TMN. “Fans are demanding better access to tickets, with greater levels of choice and flexibility; recent research having shown that 80% of the British public want the right to resell tickets.”

Last month, leading figures from all facets of the entertainment and sports industry called for tougher restrictions and transparency on the secondhand ticket industry. Rob Da Bank (Bestival), Nick Mason (Pink Floyd), Iron Maiden, Ed O’Brien (Radiohead) and One Direction’s managers (Modest Management) are just a few on the list of 80 plus signatures published in an open letter to the ministers of the House Of Commons.

“We fully support increased transparency, so that every fan can be confident that they are buying a legitimate ticket,” said Ticketmaster UK. “We therefore hope that this new regulation will be used as an opportunity to put fans first, improving their access to tickets, as well as allowing them to transfer their tickets to others in a safe and transparent marketplace.”

Last year Ticketmaster and Live Nation introduced TM+ to the Australian market following a US rollout in 2013, to provide a safe place for fans to scalp their own tickets online. Ticketmaster takes 10% of buyer and seller fees on each transaction and gives some of that revenue back to artists (depending on their contracts).

While Ticketmaster and Viagogo are locally creating barriers for fraudulent ticket scammers and aiding venues with enhanced customer data – Soundwave recently announced its partnership with Viagogo for those very reasons - the marketplace isn’t as regulated as it could be.

“We look forward to working with the government and the industry to implement this regulation to the benefit of all consumers and continuing our work to provide market based solutions, both within the primary and secondary sectors, so delivering higher levels of transparency, choice and protection,” Ticketmaster told TMN.