:Taylor Swift–Ticketmaster controversy

{{See also|Ticketmaster#Criticism and controversies}}Ticketmaster Entertainment, Inc. is an American ticket sales and distribution company based in Beverly Hills, California with operations in many countries around the world. It was founded in Phoenix, Arizona in 1976{{cite web |date=May 2, 2019 |title=The Ticketmaster Racket |url=https://www.stufftheydontwantyoutoknow.com/podcasts/the-ticketmaster-racket.htm |access-date=May 2, 2019 |website=Stuff They Dont Want You to Know |archive-date=January 11, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230111155837/https://www.iheart.com/podcast/182-stuff-they-dont-want-you-t-26941221/?pname=www.stufftheydontwantyoutoknow.com&sc=dnsredirect |url-status=live }} by college staffers Peter Gadwa and Albert Leffler, as well as businessman Gordon Gunn III.{{Cite news |last=Lewis |first=Christina S. N. |date=November 23, 2007 |title=Ticket Master's Place |newspaper=The Wall Street Journal |url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB119577310548201479 |access-date=April 4, 2019 |issn=0099-9660 |archive-date=November 25, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221125095400/https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB119577310548201479 |url-status=live }}{{Cite news |date=January 31, 1985 |title=Rival to Ticketron : Ticketmaster Emerging as Force in L.A. |newspaper=Los Angeles Times |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1985-01-31-fi-5143-story.html |access-date=April 4, 2019 |archive-date=December 8, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221208142650/https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1985-01-31-fi-5143-story.html |url-status=live }}

File:US Department of Justice.jpg office in Washington, D.C.]]

In 1994, American rock band Pearl Jam filed a complaint with the antitrust division of the U.S. Department of Justice, claiming that Ticketmaster has a "virtually absolute monopoly on the distribution of tickets to concerts" and attempted to book its tour only at venues that did not use Ticketmaster. However, no action was taken on Ticketmaster. In the 21st century, Ticketmaster became the largest ticket sales company in the world.{{Cite news |last=Valinsky |first=Jordan |date=November 17, 2022 |title=Taylor Swift ticket snafu caused by Ticketmaster abusing its market power, Senate antitrust chair says |agency=CNN |url=https://www.cnn.com/2022/11/17/business/ticketmaster-taylor-swift-amy-klobuchar-letter/index.html |access-date=November 17, 2022 |archive-date=November 17, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221117134654/https://www.cnn.com/2022/11/17/business/ticketmaster-taylor-swift-amy-klobuchar-letter/index.html |url-status=live }}{{cite magazine |last1=Tkacik |first1=Maureen |last2=Brown |first2=Krista |title=Ticketmaster's Dark History: A 40-year saga of kickbacks, threats, political maneuvering, and the humiliation of Pearl Jam |url=https://prospect.org/power/ticketmasters-dark-history/ |access-date=January 28, 2023 |magazine=The American Prospect |date=December 21, 2022 |archive-date=January 28, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230128220747/https://prospect.org/power/ticketmasters-dark-history/ |url-status=live }}

In February 2009, Ticketmaster entered into an agreement to merge with the world's largest event promoter, Live Nation, to form Live Nation Entertainment.[http://dealbook.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/02/10/live-nation-and-ticketmaster-agree-to-merge/ Live Nation and Ticketmaster Agree to Merge] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090214213517/http://dealbook.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/02/10/live-nation-and-ticketmaster-agree-to-merge/ |date=February 14, 2009 }} The New York Times. February 10, 2009. The deal was cleared by the U.S. Justice Department in January 2010 under the condition that the company sell Paciolan to Comcast Spectacor or another firm, and license its software to Anschutz Entertainment Group (AEG), its biggest competitor.{{Cite news |last=Sisario |first=Ben |date=January 25, 2010 |title=Justice Dept. Clears Ticketmaster-Live Nation Merger |newspaper=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/26/business/26ticket.html |access-date=April 12, 2019 |archive-date=November 29, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221129042237/https://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/26/business/26ticket.html |url-status=live }} The new company, which would be called Live Nation Entertainment, would also be subject to provisions for 10 years that prevented it from retaliating against venues that partnered with competing ticketing firms. Live Nation CEO Michael Rapino was named CEO of the new company.{{Cite news |date=February 10, 2009 |title=Live Nation to buy Ticketmaster |work=Reuters |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-ticketmaster-livenation-idUSTRE5194DL20090210 |access-date=June 13, 2019 |archive-date=November 25, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221125100642/https://www.reuters.com/article/us-ticketmaster-livenation-idUSTRE5194DL20090210 |url-status=live }}

Ticketmaster was the subject of several controversies, such as anti-competition claims, deceitful relationships with scalpers, data breach, deceptive pricing, and dynamic pricing.{{Cite news |title=Best Of: Does Ticketmaster Have A Monopoly On Live Events? : 1A |agency=NPR |url=https://www.npr.org/2022/11/22/1138693632/best-of-does-ticketmaster-have-a-monopoly-on-live-events |access-date=November 30, 2022 |archive-date=November 30, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221130195934/https://www.npr.org/2022/11/22/1138693632/best-of-does-ticketmaster-have-a-monopoly-on-live-events |url-status=live }} According to consumer organizations, Ticketmaster and Live Nation control over 70% of the primary ticketing and live event venues market.{{Cite news |last=Ighadaro |first=Omose |date=November 16, 2022 |title=Tennessee AG Investigating Antitrust Violations in Taylor Swift Ticket Presale |url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2022-11-16/ticketmaster-s-taylor-swift-presale-investigated-by-tennessee-ag |access-date=November 17, 2022 |magazine=Bloomberg News |archive-date=November 18, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221118193356/https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2022-11-16/ticketmaster-s-taylor-swift-presale-investigated-by-tennessee-ag |url-status=live }} The merger has faced longstanding criticism.{{Cite news |last=Whitten |first=Sarah |title=Ticketmaster's largest shareholder blames massive demand − including from bots − for Taylor Swift ticket fiasco |url=https://www.cnbc.com/2022/11/17/taylor-swift-ticketmaster-fiasco-due-to-demand-bots-liberty-media-ceo-says.html |access-date=December 1, 2022 |agency=CNBC |archive-date=December 9, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221209210026/https://www.cnbc.com/2022/11/17/taylor-swift-ticketmaster-fiasco-due-to-demand-bots-liberty-media-ceo-says.html |url-status=live }} Earlier in 2022, both Ticketmaster and Live Nation received public backlash and media attention on their dynamic pricing and "platinum" ticket model when tickets for Bruce Springsteen's and Blink-182's 2023 tours (both of which were being promoted by Live Nation) went on sale in July and October respectively. Fans of both acts criticized the price of random seats across the venue going for hundreds or even thousands of dollars during pre-sales or general public sales.{{cite web |date=July 21, 2022 |title=Bruce Springsteen Fans Furious at Ticket Prices Going as High as $4-5K, Due to Ticketmaster's 'Dynamic Pricing' |url=https://www.msn.com/en-us/music/news/bruce-springsteen-fans-furious-at-ticket-prices-going-as-high-as-4-5k-due-to-ticketmaster-s-dynamic-pricing/ar-AAZNXvf |access-date=December 2, 2022 |publisher=MSN |archive-date=November 17, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221117044233/https://www.msn.com/en-us/music/news/bruce-springsteen-fans-furious-at-ticket-prices-going-as-high-as-4-5k-due-to-ticketmaster-s-dynamic-pricing/ar-AAZNXvf |url-status=live }}{{Cite magazine |title=Blink-182 Tickets Are So Expensive Because Ticketmaster Is a Disastrous Monopoly and Now Everyone Pays Ticket Broker Prices |url=https://www.vice.com/en/article/blink-182-tickets-are-so-expensive-because-ticketmaster-is-a-disastrous-monopoly-and-now-everyone-pays-ticket-broker-prices/ |access-date=December 2, 2022 |magazine=Vice |archive-date=December 9, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221209194603/https://www.vice.com/en/article/m7gx34/blink-182-tickets-are-so-expensive-because-ticketmaster-is-a-disastrous-monopoly-and-now-everyone-pays-ticket-broker-prices |url-status=live }}

{{Main|The Eras Tour}}

American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift released her tenth studio album, Midnights, on October 21, 2022, to widespread commercial success and critical acclaim. On November 1, she announced on Good Morning America and through her social media accounts that her sixth concert tour, in support of Midnights and all of her previous albums, would be called the Eras Tour.{{NoteTag|Stylized as Taylor Swift {{!}} The Eras Tour}} Its U.S. leg, which initially consisted of 27 dates across 20 cities, started on March 17, 2023, in Glendale, Arizona, and concluded on August 9, 2023, in Inglewood, California, with tickets sold via Ticketmaster.{{Cite magazine |last=Willman |first=Chris |date=November 1, 2022 |title=Taylor Swift Announces 2023 'Eras Tour' of U.S. Stadiums |url=https://variety.com/2022/music/news/taylor-swift-announces-2023-tour-1235419454/ |access-date=November 1, 2022 |magazine=Variety |archive-date=November 1, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221101122647/https://variety.com/2022/music/news/taylor-swift-announces-2023-tour-1235419454/ |url-status=live }} This marks Swift's first shows in the U.S. since her Reputation Stadium Tour in 2018, which broke the record for the highest grossing U.S. tour in history.{{Cite magazine |last1=Frankenberg |first1=Eric |date=November 30, 2018 |title=Taylor Swift's Reputation Stadium Tour Breaks Record for Highest-Grossing U.S. Tour |url=https://www.billboard.com/pro/taylor-swift-reputation-stadium-tour-breaks-record-highest-grossing-us-tour/ |access-date=December 8, 2022 |magazine=Billboard |archive-date=January 11, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230111155757/https://www.billboard.com/pro/taylor-swift-reputation-stadium-tour-breaks-record-highest-grossing-us-tour/ |url-status=live }} Some of the dates, such as those in Glendale, were sold via SeatGeek.{{Cite news |last=Somasundaram |first=Praveena |date=December 5, 2022 |title=Swifties sue Ticketmaster, saying it 'messed with the wrong fan base' |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2022/12/05/taylor-swift-ticketmaster-lawsuit-eras/ |access-date=December 5, 2022 |newspaper=The Washington Post |archive-date=December 6, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221206023353/https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2022/12/05/taylor-swift-ticketmaster-lawsuit-eras/ |url-status=live }} Following popular demand, on November 4, Swift added eight extra U.S. dates to existing cities, bringing the total number of concerts to 35.{{cite web |last=Willman |first=Chris |date=November 4, 2022 |title=Taylor Swift Adds Eight Extra Dates to U.S. Stadium Tour |url=https://variety.com/2022/music/news/taylor-swift-adds-extra-concerts-tour-eight-1235423114/ |access-date=November 4, 2022 |website=Variety |archive-date=November 15, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221115004035/https://variety.com/2022/music/news/taylor-swift-adds-extra-concerts-tour-eight-1235423114/ |url-status=live }} Higher demand prompted 17 more shows to be added the following week, making the Eras Tour the biggest U.S. tour of Swift's career, with 52 dates, surpassing Reputation Stadium Tour's 38 dates.{{cite web |last=Willman |first=Chris |date=November 11, 2022 |title=Taylor Swift Adds 17 More Stadium Shows to 'Eras Tour,' Which Will Include a Five-Night Stand in L.A., Making It Her Biggest U.S. Tour to Date |url=https://variety.com/2022/music/news/taylor-swift-adds-17-shows-eras-tour-five-nights-sofi-stadium-1235430260/ |access-date=November 11, 2022 |website=Variety |archive-date=December 8, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221208062915/https://variety.com/2022/music/news/taylor-swift-adds-17-shows-eras-tour-five-nights-sofi-stadium-1235430260/ |url-status=live }}

