America’s multi-billion dollar live entertainment industry is getting a ticketing makeover
Ticketmaster and AXS have implement all-in pricing following the US federal government’s demand that ticketing companies are transparent with consumers from the start. As of May 12th, both companies started displaying “All-In Pricing” which reflects the total cost of a concert, sporting or event ticket up front, minus taxes and optional items.
“Starting May 12 in the U.S., AXS will display All-In Prices for tickets in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s new rule that ticket sellers list the total (or “All-In Price”) of a ticket at the beginning of the ticket buying process,” the company shared in an email last week. “All primary and resale ticket sales on AXS.com in the U.S. will now display the All-In Price up front. When selecting tickets to purchase, fans will see the All-In Price. The All-In Price includes the ticket price and any mandatory fees required in order to purchase a ticket. The All-In Price does not include any fees for optional items, which will be shown at checkout (when applicable).”
Ticketmaster, which is owned by Live Nation and has faced an antitrust suit for monopolizing the live entertainment industry by the federal govornment, says they’re implementing the new law across all of North America.
“Starting May 12, with All In Prices, you’ll be able to find tickets within your budget right away, with no surprises at checkout. That’s because you’ll see the cost of your ticket—including fees, before taxes—from the moment you start shopping for any Ticketmaster event in the U.S.,” they share on their website. “More importantly, we’re all in on putting fans first. We’ve long advocated for all-in pricing laws worldwide, and support a consistent ticket-buying experience for fans. As of May 12, we’ll have moved to All In Prices in all of North America, bringing us in line with the rest of the world—so the price you see first is always what you pay at checkout, no matter where you are.”
In late March, President Donald J. Trump signed an Executive Order to protect fans from exploitative ticket scalping and bring commonsense reforms to America’s live entertainment ticketing industry, which has a total nationwide economic impact of $132.6 billion and supports nearly one million jobs. However, it has become blighted by unscrupulous middle-men who impose egregious fees on fans with no benefit to artists. Trump was joined by Conservative musician Kid Rock in the Oval Office when signing the proclamation, who has long supported the cause.
The Order directs the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to work with the Attorney General to ensure that competition laws are appropriately enforced in the concert and entertainment industry; Rigorously enforce the Better Online Ticket Sales (BOTS) Act and promote its enforcement by state consumer protection authorities; Ensure price transparency at all stages of the ticket-purchase process, including the secondary ticketing market; Evaluate and, if appropriate, take enforcement action to prevent unfair, deceptive, and anti-competitive conduct in the secondary ticketing market.
Also, the House passed the Transparency in Charges for Key Events Ticketing Act (H.R. 1402), or TICKET Act, by a bipartisan vote of 409-15, last month. The bill ensures a fair, dynamic, and transparent ticket market exists for fans across the country. The TICKET Act illegalizes hidden ticket fees by mandating all-in, upfront pricing so the first price you see is the last number you see, plus tax.
