Senators from both parties advance ticket reform legislation

A bipartisan group of senators this week introduced a bill to reform event ticketing systems that have caused headaches for sports and music fans over the past year.

“The current ticketing system is riddled with problems and does not serve the needs of fans, teams, artists or venues,” said Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas), lead sponsor of LegislationHe said Friday in a press release. “This legislation will rebuild trust in the ticketing system by cracking down on bots and others who exploit consumers through price gouging and other predatory practices and increase price transparency for ticket buyers.”

The “Fans First Act” aims to add more transparency, strengthen consumer protections, and address “bad actors” — such as distributors who engage in “illegal ticket sales practices.”

The legislation also includes sponsors such as Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Marsha Blackburn (D-TN), Peter Welch (D-VA), Roger Wicker (R-MO), and Ben Ray Luján (D-TN). ). M.)

“Purchasing a ticket to see your favorite artist or band is out of reach for many Americans,” Klobuchar said in the statement. “Bots, hidden fees, and predatory practices harm consumers whether they want to catch a home game, an up-and-coming artist, or a headliner like Taylor Swift or Bad Bunny. From ensuring fans get refunds for canceled shows to banning scalping ticket sales, this legislation is bipartisan It will improve your ticketing experience.

The legislation comes in the wake of controversy surrounding LiveNation’s Ticketmaster program, particularly regarding the sale of pop star Taylor Swift’s tickets to her “The Eras Tour” shows last year. Verified users who attempted to purchase tickets for the tour at a pre-sale event reported a wide range of issues – including frozen web pages, long queues, ticket delays, and a large number of bots and unverified users flooding the site.

The situation even sparked a reaction from the “Style” singer herself.

“It’s really hard for me to trust an outside entity with these relationships and loyalties, and it’s painful for me to watch mistakes happen with no recourse,” Swift said in a post on her Instagram Story at the time.

“There are many reasons people have had such a hard time trying to get tickets, and I’m trying to figure out how this situation can be improved moving forward,” the multiple Grammy winner wrote.

If passed, the new legislation would require all ticket sellers and vendors to disclose the total cost, including fees, and price details. Additionally, they will be required to show proof of purchase within 24 hours and refund buyers if the event is canceled or postponed.

LiveNation came out in support of the bill In the current situation For NBC News.

“We believe it is important for Congress to act to protect fans and artists from predatory resale practices, and we have long supported a federal mandate for blanket pricing, bans on ticket scalping and deceptive websites, among other measures,” the company wrote.

“We look forward to continuing our work with policymakers to advocate for stronger reforms and enforcement,” they added.