The U.S. tickets were set to go on sale to the general public on November 18, 2022. Capital One cardholders had presale access on November 15.{{Cite news |last=Parkel |first=Inga |date=November 1, 2022 |title=How to get tickets to Taylor Swift's 2023 Eras Tour |newspaper=The Independent |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/news/taylor-swift-2023-eras-tour-dates-tickets-b2215133.html |url-status=live |access-date=November 1, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221123201427/https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/news/taylor-swift-2023-eras-tour-dates-tickets-b2215133.html |archive-date=November 23, 2022 |issn=1741-9743 |oclc=185201487}} Fans registered for the Ticketmaster Verified Fan program from November 1 through 9 to receive a presale code that granted exclusive access to the TaylorSwiftTix Presale on November 15.{{Cite magazine |last=Nesvig |first=Kara |date=November 1, 2022 |title=Taylor Swift's The Eras Tour: Everything You Need to Know |url=https://www.teenvogue.com/story/taylor-swift-the-eras-tour-everything-you-need-to-know |url-status=live |magazine=Teen Vogue |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221101152209/https://www.teenvogue.com/story/taylor-swift-the-eras-tour-everything-you-need-to-know |archive-date=November 1, 2022 |access-date=November 1, 2022}}{{Cite magazine |last=Roberts |first=Kayleigh |date=December 17, 2022 |title=Here's How Ticketmaster Plans to Sell the Remaining 170,000 Taylor Swift Eras Tour Tickets |url=https://www.cosmopolitan.com/entertainment/music/a42275548/how-ticketmaster-plans-to-sell-remaining-taylor-swift-eras-tour-tickets/ |magazine=Cosmopolitan |access-date=June 23, 2023 |archive-date=June 23, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230623152958/https://www.cosmopolitan.com/entertainment/music/a42275548/how-ticketmaster-plans-to-sell-remaining-taylor-swift-eras-tour-tickets/ |url-status=live }} Swift abandoned the "platinum ticket" model for the tour.{{Cite magazine |last=Willman |first=Chris |date=November 1, 2022 |title=Taylor Swift Announces 2023 'Eras Tour' of U.S. Stadiums |url=https://variety.com/2022/music/news/taylor-swift-announces-2023-tour-1235419454/ |url-status=live |magazine=Variety |issn=0042-2738 |oclc=810134503 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221204082745/https://variety.com/2022/music/news/taylor-swift-announces-2023-tour-1235419454/ |archive-date=December 4, 2022 |access-date=November 1, 2022}} According to Ticketmaster, the TaylorSwiftTix Presale provided "the best opportunity to get more tickets into the hands of fans who want to attend the show" by evading bots and scalpers.{{Cite news |last1=Leimkuehler |first1=Matthew |date=November 4, 2022 |title=Desperate to get your hands on Taylor Swift 2023 tour tickets? These tips will help |newspaper=USA Today |url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/entertainment/music/2022/11/04/taylor-swift-era-tour-2023-ticket-tips/8263516001/ |url-status=live |access-date=November 4, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221123063131/https://www.usatoday.com/story/entertainment/music/2022/11/04/taylor-swift-era-tour-2023-ticket-tips/8263516001/ |archive-date=November 23, 2022 |issn=0734-7456 |oclc=8799626}} It noted that if the demand exceeds supply, it is possible that "verified fans may be selected at random to participate in the presale."{{Cite news |last=Del Rosario |first=Alexandra |date=November 2, 2022 |title=Ticketmaster has Taylor Swift fans seeing red as Swifties get shut out of tour presale |newspaper=Los Angeles Times |url=https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/music/story/2022-11-01/taylor-swift-tour-presale-ticketmaster-fan-reactions |url-status=live |access-date=November 15, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221215062813/https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/music/story/2022-11-01/taylor-swift-tour-presale-ticketmaster-fan-reactions |archive-date=December 15, 2022}} USA Today reported that the listing for the Nashville dates included the disclaimer that "ticket prices may fluctuate, based on demand, at any time."{{Cite news |last1=Leimkuehler |first1=Matthew |date=November 4, 2022 |title=Desperate to get your hands on Taylor Swift 2023 tour tickets? These tips will help |newspaper=USA Today |url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/entertainment/music/2022/11/04/taylor-swift-era-tour-2023-ticket-tips/8263516001/ |url-status=live |access-date=November 4, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221123063131/https://www.usatoday.com/story/entertainment/music/2022/11/04/taylor-swift-era-tour-2023-ticket-tips/8263516001/ |archive-date=November 23, 2022 |issn=0734-7456 |oclc=8799626}}

The Eras Tour recorded an incredibly high demand for tickets, ultimately exposing significant issues in operational preparedness.{{Cite magazine |last=Segal |first=Edward |title=Taylor Swift And Ticketmaster Are Providing Crisis Response Lessons For Business Leaders |url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/edwardsegal/2022/11/21/taylor-swift-and-ticketmaster-are-providing-crisis-response-lessons-for-business-leaders/ |access-date=February 13, 2024 |magazine=Forbes |archive-date=February 13, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240213220851/https://www.forbes.com/sites/edwardsegal/2022/11/21/taylor-swift-and-ticketmaster-are-providing-crisis-response-lessons-for-business-leaders/ |url-status=live }}{{Cite magazine |last=Krol |first=Charlotte |date=November 17, 2022 |title=Taylor Swift's 'The Eras Tour' ticket sale cancelled due to "extraordinarily high demand" |url=https://www.nme.com/news/music/taylor-swift-the-eras-tour-ticket-sale-cancelled-due-to-extraordinarily-high-demand-3351187 |access-date=December 15, 2022 |magazine=NME |archive-date=December 1, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221201221849/https://www.nme.com/news/music/taylor-swift-the-eras-tour-ticket-sale-cancelled-due-to-extraordinarily-high-demand-3351187 |url-status=live }} On November 15, the day of the pre-sale, Ticketmaster's website crashed following "historically unprecedented demand with millions showing up", halting the presale.{{Cite magazine |last=Spangler |first=Todd |date=November 15, 2022 |title=Taylor Swift Fans Crash Ticketmaster Site |url=https://variety.com/2022/digital/news/taylor-swift-crash-ticketmaster-site-1235433274/ |access-date=November 15, 2022 |magazine=Variety |archive-date=November 26, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221126235912/https://variety.com/2022/digital/news/taylor-swift-crash-ticketmaster-site-1235433274/ |url-status=live }} In less than an hour of availability, the ticketing platform's servers were "unable to answer", with users experiencing turbulence—"either completely logged out or in a queue 2,000-plus people strong that appeared frozen" as per Rolling Stone. Ticketmaster immediately published a statement saying they are working to fix the issues "as the site was unprepared to accommodate the sheer force of hundreds of thousands of Swift fans",{{Cite magazine |last=Jones |first=C. T. |date=November 15, 2022 |title=Taylor Swift Tickets Are On Sale. Fans Say It's Their Hunger Games |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/culture/culture-news/taylor-swift-fans-battle-ticketmaster-presale-1234630928/ |access-date=November 16, 2022 |magazine=Rolling Stone |archive-date=December 7, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221207190613/https://www.rollingstone.com/culture/culture-news/taylor-swift-fans-battle-ticketmaster-presale-1234630928/ |url-status=live }} and subsequently reported that "hundreds of thousands of tickets" had already been sold and postponed the remainder of the presale, including the Capital One presale to November 16.{{Cite tweet|number=1592579481449168898|user=Ticketmaster|title=Ticketmaster statement|access-date=November 15, 2022}} The public on-sale was later canceled due to "extraordinarily high demands on ticketing systems and insufficient remaining ticket inventory to meet that demand".{{Cite web |date=November 17, 2022 |title=Ticketmaster Tweet |url=https://twitter.com/ticketmaster/status/1593333211769106433 |access-date=November 17, 2022 |website=Twitter |archive-date=November 17, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221117202702/https://twitter.com/Ticketmaster/status/1593333211769106433 |url-status=live }}Wikipedia:SPS The Eras Tour sold over two million tickets on its first day of presale alone, breaking the all-time record for the most concert tickets sold by an artist in a single day.{{Cite web |last=Sharf |first=Zack |date=November 17, 2022 |title=Ticketmaster Cancels Taylor Swift Tour's Public Tickets Sale Due to 'High Demand' and 'Insufficient Inventory' |url=https://variety.com/2022/music/news/ticketmaster-cancels-taylor-swift-public-ticket-sales-eras-tour-1235435965/ |access-date=November 20, 2022 |website=Variety |archive-date=November 23, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221123043830/https://variety.com/2022/music/news/ticketmaster-cancels-taylor-swift-public-ticket-sales-eras-tour-1235435965/ |url-status=live }}

During and immediately after the website crash, Ticketmaster was widely criticized by fans and customers on social media for its ticketing model that obstructed purchasing.{{Cite news |last=Timsit |first=Annabelle |date=December 14, 2022 |title=Ticketmaster to sell some fans more Taylor Swift tickets after presale fiasco |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/arts-entertainment/2022/12/14/ticketmaster-taylor-swift-extra-tickets/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221216203124/https://www.washingtonpost.com/arts-entertainment/2022/12/14/ticketmaster-taylor-swift-extra-tickets/ |archive-date=December 16, 2022 |access-date=December 15, 2022 |newspaper=The Washington Post}} According to The New York Times, the ticket sale failure "broke the internet".{{Cite news |last=Wu |first=Ashley |date=January 29, 2023 |title=Industry Gatekeepers |newspaper=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2023/01/29/briefing/ticketmaster.html |access-date=January 30, 2023 |issn=0362-4331 |archive-date=January 30, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230130002619/https://www.nytimes.com/2023/01/29/briefing/ticketmaster.html |url-status=live }} "Ticketmaster" trended number one worldwide on various social media platforms such as Twitter and TikTok.{{Cite news |date=November 16, 2022 |title=AOC demands Ticketmaster be dismantled after Taylor Swift ticket sale chaos |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-politics/aoc-ticketmaster-taylor-swift-tickets-b2225903.html |access-date=November 16, 2022 |newspaper=The Independent |archive-date=November 27, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221127050724/https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-politics/aoc-ticketmaster-taylor-swift-tickets-b2225903.html |url-status=live }} CNN Business stated that the "astronomical" demand indicated Swift's popularity.{{Cite news |last=Pallotta |first=Frank |date=November 16, 2022 |title=Taylor Swift tickets listed for thousands on StubHub after millions flood Ticketmaster |url=https://www.cnn.com/2022/11/16/media/taylor-swift-tickets-resale-market/index.html |access-date=November 16, 2022 |agency=CNN Business |archive-date=November 16, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221116181919/https://www.cnn.com/2022/11/16/media/taylor-swift-tickets-resale-market/index.html |url-status=live }} However, Fortune and Bloomberg News attributed the criticism to Ticketmaster's "oft-confusing multistep buying process plagued with additional fees", as well as "long waits, technical problems, and poor customer service".{{Cite magazine |last=Adamczyk |first=Alicia |date=November 10, 2022 |title=Why are Taylor Swift Eras tour tickets so expensive? |url=https://fortune.com/2022/11/10/why-are-concert-tickets-so-expensive-taylor-swift-springsteen/ |access-date=November 16, 2022 |magazine=Fortune |archive-date=November 25, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221125204122/https://fortune.com/2022/11/10/why-are-concert-tickets-so-expensive-taylor-swift-springsteen/ |url-status=live }}{{Cite web |title=Ticketmaster Fees Make Ticket Prices Skyrocket |url=https://nccnews.newhouse.syr.edu/ticketmaster-fees-make-ticket-prices-skyrocket/ |website=NCC News |access-date=2024-12-11}}

File:Greg - head shot 2.jpg, chairman of Live Nation Entertainment, in 2019]]

Greg Maffei, chairman of Live Nation, spoke to CNBC on November 16. He claimed that Ticketmaster prepared for 1.5 million verified fans but 14 million showed up: "we could have filled 900 stadiums."{{Cite web |date=November 16, 2022 |title=Demand for Taylor Swift concert tickets exceeded every expectation, says Liberty Media CEO |url=https://www.cnbc.com/video/2022/11/17/liberty-media-ceo-greg-maffei-sits-down-with-cnbcs-david-faber-at-the-companys-annual-investor-day-to-discuss-why-the-company-plans-to-split-off-the-atlanta-braves-and-the-overwhelming-demand-for-tayl.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221117163424/https://www.cnbc.com/video/2022/11/17/liberty-media-ceo-greg-maffei-sits-down-with-cnbcs-david-faber-at-the-companys-annual-investor-day-to-discuss-why-the-company-plans-to-split-off-the-atlanta-braves-and-the-overwhelming-demand-for-tayl.html |archive-date=November 17, 2022 |access-date=November 17, 2022 |website=CNBC}} In a detailed statement, Ticketmaster explained that 3.5 million fans pre-registered for the Verified Fan program—the largest in platform history—two million of whom were placed on the waitlist while 1.5 million were allowed to purchase first, as only "40% of invited fans actually show up and buy tickets, and most purchase an average of 3 tickets." However, the website was overwhelmed by the "staggering" number of fans as well as bots without presale codes, resulting in "3.5 billion total system requests—[four times the site's] previous peak." Therefore, Ticketmaster attempted to slow down the sale by waitlisting more customers "to stabilize the systems", which in turn prolonged the queue and waiting time. The company confirmed on November 17 that the November 18 public on-sale was canceled as well, citing inability to meet demand.{{Cite magazine |last=Kreps |first=Daniel |date=November 17, 2022 |title=Ticketmaster Adds to the Chaos, Cancels General On-Sale for Taylor Swift's the Eras Tour |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/ticketmaster-cancels-general-on-sale-taylor-swift-the-eras-tour-1234632678/ |url-status=live |magazine=Rolling Stone |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221205150939/https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/ticketmaster-cancels-general-on-sale-taylor-swift-the-eras-tour-1234632678/ |archive-date=December 5, 2022 |access-date=November 18, 2022}}

Maffei also claimed that "AEG, our competitor, who is the promoter for Taylor Swift, chose to use us because, in reality, we are the largest and most effective ticket seller in the world{{nbsp}}... Even our competitors want to come on our platform." However, AEG rejected Maffei's claim that AEG chose to work with Ticketmaster, stating that AEG was forced to work with Ticketmaster since "Ticketmaster's exclusive deals with the vast majority of venues on the Eras Tour required us to ticket through their system."{{Cite news |last=Whitten |first=Sarah |title=Taylor Swift's tour promoter says it had no choice but to work with Ticketmaster |agency=CNBC |url=https://www.cnbc.com/2022/11/22/taylor-swift-tour-promoter-had-to-work-with-ticketmaster.html |url-status=live |access-date=November 23, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221122210907/https://www.cnbc.com/2022/11/22/taylor-swift-tour-promoter-had-to-work-with-ticketmaster.html |archive-date=November 22, 2022}}

