Live Nation’s Ticketmaster plans to offer all-in upfront pricing at more than 200 venues and festivals, an announcement promoted by the White House as progress on its drive to eliminate “hidden fees” slapped on consumers.
President Joe Biden will meet with Live Nation and other executives on Thursday, following up on his call last year to curb the fees. The White House called out the practice of adding “service fees” to the cost of concert tickets at the back end of the buying process.
Ticketmaster also will add an option to give consumers the option of receiving the “all-in” upfront pricing for other tickets it sells, the White House said.
Other companies also have made commitments to “all-in” pricing, including SeatGeek and xBk.
The fees were brought up earlier this year when Live Nation president and CFO Joe Berchtold appeared before a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing. Lawmakers organized the hearing in the wake of last November’s Taylor Swift ticket snafu, when Ticketmaster systems crashed in the face of extraordinary demand. Some senators have connected the debacle to Live Nation-Ticketmaster’s market power, as the Justice Department’s Antitrust Division has been conducting an investigation into the company’s business practices.
The moves by the companies are voluntary, but Live Nation “expressed interest” to the administration in announcing the change after Biden’s State of the Union address in February. The president proposed the Junk Fee Prevention Act. aimed at curbing hidden fees from airlines, concert venues and events and cable TV subscriptions.
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