Going to live events is way more expensive than it used to be… Nowadays, it’s not uncommon to see the worst seats for prestigious performers like Justin Timberlake or Ed Sheeran selling for $150 or more! It’s become nearly impossible to even attend a concert for less than $50 in major arenas. Even in smaller venues, tickets under $25 are a rarity.
Part of the problem may lie with how the industry is structured. Giants like Ticketmaster (and parent company Live Nation) control the lion’s share of ticket sales for big events in North America. They regularly charge clients fees and extras on tickets. In fact, the problem has gotten to a point where the Canadian Competition Bureau (CCB) is suing the ticket giant for advertising deceptive ticket prices, then charging fees at checkout.
The CCB calls the practice “drip pricing” – you start off with reasonably-priced tickets, but then fees “drip” onto the total, driving the price up by 20-65% depending on the event.
This law suit doesn’t just apply to concerts – all kinds of ticket prices are subjected to the same practice, including sporting events, concerts, musicals, and other types of entertainment.
Previously, similar law suits have been successful. In 2014, a U.S. suit resulted in Ticketmaster paying $400 million to millions of Americans who had been charged excessive fees. The CCB is hoping for a similar outcome, where Ticketmaster would stop the practice of “drip pricing” and pay a financial penalty for past wrongdoing.