Swift released a statement on November 18, 2022, via her Instagram story; she stated that she is "pissed off" and found the fiasco "excruciating".{{Cite news |last=Coscarelli |first=Joe |date=November 18, 2022 |title=Taylor Swift Calls Ticketmaster Woes 'Excruciating' in Statement to Fans |newspaper=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2022/11/18/arts/music/taylor-swift-era-tours-tickets.html |access-date=November 19, 2022 |archive-date=December 5, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221205205306/https://www.nytimes.com/2022/11/18/arts/music/taylor-swift-era-tours-tickets.html |url-status=live }} She asserted that she is protective of her fans and wanted to assure a quality experience and claimed that it had been difficult to "trust an outside entity with these relationships and loyalties". She noted that she was "not going to make excuses for anyone because we asked [Ticketmaster], multiple times, if they could handle this kind of demand and we were assured they could."{{Cite news |last=Josephs |first=Leslie |title=Taylor Swift slams 'outside entity' over ticket fiasco: 'I'm not going to make excuses for anyone' |url=https://www.cnbc.com/2022/11/18/taylor-swift-slams-outside-entity-over-ticketmaster-tour-sale-fiasco.html |access-date=November 18, 2022 |agency=CNBC |archive-date=November 18, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221118173607/https://www.cnbc.com/2022/11/18/taylor-swift-slams-outside-entity-over-ticketmaster-tour-sale-fiasco.html |url-status=live }}

Later that same day, Ticketmaster issued an apology "to Taylor and all of her fans" via their Twitter account,{{Cite news |last=Hamedy |first=Saba |date=November 18, 2022 |title=Ticketmaster apologizes; Taylor Swift says watching fiasco has been 'excruciating' |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/pop-culture/pop-culture-news/taylor-swift-says-watching-ticketmaster-fiasco-excruciating-rcna57897 |access-date=November 19, 2022 |agency=NBC News |archive-date=December 9, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221209221236/https://www.nbcnews.com/pop-culture/pop-culture-news/taylor-swift-says-watching-ticketmaster-fiasco-excruciating-rcna57897 |url-status=live }} but remarked that "less than 5% of the tickets for the tour have been sold or posted for resale on the secondary market" such as StubHub.{{Cite magazine |last=Willman |first=Chris |date=November 19, 2022 |title=Ticketmaster Apologizes to Taylor Swift and Her Fans for Sales Debacle |url=https://variety.com/2022/music/news/ticketmaster-apologizes-taylor-swift-fans-ticketing-sales-live-nation-1235437555/ |access-date=November 19, 2022 |magazine=Variety |archive-date=December 5, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221205224554/https://variety.com/2022/music/news/ticketmaster-apologizes-taylor-swift-fans-ticketing-sales-live-nation-1235437555/ |url-status=live }} Ticketmaster also dismissed accusations of anti-competitive practices, noting it remains "under a consent decree with the Justice Department following its 2010 merger with Live Nation" and the absence of "evidence of systemic violations of the consent decree."

Former Ticketmaster CEO Fred Rosen was unmoved by fans' outrage, telling the Los Angeles Times: "The public brought all this on itself{{nbsp}}... I have no sympathy for people whining about high ticket prices{{nbsp}}... They helped create this situation where artists have to make all their money on tour. Artists and the market set the prices, and you can't pay a Motel 6 price and stay at the Four Seasons." Rosen argued that all proposed solutions risked leaving fans even worse off: "Ticketmaster got thrown under the bus because it's easy to throw them under the bus{{nbsp}}... There is no solution that won't piss people off more."{{cite news |last1=Brown |first1=August |date=January 23, 2023 |title=How Ticketmaster became the most hated name in music |work=Los Angeles Times |url=https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/music/story/2023-01-23/ticketmaster-live-nation-taylor-swift-pearl-jam |url-status=live |access-date=January 28, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230128220752/https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/music/story/2023-01-23/ticketmaster-live-nation-taylor-swift-pearl-jam |archive-date=January 28, 2023}}

On December 12, 2022, Ticketmaster began mailing select registered fans—"identified as [fans] who received a boost during the Verified Fan presale but did not purchase tickets"—and notified them of a second ticket-purchasing opportunity,{{Cite magazine |last=Blistein |first=Jon |date=December 12, 2022 |title=Taylor Swift Got Ticketmaster to Release a Few More 'Eras Tour' Tickets |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/taylor-swift-fans-second-chance-eras-tour-tickets-1234645918/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221212181001/https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/taylor-swift-fans-second-chance-eras-tour-tickets-1234645918/ |archive-date=December 12, 2022 |access-date=December 15, 2022 |magazine=Rolling Stone}} with which they can buy a maximum of two tickets each.{{Cite news |last=Liddy |first=Kaetlyn |title=Karma for Taylor Swift fans as Ticketmaster offers second chance for 'Eras Tour' tickets |url=https://www.cnbc.com/2022/12/12/karma-for-taylor-swift-fans-as-ticketmaster-offers-second-chance-for-eras-tour-tickets.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221213050125/https://www.cnbc.com/2022/12/12/karma-for-taylor-swift-fans-as-ticketmaster-offers-second-chance-for-eras-tour-tickets.html |archive-date=December 13, 2022 |access-date=December 13, 2022 |agency=CNBC}} Ticketmaster stated that Swift's team asked the company to create this opportunity for fans.{{Cite news |last=Timsit |first=Annabelle |date=December 14, 2022 |title=Ticketmaster to sell some fans more Taylor Swift tickets after presale fiasco |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/arts-entertainment/2022/12/14/ticketmaster-taylor-swift-extra-tickets/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221216203124/https://www.washingtonpost.com/arts-entertainment/2022/12/14/ticketmaster-taylor-swift-extra-tickets/ |archive-date=December 16, 2022 |access-date=December 15, 2022 |newspaper=The Washington Post}} Billboard reported that Ticketmaster opted to sell the remaining 170,000 unsold seats over four weeks through Ticketstoday, a ticketing platform that was originally built for Dave Matthews Band's fanclub in the 2000s but was later sold to Live Nation, to "significantly reduce fan wait times" and avoid high website traffic.{{Cite magazine |last=Brooks |first=Dave |date=December 15, 2022 |title=How Ticketmaster Plans to Sell Taylor Swift's Remaining 170,000 Concert Tickets Over Four Weeks |url=https://www.billboard.com/pro/taylor-swift-eras-tour-ticketmaster-sell-remaining-tickets/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221217005045/https://www.billboard.com/pro/taylor-swift-eras-tour-ticketmaster-sell-remaining-tickets/ |archive-date=December 17, 2022 |access-date=December 16, 2022 |magazine=Billboard}}

File:Taylor Swift at TIFF 2022 - 2.jpg

Swift's fans, known as "Swifties", were particularly upset with the fiasco, some of whom proceeded with legal action. Lawyers who were fans of Swift mobilized a grassroots group called Vigilante Legal LLC., a play on Swift's 2022 song "Vigilante Shit"; its core group consists of over 50 professionals with law, government, public relations, and computer science backgrounds—"anyone from lawyers, to people who work in finance or banking, to those with antitrust experience." The group was founded by American attorney and a fan of Swift, Blake Barnett. She reported that she had received over 1,200 responses as of November 18, 2022. Vigilante Legal also began gathering evidence from fans who experienced "discriminatory and questionable service" from Ticketmaster, including a potential violation of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990. The group has been collecting the complaints to bring forward to the Federal Trade Commission and the attorneys general within each U.S. state.{{Cite web |last=Cavender |first=Elena |date=November 21, 2022 |title=Meet the Swifties trying to take down Ticketmaster |website=Mashable |url=https://mashable.com/article/swifties-take-down-ticketmaster-eras-tour |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221215115158/https://mashable.com/article/swifties-take-down-ticketmaster-eras-tour |archive-date=December 15, 2022 |access-date=December 15, 2022 |agency=Mashable}}{{Cite magazine |last=Patton |first=Alli |date=November 22, 2022 |title=Taylor Swift Fans Are Organizing a Ticketmaster Take Down |url=https://americansongwriter.com/taylor-swift-fans-are-organizing-a-ticketmaster-take-down/ |url-status=live |magazine=American Songwriter |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221203062433/https://americansongwriter.com/taylor-swift-fans-are-organizing-a-ticketmaster-take-down/ |archive-date=December 3, 2022 |access-date=December 3, 2022}}

Voters of Tomorrow, a political activist organization led by Generation Z, opened an antitrust initiative called "S.W.I.F.T." (Swifties Working to Increase Fairness from Ticketmaster) on November 17, with aims to "bring together Gen Z organizers to advocate for legislation expanding federal authority to oversee and prevent future monopolies around entertainment."{{Cite web |last=Gordon |first=Eden Arielle |date=December 14, 2022 |title=Some Lucky Taylor Swift Fans Will Have a Second Chance at Buying Eras Tour Tickets |url=https://www.popsugar.com/node/49016707 |access-date=December 15, 2022 |agency=PopSugar}}

In order to evade scalpers, some fans used their "tight-knit community" across social media platforms to form accounts such as "@ErasTourResell" and "TS Tour Connect" to organize a network of spreadsheets, Google Forms, and online bulletin boards, which facilitated exchanges of tickets at face-value costs from fans who wanted to re-sell to fans who wanted to buy. Volunteers of the initiative worked through ticket submissions, verified them via screen recordings and confirmation emails, and posted out the listings of tickets. ErasTourResell is headed by three fans of Swift, namely Courtney Johnston, Channette Garay, and Angel Richards. According to The New York Times, ErasTourResell alone has arranged over 1,300 ticket transactions between fans as of March 2023. According to The Wall Street Journal, ErasTourResell has helped over 3,000 fans get tickets at face value as of July 2023.{{Cite news |last=Coscarelli |first=Joe |date=March 16, 2023 |title=Taylor Swift Fans Needed a Miracle. Here's How They Got Tickets. |newspaper=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2023/03/16/arts/music/taylor-swift-eras-tour-tickets-fans.html |access-date=March 17, 2023 |archive-date=March 17, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230317111315/https://www.nytimes.com/2023/03/16/arts/music/taylor-swift-eras-tour-tickets-fans.html |url-status=live }}{{Cite news |last=Florsheim |first=Lane |date=June 8, 2023 |title=How Three Taylor Swift Fans Are Sticking It to Ticket Resellers |newspaper=The Wall Street Journal |url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/taylor-swift-eras-tour-fans-fight-ticket-scalpers-fd97fc89 |access-date=June 8, 2023 |issn=0099-9660 |archive-date=June 8, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230608123340/https://www.wsj.com/articles/taylor-swift-eras-tour-fans-fight-ticket-scalpers-fd97fc89 |url-status=live }}

{{See also|Political impact of Taylor Swift}}File:Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez Official Portrait (1).jpg, a member of the U.S. House of Representatives, was one of the first U.S. lawmakers to criticize Ticketmaster following the website crash.]]

Following widespread social media posts by customers upset with the website crash, several U.S. lawmakers and consumer groups took notice of the issue.{{Cite web |last=DeVille |first=Chris |date=November 16, 2022 |title=Taylor Swift Ticket Debacle: Lawmakers Demand Breakup Of Ticketmaster "Monopoly" |url=https://www.stereogum.com/2206351/lawmakers-demand-ticketmaster-be-broken-up-after-taylor-swift-ticketing-crash/news/ |access-date=November 17, 2022 |website=Stereogum |archive-date=November 26, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221126000925/https://www.stereogum.com/2206351/lawmakers-demand-ticketmaster-be-broken-up-after-taylor-swift-ticketing-crash/news/ |url-status=live }} On November 15, 2022, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, the U.S. representative for New York's 14th congressional district, tweeted that Ticketmaster is a monopoly and that its merger with Live Nation Entertainment must be broken up. Ocasio-Cortez has always been a "staunch objector" to the company's merger, according to CNBC. Bill Pascrell, the U.S. representative for {{ushr|NJ|9}}, criticized the merger of Ticketmaster and Live Nation, and stated that he attempted to purchase tickets but was waitlisted. He also underscored that he had previously petitioned in 2021 the United States Attorney General, Merrick Garland, in support of "strong antitrust enforcement by the [Joe] Biden Administration", along with House members Frank Pallone, Jerry Nadler, Jan Schakowsky, and David Cicilline in a joint letter. Richard Blumenthal, the senior senator from Connecticut, also urged for a federal probe into the competition in the live venue music industry. He said the fiasco "is a perfect example of how the Live Nation/Ticketmaster merger harms consumers by creating a near-monopoly."{{Cite news |last=Whitten |first=Sarah |title=Taylor Swift tour ticket fiasco leads to calls for Ticketmaster and Live Nation to break up |url=https://www.cnbc.com/2022/11/16/taylor-swift-ticket-fiasco-leads-to-calls-for-ticketmaster-live-nation-to-break-up.html |access-date=November 17, 2022 |agency=CNBC |archive-date=December 9, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221209210031/https://www.cnbc.com/2022/11/16/taylor-swift-ticket-fiasco-leads-to-calls-for-ticketmaster-live-nation-to-break-up.html |url-status=live }}

Senator Amy Klobuchar, chair of the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Competition Policy, Antitrust and Consumer Rights, penned an open letter to the CEO of Ticketmaster, Rapino, regarding her "serious concerns" over the company's operations. She wrote, "Ticketmaster's power in the primary ticket market insulates it from the competitive pressures that typically push companies to innovate and improve their services. That can result in the types of dramatic service failures we saw this week, where consumers are the ones that pay the price."

