The recent Taylor Swift sales controversy has sparked an investigation.
Last week, ticket sales began for Taylor Swift’s upcoming Eras tour, and the fan response was expectedly massive. However, as fans tried to buy tickets on Ticketmaster, many faced website errors and crashes, leading to canceled or invalid orders. This continued for days until Ticketmaster halted sales for the tour due to overwhelming demand.
This incident has raised concerns about potential power abuse and antitrust violations as Ticketmaster’s dominant position in ticket sales may have influenced the event unfairly. State Attorney Generals have launched investigations and encouraged those impacted to provide reports and statements.
“Trouble, trouble, trouble,” tweeted Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro. “Pennsylvanians facing issues with Ticketmaster should report complaints to my office.”
“There are no current allegations of misconduct, but as the attorney general, I must ensure that consumer protection and antitrust laws in Tennessee are upheld,” stated Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti to the Associated Press.
BREAKING: Ticketmaster is under investigation by the Justice Department for abusing its monopoly power over the live music industry, per The New York Times.
— More Perfect Union (@MorePerfectUS) November 18, 2022
In a statement to the Tennessee Star, Skrmetti mentioned that the investigation is in its initial stages and will require time to gather evidence and analyze the market for any antitrust concerns. “It’s going to be a long process. It could take a while,” Skrmetti explained.
