U.K. government to investigate Ticketmaster’s use of ‘dynamic pricing’ for Oasis tickets

The U.K. government is investigating Ticketmaster’s use of dynamic pricing following a ticket fiasco for Oasis’ reunion tour. Thousands of fans were left disappointed after prices shot up by hundreds of pounds while they were trying to buy tickets online. Culture minister Lisa Nandy has pledged to end rip-off resales and ensure tickets are sold at fair prices. A consultation on ticket resale websites will be held with dynamic pricing now included in the scope. This is not the first time Ticketmaster has faced criticism, as last year the U.S. Senate held a hearing on lack of competition in the concert ticket industry, highlighting the company’s dominant market position and lack of pressure to innovate and improve services. Senator Amy Klobuchar stated that consolidation in the live entertainment and ticketing industry harms customers and artists when there is no competition to incentivize better services and fair prices. The investigation into Ticketmaster in the U.K. aims to address issues around transparency and use of dynamic pricing in order to prevent inflated prices from excluding ordinary fans and ensure a fair ticket-buying process for all.

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