On November 17, the Pennsylvania Attorney General, Josh Shapiro, announced he is accepting consumer complaints regarding the issue and asked Pennsylvanians to submit their complaints on his website.{{Cite news |date=November 18, 2022 |title=Taylor Swift tickets: Pa. AG asks for consumer complaints |url=https://www.cbsnews.com/philadelphia/news/taylor-swift-tickets-pennsylvania-shapiro-ticketmaster-complaints/ |access-date=November 20, 2022 |agency=CBS News |archive-date=November 20, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221120071122/https://www.cbsnews.com/philadelphia/news/taylor-swift-tickets-pennsylvania-shapiro-ticketmaster-complaints/ |url-status=live }} The Tennessee Attorney General, Jonathan Skrmetti, initiated an investigation into "consumer complaints about chaos during the presale of tickets" to the tour. He said in a press conference that "a lack of competition [for Ticketmaster] has led to a poor experience and higher prices for consumers." The attorneys general of Nevada{{Cite news |last=Kruesi |first=Kimberlee |date=November 19, 2022 |title=Taylor Swift tickets breakdown probed by attorneys general |url=https://apnews.com/article/josh-shapiro-business-taylor-swift-tennessee-e157badef297f7c302615b3a6080ba2a |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221209171835/https://apnews.com/article/josh-shapiro-business-taylor-swift-tennessee-e157badef297f7c302615b3a6080ba2a |archive-date=December 9, 2022 |access-date=November 23, 2022 |work=Associated Press}} and North Carolina also began investigating Live Nation–Ticketmaster on the grounds of consumer rights violations.{{Cite web |last=Ighodaro |first=Omose |date=November 17, 2022 |title=Tennessee, North Carolina AGs Investigating Taylor Swift Ticket Presale |url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2022-11-16/ticketmaster-s-taylor-swift-presale-investigated-by-tennessee-ag |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221118193356/https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2022-11-16/ticketmaster-s-taylor-swift-presale-investigated-by-tennessee-ag |archive-date=November 18, 2022 |access-date=November 18, 2022 |website=Bloomberg}}File:Joe Biden presidential portrait.jpg, the President of the U.S., pushed Ticketmaster and other ticket-selling companies to abandon junk fees detrimental to consumers.]]

On November 18, Pascrell, co-signed by 30 other House Democrats,{{NoteTag|Chuy Garcia, Bonnie Watson Coleman, Barbara Lee, Emanuel Cleaver, Ocasio-Cortez, Brendan Boyle, Rashida Tlaib, John Garamendi, Shontel Brown, Marcy Kaptur, Jimmy Panetta, Kathy Castor, Donald Beyer, Donald Payne, Jr., Ilhan Omar, Sanford Bishop, Ann Kirkpatrick, Jamaal Bowman, Earl Blumenauer, Katie Porter, Gerry Connolly, Rosa DeLauro, David Trone, Steven Cohen, Mondaire Jones, Josh Gottheimer, Seth Moulton, Mike Doyle, Al Green, Andy Kim, and Jamie Raskin.}} petitioned the federal Department of Justice to open a formal investigation into the issue.{{Cite web |date=November 18, 2022 |title=Pascrell Leads 31 House Democrats Demanding Federal Probe of Ticketmaster |url=https://pascrell.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=5229 |access-date=November 19, 2022 |website=U.S. Representative Bill Pascrell |archive-date=November 19, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221119050513/https://pascrell.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=5229 |url-status=live }} Subsequently, The New York Times stated that the Department of Justice had previously opened an antitrust investigation into Live Nation Entertainment and Ticketmaster.{{Cite news |last1=McCabe |first1=David |last2=Sisario |first2=Ben |date=November 18, 2022 |title=Justice Department Said to Investigate Ticketmaster's Parent Company |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2022/11/18/technology/live-nation-ticketmaster-investigation-taylor-swift.html |access-date=November 18, 2022 |archive-date=December 9, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221209160217/https://www.nytimes.com/2022/11/18/technology/live-nation-ticketmaster-investigation-taylor-swift.html |url-status=live }} On November 19, Representative Cicilline, who chairs the House Judiciary Subcommittee on Antitrust, Commercial and Administrative Law, urged the Department of Justice to investigate and break up the companies. He tweeted that "Ticketmaster's excessive wait times and fees are completely unacceptable, as seen with today's" and "It's no secret that Live Nation–Ticketmaster is an unchecked monopoly."{{Cite web |last=Cain |first=Sian |date=November 16, 2022 |title=Taylor Swift tour tickets listed for as much as $22,000 as Ticketmaster crashes |url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2022/nov/16/taylor-swift-tickets-eras-tour-dates-2023-presale-ticketmaster-crashes |access-date=November 16, 2022 |website=The Guardian |archive-date=December 10, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221210085358/https://www.theguardian.com/music/2022/nov/16/taylor-swift-tickets-eras-tour-dates-2023-presale-ticketmaster-crashes |url-status=live }} The White House Press Secretary, Karine Jean-Pierre, declined to comment on a potential investigation into the fiasco, but stated that the U.S. President, Joe Biden, "has been crystal clear on this", quoting his comment on the issue: "capitalism without competition isn't capitalism, it's exploitation." Biden subsequently tweeted that "Millions of Americans will travel home for the holidays and will get hit with hidden 'junk' fees from airlines, hotels—maybe even tickets for a holiday show the family wants to see. It isn't right. My Administration is taking actions to reduce or eliminate these surprise fees."{{Cite news |last=Kinery |first=Emma |title=White House on Taylor Swift Ticketmaster debacle: Capitalism without competition is exploitation |url=https://www.cnbc.com/2022/11/18/white-house-on-taylor-swift-ticketmaster-debacle-capitalism-needs-competition.html |access-date=November 20, 2022 |agency=CNBC |archive-date=December 9, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221209210015/https://www.cnbc.com/2022/11/18/white-house-on-taylor-swift-ticketmaster-debacle-capitalism-needs-competition.html |url-status=live }}

On November 23, Klobuchar and Mike Lee, the senior senator from Utah, announced that the U.S. Senate antitrust panel will hold a hearing to address Ticketmaster and Live Nation's "lack of competition in the industry".{{Cite magazine |last=Aswad |first=Jem |date=November 23, 2022 |title=Congress to Hold Hearing After Ticketmaster-Taylor Swift Fiasco |url=https://variety.com/2022/music/news/congress-hearing-ticketmaster-taylor-swift-fiasco-1235440740/ |access-date=November 23, 2022 |magazine=Variety |archive-date=November 29, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221129194232/https://variety.com/2022/music/news/congress-hearing-ticketmaster-taylor-swift-fiasco-1235440740/ |url-status=live }} It was later announced on January 18, 2023, that the hearing is set for January 24.{{Cite news |last=Shepardson |first=David |date=January 18, 2023 |title=U.S. Senate panel to hold Jan. 24 hearing on ticket industry issues |work=Reuters |url=https://www.reuters.com/legal/us-senate-panel-hold-jan-24-hearing-ticket-industry-issues-2023-01-18/ |access-date=January 19, 2023 |archive-date=January 19, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230119041951/https://www.reuters.com/legal/us-senate-panel-hold-jan-24-hearing-ticket-industry-issues-2023-01-18/ |url-status=live }} On November 29, Blumenthal and Senator Marsha Blackburn wrote a letter to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), posing questions about the agency's "plans to fight the use of bots in ticketing",{{Cite magazine |last=Aswad |first=Jem |date=November 29, 2022 |title=After Taylor Swift-Ticketmaster Fiasco, Senators Demand Answers From Federal Trade Commission |url=https://variety.com/2022/music/news/taylor-swift-ticketmaster-fiasco-senators-ftc-federal-trade-commission-1235444297/ |access-date=November 29, 2022 |magazine=Variety |archive-date=December 6, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221206230517/https://variety.com/2022/music/news/taylor-swift-ticketmaster-fiasco-senators-ftc-federal-trade-commission-1235444297/ |url-status=live }} and requesting to enforce the Better Online Tickets Sales Act, which is a 2016 federal law that grants the U.S. government "the authority to crack down on those who misuse bots—software applications that are programmed to run automated tasks online—to buy large amounts of tickets for profit{{nbsp}}... and bans the resale of tickets bought using bots, and people who illegally sell the tickets face a $16,000 fine." The letter also highlighted the "wild" ticket prices at third-party sites, as high as $1,000 for a Bruce Springsteen concert and $40,000 for Adele, stating "preventing this type of consumer harm is exactly why Congress chose to enact the BOTS Act six years ago and why we both chose to sponsor that bill."{{Cite news |date=November 29, 2022 |title=Will the government crack down on bots after Ticketmaster's Taylor Swift meltdown? |url=https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/music/story/2022-11-29/ticketmaster-ftc-bots-crackdown-taylor-swift |access-date=December 1, 2022 |newspaper=Los Angeles Times |archive-date=December 9, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221209085212/https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/music/story/2022-11-29/ticketmaster-ftc-bots-crackdown-taylor-swift |url-status=live }} On December 6, the FTC chair, Lina Khan, told on The Wall Street Journal{{'s}} CEO Council Summit that companies like Ticketmaster can become "too big to care", and clarified that it was the Justice Department that approved the 2010 merger. She assured that the department "continues to look at this" and added that the controversy "ended up converting more Gen Zers into anti-monopolists overnight than anything I could have done."{{Cite web |title=Ticketmaster's botching of Taylor Swift ticket sales 'converted more Gen Zers into anti-monopolists overnight than anything I could have done,' FTC chair says |url=https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/news/ticketmasters-botching-of-taylor-swift-ticket-sales-converted-more-gen-zers-into-antimonopolists-overnight-than-anything-i-could-have-done-ftc-chair-says/articleshow/96065701.cms |access-date=December 9, 2022 |website=Business Insider |archive-date=December 9, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221209101550/https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/news/ticketmasters-botching-of-taylor-swift-ticket-sales-converted-more-gen-zers-into-antimonopolists-overnight-than-anything-i-could-have-done-ftc-chair-says/articleshow/96065701.cms |url-status=live }}

In June 2023, media outlets reported that, following a meeting with Biden and the FTC, Ticketmaster, SeatGeek, and other ticketing companies agreed to abolish "junk fees"—extra costs added on at the end of ticket purchases, and to show consumers the fee breakdown upfront. Biden and National Economic Council director Lael Brainaird made a press statement at the White House on June 15, 2023, highlighting the push to prohibit such deceptive, surprise fees federally, applying to resorts and rentals as well. American legal scholar William Kovacic, a former FTC chair, called it the "Taylor Swift policy adjustment."{{Cite news |last=Kinery |first=Emma |date=June 15, 2023 |title=Ticketmaster parent Live Nation, others agree to show 'junk fees' after Biden pressure |url=https://www.cnbc.com/2023/06/15/biden-pushes-ticketmaster-seatgeek-to-show-junk-fees-upfront.html |access-date=June 15, 2023 |agency=CNBC |archive-date=June 15, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230615150240/https://www.cnbc.com/2023/06/15/biden-pushes-ticketmaster-seatgeek-to-show-junk-fees-upfront.html |url-status=live }}{{Cite news |last=Tucker-Smith |first=Owen |date=June 15, 2023 |title=How Biden and Taylor Swift beat Ticketmaster |url=https://www.latimes.com/politics/story/2023-06-15/how-biden-and-taylor-swift-beat-ticketmaster |access-date=June 16, 2023 |newspaper=Los Angeles Times |archive-date=June 16, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230616001132/https://www.latimes.com/politics/story/2023-06-15/how-biden-and-taylor-swift-beat-ticketmaster |url-status=live }} In November 2023, the Senate Subcommittee on Investigations issued a subpoena to Ticketmaster and Live Nation "for documents related to the company's ticket pricing, fees, and resale practices" following a months-long inquiry. Blumenthal, chair of the subcommittee, said the subpoena was in response to Live Nation's "egregiously stonewall[ing]" of the inquiry. A Live Nation spokesperson said in a statement that the company "voluntarily worked with the Subcommittee from the start and provid[ed] extensive information".{{cite news |last1=Maruf |first1=Ramishah |last2=Rimmer |first2=Morgan |date=November 20, 2023 |title=Senate subcommittee issues subpoena to Live Nation and Ticketmaster after Taylor Swift ticketing fiasco |url=https://edition.cnn.com/2023/11/20/business/senate-subpoena-ticketmaster-taylor-swift/index.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231124121915/https://edition.cnn.com/2023/11/20/business/senate-subpoena-ticketmaster-taylor-swift/index.html |archive-date=November 24, 2023 |access-date=November 24, 2023 |publisher=CNN}} In April 2024, The Wall Street Journal reported that the Department of Justice was preparing to file an antitrust lawsuit against Live Nation.{{Cite news |last1=Michaels |first1=Dave |last2=Steele |first2=Anne |title=Justice Department to File Antitrust Suit Against Live Nation |url=https://www.wsj.com/business/media/live-nation-justice-department-antitrust-lawsuit-ab98c268 |access-date=April 15, 2024 |newspaper=The Wall Street Journal |archive-date=April 15, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240415215056/https://www.wsj.com/business/media/live-nation-justice-department-antitrust-lawsuit-ab98c268 |url-status=live }} On December 17, 2024, the FTC officially passed the Junk Fees Rule to ban "unfair and deceptive pricing practices" that hide total prices for various industries, including short-term lodging.{{Cite web |last=Wong |first=Kathleen |title=Hotels, short-term rentals will need to disclose 'hidden fees.' Here's what to know. |url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/travel/news/2024/12/18/new-ban-hotel-hidden-fees/77072038007/#:~:text=The%20U.S.%20Federal%20Trade%20Commission,them%20display%20total%20costs%20upfront. |access-date=2024-12-19 |website=USA TODAY |language=en-US}}

File:Hearing Room in the Hart Building.jpg censured Ticketmaster in a hearing at the Hart Senate Office Building, Washington, D.C., on January 24, 2023.]]

