HARTFORD, Conn. — Exactly one year since Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) started calling for an investigation into Live Nation and Ticketmaster, he’s issuing a subpoena against the companies.
This subpoena follows a months-long, congressional inquiry into Live Nation’s practices, after what Blumenthal calls “ticket fiascos” like sales for Taylor Swift and Bruce Springsteen’s tours.
“Live Nation Ticketmaster has stonewalled our repeated requests, they have stonewalled our inquiry,” Blumenthal said Tuesday.
He said the companies aren’t complying, hoping this subpoena from the Senate’s Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations will force them to provide documents related to ticket pricing, fees, and resale practices.
“We've collected a lot of information, but the company is hiding and concealing,” said Blumenthal
He said the committee’s investigation began in March, after a January hearing where lawmakers grilled Live Nation’s president and CFO.
This stems from the sales for Taylor Swift’s “Eras” tour ending in chaos last year, something fans remember all too well.
“I was not expecting it to be as crazy as it was at all,” said Margaret Pfohl.
Pfohl waited over three hours in an online Ticketmaster queue during the verified fan presale a year ago and while she did come away with tickets, many weren’t so lucky.
“It was just shocking this time, given how much the tickets were,” Pfohl said. “I've never spent that much on concert tickets, and then you add all the fees, and it was like, outrageous.”
Blumenthal said these “ticket fiascos” are only a symptom of a more pervasive problem.
“Consumers are sick and tired of astronomic ticket prices, hidden fees, exorbitant charges, bots and scalpers. People deserve better,” he said. “There's no excuse here that it’s entertainment, that doesn't justify predatory practices.”
Blumenthal is also hoping this will elevate another call to undo Ticketmaster and Live Nation’s merger more than a decade ago.
In a statement, a Live Nation spokesperson said, “Live Nation has voluntarily worked with the Subcommittee for many months, and we’ve already provided over 10,000 documents and held several meetings with staff. The subcommittee is seeking additional information about how artists set prices and venues determine fees, but we do not feel comfortable sharing this information without standard confidentiality measures. Thus far the Subcommittee has refused to provide such assurances, but if and when those protections are in place we will provide additional information on these topics. We remain committed to working with the Subcommittee and believe there are many paths to improve ticket buying – including letting artists determine resale rules, mandating all-in pricing nationwide, banning speculative ticket selling and more.”
Emma Wulfhorst is a political reporter for FOX61 News. She can be reached at ewulfhorst@fox61.com. Follow her on Facebook, X and Instagram.
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