The Live Nation-owned ticket seller is under fire for its role in the industry after Taylor Swift's tour promoter shifted blame for the failed "Eras" ticket sale to them.
Liberty Media, the largest shareholder in Live Nation, had claimed that the promoter chose to work with the ticketing site.
"Ticketmaster's exclusive deals with the vast majority of venues on the 'Eras' tour required us to ticket through their system." We didn't have an option.
Live Nation didn't reply to CNBC's request for comment.
The public ticket sale was canceled last week due to extreme demand, and the comment by the promoter is the latest in a long line of finger- pointing. Swift blamed someone else and said she wouldn't make excuses.
Liberty Media CEO Greg Maffei blamed overzealous Swifties and bots for the demand that crashed its website and caused delays in ticket sales. Lawmakers called for more oversight of Live Nation after it merged with Ticketmaster. Maffei said that the industrychose to use them.
Performers and their representatives don't have a choice of where to sell their tickets because Live Nation controls 70% of the market. They want the Department of Justice to investigate Live Nation for hiking up ticket prices.
The New York Times reported on Friday that the Justice Department was looking into Live Nation's practices before the Swift ticket sale debacle.
All Rights Reserved © 2024