The three-hour hearing of the issue by the Senate judiciary committee was titled "That's the Ticket: Promoting Competition and Protecting Consumers in Live Entertainment", to analyze "the long-simmering dissatisfaction over the 2010 consent decree governing the merger of Ticketmaster and Live Nation".{{Cite news |last=Murphy Kelly |first=Samantha |date=January 24, 2023 |title=Ticketmaster gets grilled: 6 takeaways from hearing over Taylor Swift concert fiasco |url=https://www.cnn.com/2023/01/24/tech/ticketmaster-hearing-taylor-swift/index.html |access-date=January 25, 2023 |agency=CNN Business |archive-date=January 25, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230125073708/https://www.cnn.com/2023/01/24/tech/ticketmaster-hearing-taylor-swift/index.html |url-status=live }}{{Cite magazine |last=Brooks |first=Dave |date=January 23, 2023 |title=Ticketmaster Plans to Blame Scalpers for Taylor Swift Debacle at Senate Hearing |url=https://www.billboard.com/pro/taylor-swift-ticketmaster-senate-hearing-scalpers/ |magazine=Billboard |access-date=January 24, 2023 |archive-date=January 24, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230124002749/https://www.billboard.com/pro/taylor-swift-ticketmaster-senate-hearing-scalpers/ |url-status=live }} The hearing was telecast live. Various media outlets reported that both the Democrat and Republican senators "grilled" Ticketmaster's representative, Joe Berchtold, the company's chief financial officer. The senators questioned Berchtold over Ticketmaster's monopolistic practices, policies, ticket costs, lack of transparency, lack of defense against bots, and insensitivity to music artists. Berchtold, despite apologizing for the debacle, denied accusations of monopoly and fraud, but accepted that "there are several things we could have done better—including staggering the sales over a longer period of time and doing a better job setting fan expectations for getting tickets" and continued to blame "industrial-scale ticket scalping" and "unprecedented number of bots". The witnesses prosecuting Ticketmaster included Jerry Mickelson, the president of JAM Creative Productions; and Jack Groetzinger, co-founder of SeatGeek.{{Cite news |date=January 25, 2023 |title=Taylor Swift concert fiasco leads to US Senate grilling for Ticketmaster |url=https://indianexpress.com/article/entertainment/music/taylor-swift-concert-fiasco-leads-to-us-senate-grilling-for-ticketmaster-8403132/ |access-date=January 25, 2023 |newspaper=The Indian Express |archive-date=January 25, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230125053425/https://indianexpress.com/article/entertainment/music/taylor-swift-concert-fiasco-leads-to-us-senate-grilling-for-ticketmaster-8403132/ |url-status=live }}{{Cite web |last=Elbeshbishi |first=Sarah |title='Industrial-scale ticket scalping.' Senators grill Ticketmaster over Taylor Swift concert fiasco |url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2023/01/24/senate-judiciary-taylor-swift-ticketmaster/11091086002/ |access-date=January 25, 2023 |newspaper=USA Today |archive-date=January 24, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230124233707/https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2023/01/24/senate-judiciary-taylor-swift-ticketmaster/11091086002/ |url-status=live }} Live Nation cited several letters of support within its testimony, including one from American country singer Garth Brooks.{{Cite news |date=January 24, 2023 |title=Ticketmaster apologises for Taylor Swift tour sales fiasco |agency=BBC News |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-64384304 |access-date=January 26, 2023 |archive-date=January 26, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230126153110/https://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-64384304 |url-status=live }} Several senators also quoted Swift's lyrics in their arguments, including her 2022 single "Anti-Hero".{{Cite magazine |last=Avila |first=Daniela |date=January 25, 2023 |title=Senator Quotes Taylor Swift's 'Karma' Lyric During Closing Arguments of Ticketmaster Hearing |url=https://people.com/music/senator-quotes-taylor-swift-song-karma-during-ticketmaster-hearing/ |access-date=January 25, 2023 |magazine=People |archive-date=January 25, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230125010011/https://people.com/music/senator-quotes-taylor-swift-song-karma-during-ticketmaster-hearing/ |url-status=live }}{{Cite news |last=Holtermann |first=Callie |date=January 26, 2023 |title=At Ticketmaster Hearing, Taylor Swift Lyrics Were the Headliner |newspaper=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2023/01/25/style/taylor-swift-ticketmaster-hearing.html |access-date=January 26, 2023 |issn=0362-4331 |archive-date=January 26, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230126002512/https://www.nytimes.com/2023/01/25/style/taylor-swift-ticketmaster-hearing.html |url-status=live }}{{Cite news |date=January 24, 2023 |title=Senators quote Taylor Swift lyrics at hearing addressing Ticketmaster mess |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/live-nation-congressional-hearings-taylor-swift-b2268418.html |access-date=January 25, 2023 |newspaper=The Independent |archive-date=January 24, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230124221602/https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/live-nation-congressional-hearings-taylor-swift-b2268418.html |url-status=live }} Free Britney America, a D.C. organization that was part of the Free Britney movement, protested outside the U.S. Capitol during the hearing "in support of ending Ticketmaster-Live Nation's monopoly over the live event and ticketing industry."{{Cite news |date=January 24, 2023 |title=DC organization protests against Ticketmaster and Live Nation outside US Capitol |agency=WCIV |url=https://abcnews4.com/news/nation-world/dc-organization-protests-against-ticketmaster-and-live-nation-outside-us-capitol-taylor-swift-ticket-controversy-live-nation-entertainment-concert-pop-star-music-eras-stadium-tour-high-demands-insufficient-inventory |access-date=January 24, 2023 |archive-date=January 24, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230124171853/https://abcnews4.com/news/nation-world/dc-organization-protests-against-ticketmaster-and-live-nation-outside-us-capitol-taylor-swift-ticket-controversy-live-nation-entertainment-concert-pop-star-music-eras-stadium-tour-high-demands-insufficient-inventory |url-status=live }}

{{External media|video1={{cite AV media|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BsOHB4_pHa4|title=WATCH LIVE: Senate hearing on Ticketmaster business practices following Taylor Swift ticket issues|via=PBS NewsHour on YouTube}}}}

Following the hearing, Billboard stated that politicians of both the political parties, who see criticizing Ticketmaster as a "winning political issue and an opportunity to reach constituents who have long complained about the ticketing giant", are more of a threat to Ticketmaster than Swift herself. According to the magazine, the senators' perspective during the hearing is that "if the Live Nation-owned platform didn't have such market dominance (around 80% of large venues in the U.S. have exclusive Ticketmaster deals), greater competition would force the company to innovate and improve its services—potentially avoiding the kinds of issues that spoiled the Swift sale", and added that Ticketmaster is widely "despised" by the public, making an "easy target for rare bipartisan political action".{{Cite magazine |last=Brooks |first=Dave |date=January 26, 2023 |title=Taylor Swift Is the Least of Ticketmaster's Worries After Senate Hearing |url=https://www.billboard.com/pro/taylor-swift-ticketmaster-senate-hearing-whats-next/ |access-date=January 27, 2023 |magazine=Billboard |archive-date=January 27, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230127041102/https://www.billboard.com/pro/taylor-swift-ticketmaster-senate-hearing-whats-next/ |url-status=live }} The Washington Post columnist Helaine Olen opined the Ticketmaster fiasco "was so bad it united the parties",{{Cite news |last=Olen |first=Helaine |date=January 26, 2023 |title=Opinion Ticketmaster's Taylor Swift debacle was so bad it united the parties |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2023/01/26/ticketmaster-taylor-swift-senate-worst-monopoly/ |access-date=January 27, 2023 |newspaper=The Washington Post |archive-date=January 26, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230126183130/https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2023/01/26/ticketmaster-taylor-swift-senate-worst-monopoly/ |url-status=live }} whereas CNN journalist Allison Morrow wrote in an article titled "One Nation, Under Swift" that Swift's fans have united the two parties in a way "the Founding Fathers failed to anticipate".{{Cite news |last=Morrow |first=Allison |date=January 25, 2023 |title=One nation, under Swift |url=https://www.cnn.com/2023/01/24/business/nightcap-taylor-swift-ticketmaster-live-nation/index.html |access-date=January 27, 2023 |agency=CNN |archive-date=January 27, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230127041114/https://www.cnn.com/2023/01/24/business/nightcap-taylor-swift-ticketmaster-live-nation/index.html |url-status=live }}

The controversy and "Swift's star power" has inspired a string of law bills. According to Carolyn Sloane, assistant professor of economics of the University of California, Riverside, the fiasco spurred mass political action because Swift "has scaled her talent through demographic technology".{{Cite magazine |last=Knopper |first=Steve |date=June 15, 2023 |title=Hate Ticketmaster? Love Taylor Swift? Politicians Are Backing New Bills to Get Your Vote |url=https://www.billboard.com/lists/taylor-swift-ticketmaster-politics-new-bills-swifties-votes/ |access-date=June 17, 2023 |magazine=Billboard |archive-date=June 16, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230616203615/https://www.billboard.com/lists/taylor-swift-ticketmaster-politics-new-bills-swifties-votes/ |url-status=live }}{{Cite news |last1=Salcedo |first1=Andrea |last2=Mark |first2=Julian |date=June 12, 2023 |title=Angry Taylor Swift fans push lawmakers to take on Ticketmaster |newspaper=The Washington Post |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2023/06/11/taylor-swift-ticketmaster-ticket-meltdown-bills/ |access-date=June 17, 2023 |issn=0190-8286 |archive-date=August 9, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230809135742/https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2023/06/11/taylor-swift-ticketmaster-ticket-meltdown-bills/ |url-status=live }}

On the federal level, Klobuchar and Blumenthal proposed the Unlocking Tickets Markets Act in the U.S. Senate; it would grant the Federal Trade Commission the power to prevent "excessively long" exclusive contracts and open the market to more ticket-selling companies than just one like Ticketmaster. Pascrell and Frank Pallone proposed BOSS and SWIFT Act (Better Oversight of Stub Sales and Strengthening Well Informed and Fair Transactions for Audiences of Concert Ticketing) in the U.S. House, requiring ticket-sellers to disclose the total cost, including a breakdown of fees, the total number of tickets offered for sale within seven days of an event, and prohibit promoters or venue employees from reselling tickets at elevated prices. Ted Cruz, Maria Cantwell, Jan Schakowsky and Gus Bilirakis proposed the TICKET Act (Transparency In Charges for Key Events Ticketing Act) in both houses of Congress, requiring ticket platforms to display the full price in advertising and marketing materials and disclose "speculative tickets"—the tickets the seller does not possess when making the sale. In December 2023, the U.S. Senate introduced the Fans First Act, authored by Klobuchar, Blackburn, John Cornyn, Ben Ray Luján, Roger Wicker and Peter Welch, to address the hidden fees, scalping bots, and a lack of clarity on whether a ticket is being sold by the primary seller or a third-party.{{Cite magazine |last=Aswad |first=Jem |date=December 8, 2023 |title=Senators Introduce 'Fans First' Bill Intended to Reform Live-Event Ticketing System |url=https://variety.com/2023/music/news/senators-fans-first-bill-reform-ticketing-1235829396/ |access-date=December 13, 2023 |magazine=Variety |archive-date=December 13, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231213192535/https://variety.com/2023/music/news/senators-fans-first-bill-reform-ticketing-1235829396/ |url-status=live }}

