Ticketmaster Entertainment, LLC
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"Ticketmaster Entertainment, LLC is an American ticket sales and distribution company based in Beverly Hills, California, with operations in many countries around the world."[1] Ticketmaster has been accused by consumers of price gouging tickets, in addition Ticketmaster has been involved in a data breach that leaked personal information about customers from the US, Canada, and Mexico.[2]
| Basic Information | |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1976-10-02 |
| Type | LLC |
| Industry | Ticket sales and distribution |
| Parent company | Live Nation Entertainment |
| Official website | https://www.ticketmaster.com/ |
Product Lines
No products specified.
Consumer Protection Incidents
ShinyHunters databreach (May 15, 2024)
Ticketmaster's company network was accessed without authorization by the cybercriminal group "ShinyHunters", the group managed to gain access through a vulnerability in the Ticketmaster customer service portal.[3] The breach exposed consumer email, phone, encrypted payment information, and additional information provided by the consumer of around 40 million customers.[2][3]
Ticketmaster's response
Ticketmaster was swift to identify the breach and take action to further secure its systems by shutting down affected systems, unfortunately ShinyHunters has been quick enough to steal significant amounts of information.[3] In response Ticketmaster published an official statement about the breach and sent emails and physical mail where applicable warning customers about the breach and provided effected users a free 12-month identity protection service.[2]
References
- ↑ "Ticketmaster" - wikipedia.org - accessed 2025-01-31
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 "Ticketmaster Data Security Incident" - help.ticketmaster.com - accessed 2025-01-31
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 "Ticketmaster Breach: A Deep Dive into the May 2024 Cyberattack and the History of the Alleged Hackers" - frameworksec.com - accessed 2025-01-31
Deceptive Business Practices
Bait-and-switch ticket sale tactics (~October 2008 to ~February 2009)
In 2009, Ticketmaster displayed a status message that indicated there were no more tickets to display even though there allegedly were many available tickets. The company was fined for this, as Ticketmaster secured the proceeds of Bruce Springsteen fans, who sought price-gouged tickets via Ticketmaster's resale site, TicketsNow .[1] This message was allegedly displayed voluntarily, even though many seats remained vacant. Therefore, buyers were driven to purchase tickets via TicketsNow where the prices were significantly higher, and sometimes two times their original value.[2]
Ticketmaster allegedly continued this deceptive, tactic between 2008 and 2009 for multiple events, not just the Bruce Springsteen concert.[2]
In 2025, Ticketmaster has allegedly misled customers by posting ticket prices that are low upfront, but tag additional large, unreasonable, and unavoidable fees near the end of the sale. A 2025 class action was filed against Ticketmaster and Ticketmaster's parent company Live Nation for these misleading checkout practices and alleged "drip pricing."[3]
References
- ↑ "Ticketmaster and TicketsNow Settle FTC Charges of Deceptive Sales Tactics, Refunds for Springsteen Concertgoers Provided; FTC Warns Other Ticket Resellers". Federal Trade Commission. 18 Feb 2010. Archived from the original on 4 Mar 2025. Retrieved 16 Jun 2025.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 "Fight the Monopoly!". Backstreets.com. 20 Jun 2016. Archived from the original on 19 Aug 2024. Retrieved 16 Jun 2025.
- ↑ "Madrigal et al. v. Live Nation Entertainment, Inc. et al. - 2:25-cv-02375" (PDF). U.S. District Court, Central District of California. Case No. (2:25-cv-02375). 18 March 2025 – via ClassActionorg.
Event Ticketing through Ticketmaster/LiveNation website/app
Consumer Protection Incidents
ShinyHunters databreach (May 15, 2024)
Ticketmaster's company network was accessed without authorization by the cybercriminal group "ShinyHunters", the group managed to gain access through a vulnerability in the Ticketmaster customer service portal.[1] The breach exposed consumer email, phone, encrypted payment information, and additional information provided by the consumer of around 40 million customers.[2][1]
Ticketmaster's response
Ticketmaster was swift to identify the breach and take action to further secure its systems by shutting down affected systems, unfortunately ShinyHunters has been quick enough to steal significant amounts of information.[1] In response Ticketmaster published an official statement about the breach and sent emails and physical mail where applicable warning customers about the breach and provided effected users a free 12-month identity protection service.[2]
LiveNation Merger
LiveNation, Ticketmaster's largest competitor attempted to merge with Ticketmaster, this gives Ticketmaster a largely controlling stake in the live event marketplace, in addition to exclusivity deals with artists to lock out other competitors
R eferences
Monopolistic practices
Ticketmaster has been accused of being a monopoly.
In May 2024, the Department of Justice filed a lawsuit against Ticketmaster and Live Nation for monopolizing the ticket industry.[1]
References
- ↑ Hayes, Adam. "Is Ticketmaster a Monopoly?".