Ticketmaster’s Taylor Swift Drama Sparks Senate Antitrust Showdown

Ticketmaster’s Taylor Swift ticket sales under fire

The Chaos
Ticketmaster’s handling of Taylor Swift’s tour ticket sales has sparked outrage and scrutiny from lawmakers. Sens. Amy Klobuchar and Mike Lee have announced a hearing to investigate competition in the ticketing industry following the chaotic rush for tickets to Swift’s tour.

The Fallout
Swift’s fans flooded Ticketmaster’s systems, resulting in 3.5 billion total system requests and tickets being snatched from fans’ carts. Despite the overwhelming demand, Ticketmaster canceled the general sale, citing high demand and low ticket inventory.

The Investigation
Concerns over competition in the ticketing industry have led to calls for Ticketmaster’s parent company, Live Nation, to be broken up. The Department of Justice has been conducting an antitrust investigation into Live Nation for months. Ticketmaster claims to be following a 2010 consent decree with the DOJ.