The issue inspired several U.S. states to legislate on the matter as well. The New York State Assembly enacted a bill in December 2022 proposed by member Kenny Burgos "to crack down on scalping and control the ticket-resale market."{{Cite news |date=November 19, 2022 |title=NY lawmaker's bill would regulate online concert sales in wake of Taylor Swift-Ticketmaster disaster |url=https://bronx.news12.com/ny-lawmakers-bill-would-regulate-online-concert-sales-in-wake-of-taylor |access-date=June 17, 2023 |agency=News 12 |archive-date=June 17, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230617093058/https://bronx.news12.com/ny-lawmakers-bill-would-regulate-online-concert-sales-in-wake-of-taylor |url-status=live }} In the Washington State Legislature, Representative Kristine Reeves debuted in January 2023 the TSWIFT Consumer Protection Act, which mandates the prohibition of bots or software to buy tickets and restrictions on dynamic pricing. When the bill stalled, Reeves claimed that Ticketmaster has hired lobbyists to "kill" her bill and she "hopes to redraft the measure in the next legislative session." The Minnesota House of Representatives passed the "House File 1989" bill—the title being a reference to Swift's 2014 album 1989—to require Ticketmaster and other companies to reveal all the prices and fees upfront.{{Cite web |date=February 27, 2022 |title=HF 1989 as introduced - 93rd Legislature (2023 - 2024) |url=https://www.revisor.mn.gov/bills/text.php?number=HF1989&type=bill&version=0&session=ls93&session_year=2023&session_number=0 |access-date=June 17, 2023 |agency=Office of the Revisor of the Statutes - Minnesota Legislature |archive-date=June 17, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230617093055/https://www.revisor.mn.gov/bills/text.php?number=HF1989&type=bill&version=0&session=ls93&session_year=2023&session_number=0 |url-status=live }} Members of the Massachusetts General Court introduced the "Taylor Swift Bill" in March 2023 that mandates ticketing companies to disclose full ticket costs upfront and outlaw dynamic pricing in the state.{{Cite news |last=Rumpf-Whitten |first=Sarah |date=May 19, 2023 |title=Massachusetts lawmakers introduce 'Taylor Swift Bill' to require transparent ticket pricing following debacle |agency=KTBC |url=https://www.fox7austin.com/news/massachusetts-taylor-swift-bill-transparent-ticket-pricing.amp |access-date=May 19, 2023 |archive-date=January 16, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240116175151/https://www.fox7austin.com/news/massachusetts-taylor-swift-bill-transparent-ticket-pricing.amp |url-status=live }} Texas governor Greg Abbott signed the "Save Our Swifties" bill into law in May 2023, banning the use of bots and other technology to bulk-purchase concert tickets. Violation will elicit a penalty of up to $10,000 for every ticket purchase.{{Cite news |last=Garcia |first=Ariana |date=May 23, 2023 |title=Greg Abbott signs 'Save our Swifties' law to ban ticket-sale bots |newspaper=Houston Chronicle |url=https://www.chron.com/politics/article/texas-save-our-swifties-ticket-bill-18113022.php |access-date=May 23, 2023 |archive-date=May 23, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230523170655/https://www.chron.com/politics/article/texas-save-our-swifties-ticket-bill-18113022.php |url-status=live }}{{Cite web |last=Carver |first=Jayme Lozano |date=May 23, 2023 |title=Texas lawmakers ban bots that buy concert tickets after Taylor Swift Eras tour glitch |url=https://www.texastribune.org/2023/05/23/texas-concert-bot-law-taylor-swift/ |access-date=May 23, 2023 |website=The Texas Tribune |archive-date=May 24, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230524094529/https://www.texastribune.org/2023/05/23/texas-concert-bot-law-taylor-swift/ |url-status=live }} The California State Assembly passed Bill 8, sponsored by Laura Friedman, Jacqui Irwin and Scott Wilk, that requires ticket sellers to disclose the total prices upfront.{{Cite web |last=Malleck |first=Jullia |date=May 5, 2023 |title=California is seeking to take down Ticketmaster's monopoly |url=https://qz.com/california-bill-ticketmaster-live-nation-record-revenue-1850407690 |access-date=June 16, 2023 |website=Quartz |archive-date=June 17, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230617085629/https://qz.com/california-bill-ticketmaster-live-nation-record-revenue-1850407690 |url-status=live }} In a statement to The Washington Post, Ticketmaster refused to comment on any alleged negotiations with lawmakers regarding the bills, but noted it had to "ramp up our engagement with policymakers because they are being inundated with misinformation peddled by scalpers."

A group of fans, consisting of 26 plaintiffs across the U.S., filed a lawsuit on December 2, 2022, in the Los Angeles County Superior Court,{{Cite magazine |last=Legaspi |first=Althea |date=December 3, 2022 |title=Taylor Swift Fans Sue Ticketmaster Over Ticketing Fiasco |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/taylor-swift-fans-lawsuit-ticketmaster-live-nation-eras-tour-1234641079/ |url-status=live |magazine=Rolling Stone |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221209105350/https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/taylor-swift-fans-lawsuit-ticketmaster-live-nation-eras-tour-1234641079/ |archive-date=December 9, 2022 |access-date=December 5, 2022 |url-access=limited}} against Ticketmaster and Live Nation for "intentional deception", "fraud, price fixing and antitrust violations". It demanded a civil penalty of $2500 for every violation of the California Unfair Competition Law,{{Cite web |date=December 3, 2022 |title=Taylor Swift Fans Are Filing A Lawsuit Against Ticketmaster |url=https://uproxx.com/pop/taylor-swift-fans-lawsuit-eras-tour-ticketmaster/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221208214646/https://uproxx.com/pop/taylor-swift-fans-lawsuit-eras-tour-ticketmaster/ |archive-date=December 8, 2022 |access-date=December 3, 2022 |website=Uproxx}} alongside plaintiffs seeking the costs of legal fees, and any additional relief the court deems fit. Since the lawsuit was filed, about 150 more fans have expressed interest in signing on to it, according to the group's attorney, Jennifer Kinder. Kinder told The Washington Post, "Ticketmaster messed with the wrong fan base." The lawsuit also alleged that Ticketmaster "carved out small territories" for competitors like SeatGeek to conceal "the level of monopolistic power and control" the company has, intentionally permitted scalpers and bots to access the presale, and "gave more codes than it had tickets."{{Cite web |last1=Cohen |first1=Danielle |last2=Mzezewa |first2=Tariro |date=December 5, 2022 |title=Swifties Are Suing Ticketmaster Over the Eras Ticket Fiasco |url=https://www.thecut.com/2022/12/taylor-swift-fans-melt-down-over-eras-ticketmaster-queue.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221213140400/https://www.thecut.com/2022/12/taylor-swift-fans-melt-down-over-eras-ticketmaster-queue.html |archive-date=December 13, 2022 |access-date=December 5, 2022 |website=The Cut}} The lawsuit also named Los Angeles County, where Ticketmaster is headquartered, as a defendant.{{Cite web |last=Bloom |first=Madison |date=December 4, 2022 |title=Taylor Swift Fans Sue Ticketmaster Over Eras Tour Ticketing Fiasco |url=https://pitchfork.com/news/taylor-swift-fans-sue-ticketmaster-over-eras-tour-ticketing-fiasco/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221212155228/https://pitchfork.com/news/taylor-swift-fans-sue-ticketmaster-over-eras-tour-ticketing-fiasco/ |archive-date=December 12, 2022 |access-date=December 5, 2022 |website=Pitchfork}}

Julie Barfuss, the lead plaintiff, said that after trying to purchase tickets numerous times unsuccessfully, Barfuss chatted with a customer service worker who told her that the system considered Barfuss a bot for attempting to buy tickets 41 times. Barfuss's card also was declined 41 times, charging her an additional sum of $14,286.70 due to the purchase attempts. The court subsequently suspended the lawsuit on the grounds that the plaintiffs agreed to settle the dispute in arbitration, but the case was re-opened by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit after plaintiffs argued that they were being "misled" with an unclear arbitration agreement from Live Nation. The federal appeals court ruled that the plaintiffs have "waived their right to sue."{{Cite magazine |last=Daly |first=Rhian |date=February 15, 2023 |title=Live Nation antitrust lawsuit thrown out because buyers waived right to sue |url=https://www.nme.com/news/music/live-nation-antitrust-lawsuit-thrown-outbuyers-waived-right-sue-3399212 |access-date=March 1, 2023 |magazine=NME |archive-date=March 1, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230301191932/https://www.nme.com/news/music/live-nation-antitrust-lawsuit-thrown-outbuyers-waived-right-sue-3399212 |url-status=live }} Media outlets then reported that both parties have agreed to take the case to a formal trial in the United States District Court for the Central District of California, with the first hearing on March 28, 2023; some plaintiffs held signs outside the court campus during the hearing.{{Cite magazine |last=Millman |first=Ethan |date=March 28, 2023 |title=With Ticketmaster Lawsuit's First Hearing, Swifties Take to the Streets |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/taylor-swift-ticketmaster-lawsuit-protest-1234704360/ |access-date=March 28, 2023 |magazine=Rolling Stone |archive-date=March 28, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230328175817/https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/taylor-swift-ticketmaster-lawsuit-protest-1234704360/ |url-status=live }}

On December 20, another lawsuit, a federal class action, was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California, by a Swift fan named Michelle Sterioff, accusing Live Nation–Ticketmaster of "intentionally and purposefully" violating antitrust laws and misleading "millions of fans" into believing that they would prevent bots and scalpers from participating in the ticket sale. The lawsuit mentions violations of California Consumers Legal Remedies Act, Unfair Competition Law, False Advertising Law, "quasi-contract/restitution/unjust enrichment", and various others. Sterioff demanded the court for injunctive relief, statutory damages, punitive damages, and legal fees, among others.{{Cite magazine |last=Eggertsen |first=Chris |date=December 23, 2022 |title=Taylor Swift Fan Files New Lawsuit Against Ticketmaster, Live Nation Over Eras Tour Presale |url=https://www.billboard.com/pro/taylor-swift-fan-sues-ticketmaster-live-nation-eras-tour-presale/ |magazine=Billboard |access-date=January 24, 2023 |url-access=subscription |archive-date=January 23, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230123141828/https://www.billboard.com/pro/taylor-swift-fan-sues-ticketmaster-live-nation-eras-tour-presale/ |url-status=live }}

In a filing on February 24, Live Nation asked the judge to dismiss the class action and instead force the plaintiff to be heard privately in arbitration, citing the federal appeals court ruling in the Barfuss suit that upheld arbitration. Reuters opined that companies usually favor arbitration over court llitigation to attempt resolving issues quickly and reduce potential damages.{{Cite news |last=Scarcella |first=Mike |date=February 27, 2023 |title=Live Nation says Taylor Swift fans can't sue over ticket debacle |work=Reuters |url=https://www.reuters.com/legal/live-nation-says-taylor-swift-fans-cant-sue-over-ticket-debacle-2023-02-27/ |access-date=March 1, 2023 |archive-date=March 1, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230301191932/https://www.reuters.com/legal/live-nation-says-taylor-swift-fans-cant-sue-over-ticket-debacle-2023-02-27/ |url-status=live }} In August 2023, both parties agreed to put the case on hold, agreeing "to continue their ongoing settlement discussions through mediation."{{Cite magazine |last=Blistein |first=Jon |date=December 13, 2023 |title=Taylor Swift Fans Drop Live Nation Class Action Suit Over Eras Tour Ticketing Fiasco |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/taylor-swift-fans-drop-live-nation-lawsuit-eras-tour-tickets-1234927063/ |access-date=December 13, 2023 |magazine=Rolling Stone |archive-date=December 13, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231213163123/https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/taylor-swift-fans-drop-live-nation-lawsuit-eras-tour-tickets-1234927063/ |url-status=live }} On December 12, 2023, a voluntary dismissal notice was submitted by Sterioff, asking to terminate lawsuit. Rolling Stone opined that "it's unclear if any kind of settlement has been reached in the suit."

{{Main|United States v. Live Nation Entertainment}}

File:State_positions_in_U.S._v._Live_Nation_Entertainment.svg that have co-signed the lawsuit by the U.S. Department of Justice against Live Nation–Ticketmaster.{{NoteTag|The states participating in the lawsuit are Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma,Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin and Wyoming.{{Cite web |last=Weatherbed |first=Jess |date=2024-05-23 |title=The US government is trying to break up Live Nation-Ticketmaster |url=https://www.theverge.com/2024/5/23/24163083/live-nation-ticketmaster-doj-monopoly-lawsuit-break-up |access-date=2024-05-29 |website=The Verge |archive-date=June 1, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240601022917/https://www.theverge.com/2024/5/23/24163083/live-nation-ticketmaster-doj-monopoly-lawsuit-break-up |url-status=live }}}}]]

In May 2024, the U.S. Department of Justice launched an antitrust lawsuit against Live Nation–Ticketmaster, calling for a dissolution of the merger. The case was filed at the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York. The U.S. Assistant Attorney General, Jonathan Kanter, said in a statement to press that "the live music industry in America is broken because Live Nation-Ticketmaster has an illegal monopoly" and that the lawsuit seeks to remove the monopoly to benefit fans and artists alike. Rolling Stone reported that a lawsuit from the department "has been one of the most anticipated potential legal actions in the live music industry" since the department's investigation of the merger was officially confirmed in 2022.{{Cite magazine |last=Millman |first=Ethan |date=May 23, 2024 |title=Ticketmaster and Live Nation Should Be Broken Up, DOJ Says in New Lawsuit |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/doj-live-nation-ticketmaster-antitrust-suit-1235012538/ |access-date=May 24, 2024 |magazine=Rolling Stone |archive-date=May 23, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240523232147/https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/doj-live-nation-ticketmaster-antitrust-suit-1235012538/ |url-status=live }}{{Cite web |last=Sisco |first=Josh |date=2024-05-23 |title=DOJ and states sue Live Nation, could seek breakup of company |url=https://www.politico.com/news/2024/05/23/doj-and-states-sue-live-nation-could-seek-breakup-of-company-00159643 |access-date=2024-05-28 |website=Politico}} Additionally, a day after the case was filed, a consumer case seeking $5 billion in damages from Live Nation Entertainment on potentially millions of individuals who purchased tickets through Ticketmaster was also filed in the same court.{{Cite web |last=Scarcella |first=Mike |date=2024-05-24 |title=Live Nation ticket buyers sue in wake of US Justice Department case |url=https://www.reuters.com/sustainability/boards-policy-regulation/live-nation-ticket-buyers-sue-wake-us-justice-department-case-2024-05-24/ |access-date=2024-05-29 |website=Reuters}}

File:Taylor Swift The Eras Tour The Folklore Set Era (53108930977).jpg.]]

