What's being done to fix this?

After a number of scandals and pressure from disgruntled customers, policymakers around the world initiated action to limit Live Nation and Ticketmaster’s power.

Investigations

Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour controversy led to U.S. Senate hearings about Ticketmaster’s dominant position in the market. Lawmakers involved in the hearing criticized Ticketmaster’s failed sale, and senators on both sides argued that Live Nation is running a monopoly.

Policymakers in the UK and Ireland also began investigations into Ticketmaster’s practices after the band Oasis had a similar ticketing scandal in 2024.

Read more about these investigations here: https://www.irishtimes.com/culture/music/2025/09/25/ticketmaster-commits-to-greater-price-transparency-after-oasis-sale/

Watch clips from the Senate hearing, YouTube

Regulations

U.S. Better Online Ticket Act (2026)

prohibits the use of automated software to bypass security measures that enable the large-scale purchase of tickets.

Read the full law here: https://www.congress.gov/bill/114th-congress/senate-bill/3183

The UK Competition and Markets Authority (2025)

 mandated Ticketmaster to alert customers of dynamic prices, additional fees, and available tickets before entering the queue.

Read the full case here: https://www.gov.uk/cma-cases/ticketmaster-consumer-protection-case

Lawsuits

Live Nation and its subsidiary Ticketmaster have faced a number of lawsuits regarding antitrust violations and deceptive practices. In May 2024, The U.S. Department of Justice and 40 states sued Live Nation on the grounds that they were operating an illegal monopoly.

Read the full lawsuit here: https://www.justice.gov/atr/case/us-and-plaintiff-states-v-live-nation-entertainment-inc-and-ticketmaster-llc

On April 20, 2026, a landmark decision made by a New York court confirmed that Live Nation was running an illegal monopoly. The jury additionally concluded that Ticketmaster had been overcharging customers, reaching a nearly $10 million settlement. Live Nation is expected to pay hundreds of millions of dollars in damages and may be forced to break up Ticketmaster. While nothing is certain, it feels a win for customers who feel that they've been cheated by the system.

Read the full verdict here: https://oag.dc.gov/release/attorney-general-schwalb-announces-live-nation#:~:text=Attorney%20General%20Brian%20L.%20Schwalb,buy%20tickets%20for%20a%20decade.

 

Video from NBC News, YouTube.