Ticketmaster Tea
I don't fear nothing but them resell prices lol
I've been slappin (listening to) Kendrick Lamar’s latest album ever since its surprise release on November 22. Deeply resonating with its distinctly California sound, the album centers elements of the West Coast hip hop sub-genres I grew up with, from the Jerk era to the Hyphy movement and a newer flow notably popularized by the late Drakeo the Ruler. I was elated when he double-downed on the surprise by announcing the 2025 Grand Nationals Tour presented by Live Nation, pgLang, and Top Dog Entertainment. Immediately, I hit up my festie bestie and we agreed to see it at the Sofi Stadium in Inglewood during Memorial Day Weekend. Using the Ticketmaster app, I set up an alarm for general ticket sales on December 6th at 10am. There was no way I would miss this once-in-a-lifetime experience.
At 10:01am I was redirected to an online queue with 32,673 people ahead of me. What even is an online queue? Like is my IP address behind a digital velvet rope and the digital bouncer stiff arms me to wait so that thousands of others can buy their tickets before I even go inside? I aggressively gripped my phone while frantically going back and forth between texting my homegirl and watching my place in line. After 20 minutes (there were only 196 people ahead), she secured a ticket in the 500 level (nosebleed seats) for $65. Finally, twenty minutes later, at 10:42, it was my turn to buy a ticket. I wasn’t even slightly surprised that all of the ticket prices rose and purchased a 400 level ticket for $190. (At this point all of the tickets were $160+)
Relieved that I could finally relax my hand, I sent a screenshot of my seat to my homegirl. Turns out we bought tickets for different dates. Luckily, she was able to hop back in the queue and, at 10:57 am, bought a 500 level ticket for $250 on the same night as me. She put her original ticket on Ticketmaster for resell at a 977% markup. While I can’t fathom paying $700-$1,000+ for nosebleed seats at this show, I know there are people out there who will gladly pay whatever price just to be in the building.
Which made me wonder, what were the conditions that created this reality?
The concert buying process has evolved significantly since the introduction of electronic ticketing systems disrupted the industry in the late 1960s. Things took a drastic turn (for the worse) in 2010 when Live Nation and Ticketmaster merged. Skip to 2024, and the US Department of Justice (DOJ) files a lawsuit accusing them of maintaining an illegal monopoly that inflates ticket prices and stifles competition. This legal action came at the heels of widespread complaints from the Swifties, who experienced massive technical failures on the Ticketmaster site during Taylor Swift's Eras Tour 2022 presale. The DOJ argues this monopoly structure harms artists and consumers by controlling every aspect of live events.
While some consumers blame today’s artists for charging an arm and a leg for their live shows, many don’t consider that artists themselves (and venues) are getting played too. Played how you ask? The DOJ claims Live Nation and Ticketmaster engage in anticompetitive practices through exclusive agreements with venues. They’re alleged to be using their dominant position in the market to coerce venues and artists into exclusive contracts. Essentially threatening to stop bags (financial retaliation) if artists choose to work with their rivals, smaller companies. This includes forcing venues to use Ticketmaster's services if they want access to Live Nation concerts, which is a practice called tying. Their alleged retaliation tactics include reducing the number of concerts at a venue, moving shows to less desirable dates, and cutting promotional efforts. Moreover, they use radius clauses to prevent artists from performing in nearby areas for a set period before and after a show. Which makes it harder for smaller venues to attract popular acts and slows the momentum of emerging artists.
Tisk, tisk, tisk.