Various journalists highlighted the spotlight the controversy brought on monopolies and how it could bode well for the music industry. Fortune said the controversy "set off a fan political movement to take down Ticketmaster".{{Cite magazine |last=Schultz |first=Brooke |date=November 22, 2022 |title=Taylor Swift ticket debacle has set off a fan political movement to take down Ticketmaster |url=https://fortune.com/2022/11/22/taylor-swift-ticket-debacle-fan-political-movement-take-down-ticketmaster/ |access-date=December 2, 2022 |magazine=Fortune |archive-date=December 9, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221209005456/https://fortune.com/2022/11/22/taylor-swift-ticket-debacle-fan-political-movement-take-down-ticketmaster/ |url-status=live }} Pitchfork asked, "Is there any other artist [other than Swift] who could force urgency into the federal investigation of a music industry monopoly just by going on tour?"{{Cite web |date=December 5, 2022 |title=The 100 Best Songs of 2022 |url=https://pitchfork.com/features/lists-and-guides/best-songs-2022/ |access-date=December 6, 2022 |website=Pitchfork |quote="Sometimes the world really does revolve around Taylor Swift: Is there any other artist who could force urgency into the federal investigation of a music industry monopoly just by going on tour?" |archive-date=December 9, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221209163959/https://pitchfork.com/features/lists-and-guides/best-songs-2022/ |url-status=live }} Arwa Mahdawi wrote in The Guardian, "Swift has had an incredibly impressive career. But you know what? If she gets people to sit up and pay attention to the disgraceful state of antitrust laws in the U.S., I reckon that will be her finest achievement."{{Cite news |last=Mahdawi |first=Arwa |date=November 19, 2022 |title=Swifties know: the Ticketmaster fiasco shows America has a monopoly problem |url=https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2022/nov/19/taylor-swift-ticketmaster-week-in-patriarchy |access-date=November 23, 2022 |newspaper=The Guardian |archive-date=December 6, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221206143600/https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2022/nov/19/taylor-swift-ticketmaster-week-in-patriarchy |url-status=live }} Brooke Schultz of Associated Press discussed how Swift's fans magnified a website crash into a political movement and considered them an influential voter demographic during elections: "the sheer power and size of Swift's fandom has spurred conversations about economic inequality, merely symbolized by Ticketmaster".{{Cite news |last=Schultz |first=Brooke |date=November 22, 2022 |title=Taylor Swift ticket trouble could drive political engagement |url=https://apnews.com/article/entertainment-business-taylor-swift-cca0dec2b454d564fa52383101725bdc |access-date=November 23, 2022 |work=Associated Press News |archive-date=December 9, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221209070627/https://apnews.com/article/entertainment-business-taylor-swift-cca0dec2b454d564fa52383101725bdc |url-status=live }} Variety noted that Ticketmaster–Live Nation did not admit culpability for the issue, "unapologetically defending itself" against federal investigation and only apologizing after "a resultant drop in Live Nation shares of nearly 8% in trading Friday (November 18, 2022)."

American concert business publication Pollstar projected Swift to gross a $728 million sum across her 52 U.S. dates and "a mind-boggling billion dollars" internationally, surpassing Ed Sheeran's all-time record with less than half of his ÷ Tour's 255 dates; it would become the first tour in history to gross a billion-dollar sum. The publication wrote, "To put it another way: if Taylor Swift was a country and its economy was solely based on ticket sales, it would be the 199th largest economy on earth, equivalent to a small Caribbean nation."{{Cite magazine |last=Gensler |first=Andy |date=November 18, 2022 |title=Could Taylor Swift's 'Eras Tour' Hit A Billion Dollars? |url=https://news.pollstar.com/2022/11/18/could-taylor-swifts-eras-tour-hit-a-billion-dollars/ |access-date=November 23, 2022 |magazine=Pollstar |archive-date=November 23, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221123055835/https://news.pollstar.com/2022/11/18/could-taylor-swifts-eras-tour-hit-a-billion-dollars/ |url-status=live }}

A December 2022 episode of Impact, a weekly program by Nightline on Hulu that provides "an in-depth look at the stories and issues dominating the zeitgeist" by spotlighting the "real people being impacted by the issue", titled "Taylor's Ticketmaster Disaster", focused on the controversy.{{Cite news |last=Kucera |first=Caroline |date=October 5, 2022 |title='Impact x Nightline' promises unfiltered, direct-to-source coverage of current events and issues |url=https://abcnews.go.com/US/impact-nightline-promises-unfiltered-direct-source-coverage-current/story?id=90592671 |access-date=December 2, 2022 |agency=ABC News |archive-date=December 2, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221202184749/https://abcnews.go.com/US/impact-nightline-promises-unfiltered-direct-source-coverage-current/story?id=90592671 |url-status=live }}{{Cite tweet|number=1598445457071493120|user=Nightline|title=Who is to blame for Taylor Swift's concert catastrophe? This week, #IMPACTonHulu is taking a deep dive into the Ticketmaster drama that gave Taylor Swift fans "Bad Blood." Stream "Impact" by @Nightline on @Hulu. New episodes drop every Thursday|date=December 2, 2022|access-date=December 3, 2022}}

On December 8, 2022, Slate published a critical discourse analysis of the controversy, and concluded that Swift's fans are right about Ticketmaster "screwing them over" for profit. Statistical data, of a sample size of over 2,200 users, showed that those who had the special Verified Fan "boosts"—including codes offered to customers who had previously bought tickets to the canceled Lover Fest and were supposed to be prioritized—were less successful in securing tickets than those who did not have any type of boosts. The report concluded "It appears boosts not only didn't help, they actively harmed", but also underscored that the boosting "worked as expected" for SeatGeek users only.{{Cite magazine |first1=Shannon|last1=Palus|first2=Kaiser|last2=Fung |date=December 8, 2022 |title=Taylor Swift and Ticketmaster Messed With the Wrong People: Data Analysts |url=https://slate.com/business/2022/12/taylor-swift-eras-tour-tickets-fiasco-data-analysis.html |access-date=December 9, 2022 |magazine=Slate |archive-date=December 10, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221210074111/https://slate.com/business/2022/12/taylor-swift-eras-tour-tickets-fiasco-data-analysis.html |url-status=live }}

On December 12, The Wall Street Journal, citing "people familiar with the matter", published data about the crash. It said that there were 2.6 million seats for the tour, for which 3.5 million people registered through the fan program, 1.5 million of whom got the pre-sale codes, which would generally translate to 1.8 million tickets sold. Instead, 12 million unique entities, including scalper bots, visited the website that day, and gave 3.5 billion user requests to the site, leading to the crash; 2.4 million tickets were sold before the website completely crashed, and 163,300 tickets that had been allocated for the canceled general sale remain—six percentage of the total seats. The Wall Street Journal also opined that if Ticketmaster had not opened a bulk of the tickets to sale on a single day and had rather split the sale in a staggered manner over several days based on venues, similar to what the platform did for the Reputation Stadium Tour, the pre-sale would not have crashed.{{Cite news |last=Steele |first=Anne |title=Taylor Swift Tickets: How Many Might Be Left? |url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/taylor-swift-tickets-how-many-might-be-left-11670624940 |access-date=December 13, 2022 |newspaper=The Wall Street Journal |archive-date=December 17, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221217134902/https://www.wsj.com/articles/taylor-swift-tickets-how-many-might-be-left-11670624940 |url-status=live }}

On January 3, 2023, The Guardian reported that Live Nation–Ticketmaster is spending "big" on its lobbying campaign on the Department of Justice, as well as legislations aimed at "greater transparency around ticket sales."{{Cite news |last=Perkins |first=Tom |date=January 3, 2023 |title=Antitrust target Ticketmaster spends big on lobbying amid woeful 2022 |url=https://www.theguardian.com/business/2023/jan/03/ticketmaster-live-nation-lobbying-taylor-swift-bad-bunny |access-date=January 24, 2023 |newspaper=The Guardian |archive-date=January 24, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230124171201/https://www.theguardian.com/business/2023/jan/03/ticketmaster-live-nation-lobbying-taylor-swift-bad-bunny |url-status=live }}

On January 23, The Los Angeles Times published an article titled "How Ticketmaster became the most hated name in music", in which it claimed that a "high-ranking concert executive", speaking on condition of anonymity, stated that "Ticketmaster erred in placing all the Eras tickets on sale at once and allowing fans to pick their own seats, which led to bottlenecked traffic" and that "the Verified Fan database was rife with resellers with fake email addresses."

Forbes and The Hollywood Reporter named Swift as one of 2022's most powerful women in entertainment.{{Cite magazine |last=O'Connell |first=Mikey |date=December 7, 2022 |title=The Hollywood Reporter's 2022 Women in Entertainment Power 100 |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/lists/the-hollywood-reporters-2022-women-in-entertainment-power-100/ |access-date=December 7, 2022 |magazine=The Hollywood Reporter |archive-date=December 9, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221209183814/https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/lists/the-hollywood-reporters-2022-women-in-entertainment-power-100/ |url-status=live }}{{Cite magazine |title=The World's 100 Most Powerful Women 2022 |url=https://www.forbes.com/lists/power-women/ |access-date=December 7, 2022 |magazine=Forbes |archive-date=December 28, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181228223111/https://www.forbes.com/lists/power-women/ |url-status=live }} Entertainment Weekly listed "Swifties vs. Ticketmaster" as one of the biggest pop culture moments of 2022. The magazine's Allaire Nuss wrote, "If there was ever an artist with enough pop-culture prowess to bring down the music industry's most hated monopoly, it's Taylor Swift."{{Cite magazine |date=December 22, 2022 |title=The biggest pop culture moments of 2022 |url=https://ew.com/celebrity/biggest-pop-culture-moments-of-2022/ |access-date=December 24, 2022 |magazine=Entertainment Weekly |archive-date=December 24, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221224064245/https://ew.com/celebrity/biggest-pop-culture-moments-of-2022/ |url-status=live }} Due to the controversy, The Washington Post proclaimed that 2022 is another year Swift dominated, maintaining "an unbreakable hold on our increasingly fractured world—and its discourse—in a way that almost no one else can."{{Cite news |last=Yahr |first=Emily |date=December 26, 2022 |title=2022: The year in review (Taylor's version) |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/arts-entertainment/2022/12/26/taylor-swift-2022-midnights-ticketmaster/ |access-date=December 26, 2022 |newspaper=The Washington Post |archive-date=December 26, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221226194730/https://www.washingtonpost.com/arts-entertainment/2022/12/26/taylor-swift-2022-midnights-ticketmaster/ |url-status=live }} Vox depicted the controversy in its year-end montage summarizing the important world events of 2022.{{Cite web |title=2022, in 7 minutes |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PLDFgKzWy3o |work=Vox | date=December 27, 2022 |via=YouTube |access-date=December 29, 2022 |archive-date=December 29, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221229001706/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PLDFgKzWy3o |url-status=live }} The A.V. Club listed "Ticketmaster faces the wrath of the Swifties" as one of the 30 biggest popular culture news stories of 2022.{{Cite web |date=December 29, 2022 |title=2022's biggest pop culture news stories |url=https://www.avclub.com/2022s-biggest-pop-culture-news-stories-1849931613 |access-date=December 30, 2022 |website=The A.V. Club |archive-date=December 30, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221230060815/https://www.avclub.com/2022s-biggest-pop-culture-news-stories-1849931613 |url-status=live }}

Following the controversy, Ticketmaster's technical failures in various other concert tours have received media attention and fan criticism, often compared to the U.S. Eras Tour fiasco. In December 2022, Ticketmaster once again faced controversy after an "unprecedented" number of people were sold fake tickets to the Mexico City dates of the World's Hottest Tour, the 2022 concert tour by Puerto Rican rapper-singer Bad Bunny. The platform said the fake tickets "caused temporary intermittence in the access control system, which unfortunately impeded the identification of legitimate tickets for some moments." Ricardo Sheffield, the head of Mexico's consumer protection agency, stated in a Radio Fórmula interview that Ticketmaster would be forced to pay a fine of up to 10 percent of its 2021 earnings in addition to "compensation of no less than 20% of the price paid."{{Cite news |last=Acevedo |first=Nicole |date=December 13, 2022 |title=Ticketmaster Mexico to face millions in fines over Bad Bunny concert tickets screwup |agency=NBC News |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/news/latino/ticketmaster-mexico-face-millions-fines-bad-bunny-concert-tickets-scre-rcna61514 |url-status=live |access-date=December 15, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221214163415/https://www.nbcnews.com/news/latino/ticketmaster-mexico-face-millions-fines-bad-bunny-concert-tickets-scre-rcna61514 |archive-date=December 14, 2022}}{{Cite magazine |last=Ramirez |first=Nikki McCann |date=December 13, 2022 |title=Mexico to Level Massive Fine Against Ticketmaster After Bad Bunny Ticket Disaster |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/mexico-fines-ticketmaster-bad-bunny-mexico-city-1234646732/ |url-status=live |magazine=Rolling Stone |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221215115159/https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/mexico-fines-ticketmaster-bad-bunny-mexico-city-1234646732/ |archive-date=December 15, 2022 |access-date=December 15, 2022}} On December 26, 2022, American country singer Zach Bryan criticized Ticketmaster for the handling of his Burn Burn Burn Tour (2023) and listed out non-transferrable tickets to stop scalpers. He went on to release a live album, entitled All My Homies Hate Ticketmaster.{{Cite news |last=Heching |first=Dan |date=December 27, 2022 |title=Zach Bryan drops surprise album 'All My Homies Hate Ticketmaster,' vows to combat high ticket prices |url=https://www.cnn.com/2022/12/27/entertainment/zach-bryan-album-ticketmaster/index.html |access-date=March 28, 2023|agency=CNN |archive-date=March 28, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230328175816/https://www.cnn.com/2022/12/27/entertainment/zach-bryan-album-ticketmaster/index.html |url-status=live }}{{Cite magazine |last=Freeman |first=Jon |date=January 4, 2023 |title=Zach Bryan Wants to Burn Ticketmaster to the Ground |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-country/zach-bryan-concert-tour-tickets-ticketmaster-1234654016/ |access-date=March 28, 2023 |magazine=Rolling Stone |archive-date=March 28, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230328175816/https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-country/zach-bryan-concert-tour-tickets-ticketmaster-1234654016/ |url-status=live }}

