National & Minnesota Report
Sen Amy Klobuchar’s (D-MN) work in the Senate Judiciary Committee delving into the business practices of Ticketmaster have already uncovered some significant consumer protection issues. It is becoming evident that Ticketmaster has a stranglehold on the event ticket marketplace, and this is in no one’s interest but their own. Her dogged approach on protecting the American people from bad actors like Ticketmaster is well appreciated.
Granted, the fact that this issue first came to light because of young women being were denied tickets to a Taylor Swift concert and the costs of tickets from third-party vendors were exorbitant, was the initial impetus. The concert ticketing and venue industry while getting back to business post-COVID, was at the hands of Ticketmaster and the price gouge here is where the problem lies. The need for a more competitive marketplace needs to return.
This issue with Klobuchar’s direction, shifts the committee’s focus on consumer protection in the ticketing space, is a welcomed endeavor and a strong departure from the efforts last year aimed at “breaking up” America’s tech sector. This change is welcomed in certain specific economic sectors, especially the tech industry.