Ticketmaster lobbies for UK resale price cap as critics warn of market squeeze
Ticketmaster and its parent company, Live Nation, have been lobbying in favour of the UK government’s proposed cap on ticket resale prices, Morning Wire understands, as ministers prepare legislation aimed at curbing ticket touting.
The Department for Business and Trade (DBT) is considering limiting resale prices to between zero and 30 per cent above face value, following a consultation launched after backlash over overpriced secondary sales for major tours.
Live Nation publicly backed the policy in November, saying it “fully supports” a ban on resale above face value.
Ticketmaster already caps resale on its own UK platform at the original price paid.
Now Morning Wire understands that the company has been actively engaging policymakers as part of the consultation process, and people close to the matter have said the reform could strengthen the position of the primary ticketing market, where Ticketmaster is the dominant player.
Industry body the Association of Independent Festivals (AIF) has claimed Live Nation controls around two-thirds of the UK’s major concert market
Ticketmaster disputes the figures and claims any arguments based on AIF data significantly overstate its share.
Resale accounts for roughly six per cent of UK ticket transactions, according to market estimates cited in the consultation. The vast majority of tickets are still sold on the primary market.
Rival resale platform viagogo said that targeting the secondary market without reforming primary sales risks locking in existing market structures.
Frankie Mulqueen, a spokesperson for the company, told Morning Wire the proposal “ignores the biggest issues fans face: dynamic pricing, bot abuse and broken queues”.
Ticketmaster rejects suggestions that it benefits from a weakened secondary market and says it does not fund anti-resale campaign groups.
The leading platform maintains that capping resale protects fans from inflated prices and makes sure sellers do not profit above face value.
Fraud concerns
The government’s analytical note published in December estimated that a resale cap could diminish overall annual ticket spending by £112m and lower the average resale price by £37.
However, the same model acknowledges the possibility of displacement, with customers moving to other channels, like social media.
Officials said compliance “may be impossible or unviable for larger platforms to guarantee”, while enforcement means are still being finalised.
UK Finance, which represents major lenders like Lloyds, NatWest, HSBC and Barclays, has warned that stricter caps could push transactions onto unregulated platforms, increasing fraud risks and potentially shifting losses onto banks.
Elsewhere, seperate research by StubHub International showed ticket fraud rates are higher in markets with price caps, including Ireland and Victoria in Australia.
The UK live events sector is a significant economic contributor, generating an estimated £61.6bn in direct value in 2023 and supporting around 775,000 jobs.
The debate over resale comes amid wider scrutiny of Live Nation and Ticketmaster’s business practices.
Across the pond, the Federal Trade Commission last year filed a lawsuit alleging deceptive pricing and unlawful coordination with ticket brokers.
The company to this day has denied any wrongdoing, and said it will defend itself in court.