In February 2023, American singer Beyoncé announced her ninth concert tour, the Renaissance World Tour, in which she also partnered with Ticketmaster. The news created concerns on social media over Ticketmaster's reliability, with fans fearing a fiasco similar to Swift's.{{Cite web |last=Treisman |first=Rachel |date=February 2, 2023 |title=Beyoncé's Renaissance tour is Ticketmaster's next big test. Fans are already stressed |url=https://www.npr.org/2023/02/02/1153806365/beyonce-ticketmaster-renaissance-tour |access-date=February 3, 2023 |website=NPR |archive-date=February 2, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230202235621/https://www.npr.org/2023/02/02/1153806365/beyonce-ticketmaster-renaissance-tour |url-status=live }} However, Ticketmaster released a statement claiming the demand for the Renaissance World Tour is "expected to be high" and pledged to implement a "multistep verification process" to ensure tickets are being sold to the concertgoers rather than scalpers.{{Cite news|last=Sykes |first=Stefan |title=Ticketmaster braces for Beyoncé's 'Renaissance' tour amid fears of Taylor Swift-level demand |url=https://www.cnbc.com/2023/02/02/beyonce-renaissance-tour-ticketmaster-demand.html |access-date=February 3, 2023 |agency=CNBC |date=February 2, 2023 |archive-date=February 3, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230203155256/https://www.cnbc.com/2023/02/02/beyonce-renaissance-tour-ticketmaster-demand.html |url-status=live }} The company would continue to sell tickets via its Verified Fan program for the North American leg of the tour, but replace the at-large on-sale (as with Swift's case) with a staggered sale, as well as not initially scheduling a public on-sale.{{Cite web |title=Ticketmaster responds to Beyoncé tour concerns after Taylor Swift ticket debacle |url=https://www.today.com/popculture/music/ticketmaster-beyonce-renaissance-world-tour-taylor-swift-tickets-eras-rcna68820 |access-date=February 3, 2023 |work=TV |date=February 2, 2023 |archive-date=February 3, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230203155259/https://www.today.com/popculture/music/ticketmaster-beyonce-renaissance-world-tour-taylor-swift-tickets-eras-rcna68820 |url-status=live }}

In March 2023, fans of Canadian music artist Drake also filed a class action lawsuit against Ticketmaster in the Superior Court of Quebec, alleging intentional deception and fraud. Plaintiffs claimed that the on-sale for the It's All a Blur Tour, a co-headlining concert tour by Drake and 21 Savage, "intentionally misleads consumers for [Ticketmaster's] own financial gain" by concealing information about additional show dates to drive demand and ticket prices.{{Cite web |title=Drake fans are the latest to hit Ticketmaster with a lawsuit following 'It's All A Blur' tour sale |url=https://www.businessinsider.in/entertainment/news/drake-fans-are-the-latest-to-hit-ticketmaster-with-a-lawsuit-following-its-all-a-blur-tour-sale/articleshow/98979729.cms |access-date=March 28, 2023 |website=Business Insider |archive-date=March 28, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230328175817/https://www.businessinsider.in/entertainment/news/drake-fans-are-the-latest-to-hit-ticketmaster-with-a-lawsuit-following-its-all-a-blur-tour-sale/articleshow/98979729.cms |url-status=live }}{{Cite web |date=March 24, 2023 |title=Ticketmaster facing lawsuit over Drake pricing now, too |url=https://www.avclub.com/ticketmaster-facing-lawsuit-over-drake-pricing-now-too-1850261716 |access-date=March 28, 2023 |website=The A.V. Club |archive-date=March 28, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230328175816/https://www.avclub.com/ticketmaster-facing-lawsuit-over-drake-pricing-now-too-1850261716 |url-status=live }} The suit seeks $300 in punitive damages per customer and compensatory damages covering the difference between the "Official Platinum" ticket prices and the regular cost for the seats.{{Cite web |last=Fu |first=Eddie |date=March 24, 2023 |title=Drake fan files class-action lawsuit against Ticketmaster over inflated "Official Platinum" prices |url=https://consequence.net/2023/03/drake-fan-ticketmaster-lawsuit/ |access-date=March 28, 2023 |website=Consequence |archive-date=March 28, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230328175817/https://consequence.net/2023/03/drake-fan-ticketmaster-lawsuit/ |url-status=live }}

For the Eurovision Song Contest 2023 in Liverpool in May 2023, the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) and the host broadcaster BBC partnered with Ticketmaster.{{Cite news |date=March 2, 2023 |title=Eurovision 2023: Tickets for Liverpool sell out after huge demand |agency=BBC News |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-64784428 |access-date=March 7, 2023 |archive-date=March 8, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230308002325/https://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-64784428 |url-status=live }} Prior to the ticket booking platform going live, many users complained that the Ticketmaster website had crashed with a 500 error.{{Cite news |last=Somerville |first=Ewan |date=March 7, 2023 |title=Eurovision tickets website crashes moments before sale begins |newspaper=The Daily Telegraph |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2023/03/07/eurovision-tickets-sale-website-crashes-ticketmaster-liverpool/ |access-date=March 7, 2023 |issn=0307-1235 |archive-date=March 8, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230308091628/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2023/03/07/eurovision-tickets-sale-website-crashes-ticketmaster-liverpool/ |url-status=live }} Tickets for the contest's final sold out in 36 minutes, with the remaining available shows selling out around an hour later.{{Cite web |last=Jones |first=Damian |date=March 7, 2023|title=Eurovision final 2023 tickets sell out in 36 minutes |url=https://www.nme.com/news/music/eurovision-final-2023-tickets-sell-out-in-36-minutes-3409546 |access-date=March 7, 2023 |magazine=NME |archive-date=March 8, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230308121840/https://www.nme.com/news/music/eurovision-final-2023-tickets-sell-out-in-36-minutes-3409546 |url-status=live }} Following this, tickets were available on third-party resale platforms such as Viagogo, with a general admission standing ticket for the final, originally priced at {{Currency|380|GBP}}, being sold for up to {{Currency|11800|GBP|linked=no}}.{{Cite web |title=Tickets: Eurovision Song Contest Grand Final - Live Show, Liverpool {{!}} Sat, 13 May 2023, 20:00 |url=https://www.ticketmaster.co.uk/eurovision-song-contest-grand-final-live-liverpool-13-05-2023/event/37005E5CB24B11CC |access-date=March 7, 2023 |agency=Ticketmaster UK |archive-date=March 7, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230307203143/https://www.ticketmaster.co.uk/eurovision-song-contest-grand-final-live-liverpool-13-05-2023/event/37005E5CB24B11CC |url-status=live }}{{Cite news |date=March 7, 2023 |title=Eurovision tickets reselling for up to £12,000 as fans hunt for ways to attend contest |url=https://www.itv.com/news/granada/2023-03-07/eurovision-tickets-reselling-for-up-to-12000-on-third-party-websites |agency=ITV News |access-date=March 8, 2023 |archive-date=March 7, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230307224112/https://www.itv.com/news/granada/2023-03-07/eurovision-tickets-reselling-for-up-to-12000-on-third-party-websites |url-status=live }}{{Cite web |date=March 7, 2023 |title=Tickets for all 9 shows at this year's Eurovision Song Contest have now SOLD OUT. |url=http://eyeonsouthport.co.uk/tickets-for-all-9-shows-at-this-year-s-eurovision-song-contest-have-now-sold-out |access-date=March 7, 2023 |website=Eye on Southport |archive-date=March 7, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230307203145/https://eyeonsouthport.co.uk/tickets-for-all-9-shows-at-this-year-s-eurovision-song-contest-have-now-sold-out |url-status=live }}

In June 2023, the Eras Tour's Paris and Lyon dates registered the highest demand ever for a presale in France. Angelo Gopee, head of Live Nation France, stated, "the demand is such that many have found themselves in a virtual queue just to subscribe to the mailing list which, potentially, will open access to the ticket office. From memory, we had never seen that in France".{{Cite web |last=De Freitas |first=Delphine |date=June 21, 2023 |title=La billetterie des concerts français de Taylor Swift donne déjà des sueurs froides à ses fans |trans-title=The box office for Taylor Swift's French concerts is already giving her fans cold sweats |url=https://www.tf1info.fr/culture/the-eras-tour-de-taylor-swift-la-billetterie-de-ses-concerts-francais-lille-et-paris-fonctionne-sur-tirage-sort-2261184.html |access-date=June 23, 2023 |language=fr |agency=TF1 Info |archive-date=June 22, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230622201945/https://www.tf1info.fr/culture/the-eras-tour-de-taylor-swift-la-billetterie-de-ses-concerts-francais-lille-et-paris-fonctionne-sur-tirage-sort-2261184.html |url-status=live }} Ticketmaster halted the French presales on July 11, 2023, following login glitches.{{Cite magazine |last=Keslassy |first=Elsa |date=July 11, 2023 |title=Sales for Taylor Swift's Eras Tour in Paris Halted on Ticketmaster |url=https://variety.com/2023/music/global/sales-taylor-swift-eras-tour-paris-ticketmaster-1235666407/ |access-date=July 11, 2023 |magazine=Variety |archive-date=July 11, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230711100833/https://variety.com/2023/music/global/sales-taylor-swift-eras-tour-paris-ticketmaster-1235666407/ |url-status=live }}{{Cite magazine |last=Paul |first=Larisha |date=July 11, 2023 |title=Ticketmaster France Couldn't Handle Taylor Swift Demand Either |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/taylor-swift-eras-tour-paris-sales-put-on-hold-by-ticketmaster-1234786146/ |access-date=July 11, 2023 |magazine=Rolling Stone |archive-date=July 11, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230711132110/https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/taylor-swift-eras-tour-paris-sales-put-on-hold-by-ticketmaster-1234786146/ |url-status=live }} In July 2023, the United Kingdom ticket sale of the Eras Tour was handled by Ticketmaster and AXS.{{Cite news |last=Sherlock |first=Gemma |date=July 6, 2023 |title=Taylor Swift fans fume as Ticketmaster changes sale and time rules for Eras Tour |url=https://www.mirror.co.uk/lifestyle/going-out/music/taylor-swift-fans-fume-ticketmaster-30402410 |access-date=July 10, 2023 |newspaper=Daily Mirror |archive-date=July 10, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230710115453/https://www.mirror.co.uk/lifestyle/going-out/music/taylor-swift-fans-fume-ticketmaster-30402410 |url-status=live }} Forbes reported widespread scalping of the tour's UK tickets, with immediate re-listing on sites like StubHub and Viagogo for extortionate prices, in addition to website crashes.{{Cite news |last=Dowrick |first=Molly |date=July 12, 2023 |title=The eye-watering charges for Taylor Swift tickets taking fans by surprise |url=https://www.walesonline.co.uk/whats-on/taylor-swifts-eras-tour-eyewatering-27308705 |access-date=July 13, 2023 |agency=Media Wales |archive-date=July 13, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230713030133/https://www.walesonline.co.uk/whats-on/taylor-swifts-eras-tour-eyewatering-27308705 |url-status=live }}{{Cite magazine |last=Roeloffs |first=Mary Whitfill |title=Eras Tour Headaches Take U.K.: Taylor Swift Fans Complain About Website Malfunctions, Scalpers As Tickets Released |url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/maryroeloffs/2023/07/10/eras-tour-headaches-take-uk-taylor-swift-fans-complain-about-website-malfunctions-scalpers-as-tickets-released/ |access-date=July 13, 2023 |magazine=Forbes |archive-date=July 12, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230712164352/https://www.forbes.com/sites/maryroeloffs/2023/07/10/eras-tour-headaches-take-uk-taylor-swift-fans-complain-about-website-malfunctions-scalpers-as-tickets-released/ |url-status=live }} Kevin Brennan, a Member of Parliament from Cardiff, demanded a debate in the UK House of Commons on ticket scalpers and the government's plan to tackle them.{{Cite news |last=Bet |first=Martina |date=July 13, 2023 |title=MP demands action to protect 'our daughters' from Taylor Swift ticket resellers |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/penny-mordaunt-taylor-swift-thangam-debbonaire-labour-cardiff-b2374688.html |access-date=July 13, 2023 |newspaper=The Independent |archive-date=July 13, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230713203143/https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/penny-mordaunt-taylor-swift-thangam-debbonaire-labour-cardiff-b2374688.html |url-status=live }}

• Taylor Swift masters dispute

• 2009 MTV Video Music Awards
• Taylor Swift sexual assault trial
• Taylor Swift vs Scooter Braun: Bad Blood
• Death of Ana Clara Benevides
• Deepfake pornography

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{{Taylor Swift}}

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Category:The Eras Tour

Category:2022 controversies in the United States

Category:2022 in American music

Category:Corporate scandals

Category:Taylor Swift controversies