CMA Update: Ticketmaster

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: TUESDAY 25 MARCH 2025 AT 12h00 

CMA seeks changes to the way Ticketmaster labels tickets and provides pricing information to fans

The CMA sets out its concerns over Ticketmaster's sale of Oasis tickets.

·    CMA is concerned that Ticketmaster's approach may have misled Oasis fans

·    CMA is engaging with Ticketmaster to improve information given to consumers

Today the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) is providing a progress update on its investigation into Ticketmaster following widespread complaints about the sale of Oasis' concert tickets. Following a formal investigation, the CMA is now consulting with the ticketing platform on changes to ensure fans receive the right information, at the right time.

The concerns

The CMA is concerned that Ticketmaster, which sold more than 900,000 tickets during the Oasis ticket sale, may have breached consumer protection law by:

·    Labelling certain seated tickets as 'platinum' and selling them for near 2.5 times the price of equivalent standard tickets, without sufficiently explaining that they did not offer additional benefits and were often located in the same area of the stadium. This risked giving consumers the misleading impression that platinum tickets were better.

·    Not informing consumers that there were two categories of standing tickets at different prices, with all of the cheaper standing tickets sold first before the more expensive standing tickets were released, resulting in many fans waiting in a lengthy queue without understanding what they would be paying and then having to decide whether to pay a higher price than they expected.

Many fans were under the impression that Ticketmaster used an algorithmic pricing model during the Oasis sale, with ticket prices adjusted in real time according to changing conditions like high demand. The CMA has not found evidence that this was the case. Instead, Ticketmaster released a number of standing tickets at a lower price and, once they had sold out, then released the remaining standing tickets at a much higher price.  

Although prices were not adjusted in real time using an algorithm, the CMA is concerned that consumers were not given clear and timely information about how the pricing of standing tickets would work, particularly where many customers had to wait in lengthy queues to see what tickets were available.

Next steps

Since the opening of the investigation, Ticketmaster has made changes to some aspects of its ticket sales process, but the CMA does not currently consider these changes are sufficient to address its concerns.

The CMA has provided Ticketmaster with details of the further steps required to address its concerns and is seeking changes to Ticketmaster's processes - including to the information it provides to customers, when it provides that information, and how it labels some of its tickets. The CMA is now consulting on these changes with Ticketmaster.

Hayley Fletcher, Interim Senior Director of Consumer Protection says: 

"Fans reported problems when buying Oasis tickets from Ticketmaster and we decided those concerns warranted investigation.

"We're concerned that Oasis fans didn't get the information they needed or may have been misled into buying tickets they thought were better than they were.  We now expect Ticketmaster to work with us to address these concerns so, in future, fans can make well-informed decisions when buying tickets.

"All ticketing websites should check they are complying with the law and treating their customers fairly. When businesses get it right, consumers benefit - and that's the best outcome for everyone."

The CMA is not able to advise on individual complaints so anyone seeking advice or support should contact the relevant consumer advice organisation in their area.

For more information visit the Ticketmaster investigation case page.

NOTES TO EDITORS:

1.   Ticketmaster UK Ltd (Ticketmaster) is a company which sells and supplies tickets to consumers for a range of third-party events via its website and mobile application in the UK. In particular, it sold tickets for the 'Oasis Live '25' tour.

2.   As an enforcer under Part 8 of the Enterprise Act 2002, the CMA currently enforces consumer law through the courts. It cannot currently levy administrative fines for breaches of consumer law. From 6 April 2025, the CMA will have new consumer powers, which will enable the CMA to decide when consumer law has been broken without taking a case to court. The Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024 (DMCCA) will, once it comes into effect, also enable the CMA to fine those firms that do break consumer law up to 10% of their turnover.

3.    The main consumer protection legislation relevant to the CMA's concerns about misleading claims and other harmful online selling practices is the Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations 2008 (CPRs). The CPRs aim to protect consumers from unfair commercial practices such as the misleading provision or omission of information as part of sales processes. The CMA recently consulted on draft guidance in relation to unfair commercial practices (UCPs). Provisions prohibiting UCPs are due to replace and update the CPRs once the relevant provisions of the DMCCA come into force on 6 April 2025. The CMA currently has the ability to ask a court to enforce the CPRs. Under the DMCCA, the CMA will gain the ability to enforce the UCP provisions itself, without needing to apply to a court.  

4.   'Primary' tickets are tickets which are being sold for the first time, at the original price for tickets as determined by artists, event organisers or box offices. 'Secondary' tickets are those which are resold after their original sale, often (but not always) at prices other than the original 'face value'.

5.   All media enquiries should be directed to the CMA press office by email on press@cma.gov.uk, or by phone on 020 3738 6460.