The House of Representatives has passed the TICKET Act, which looks to improve the concert ticket marketplace. The bill united politicians on both sides of the aisle, passing 338-24.
The TICKET Act aims to eliminate the common problems fans face when trying to buy tickets for concerts and other live events. Some issues include speculative ticketing -- when an unofficial seller lists a ticket they do not have -- and an overwhelming number of automated "bots" who buy up tickets from actual human beings.
Another key problem is deceptive pricing and marketing. Tickets are often advertised at a certain price point only for a flurry of fees to significantly raise the cost. Transparency is at the heart of the TICKET Act.
The bill "requires ticket sellers...to clearly and prominently disclose at the beginning of the transaction, and prior to the selection of a ticket, the total ticket price for the event and an itemized list of the base ticket price and each fee (e.g., service fee, processing fee, delivery fee, facility charge fee, tax, or other charge). The total ticket price must also be disclosed in any advertisement, marketing, or price list."
Two weeks ago, dozens of artists, including Mark Ronson and The War & Treaty, headed to Washington D.C. for "Grammys on the Hill" to discuss the music industry's biggest challenges, particularly the issue of live event ticketing, which is tied to the TICKET Act as well as the Fans First Act.
The Fans First Act includes similar provisions to the TICKET Act, such as transparent ticket pricing, holding resellers accountable and combatting bots. The bill would also require the FTC and state attorneys to monitor and impose penalties on bad actors. Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX) introduced the Fans First Act in
CEO of the Recording Academy, Harvey Mason J.R., provided a statement celebrating the progress.
"Today's passage of the TICKET Act by the House of Representatives marks a significant step forward toward improving the concert ticket marketplace...The Recording Academy thanks our Congressional leaders for bringing the bill to a vote shortly after meeting with Academy members."
Mason encouraged the Senate to "act quickly to incorporate the strong provisions contained in the Fans First Act and move a comprehensive ticket reform package that will provide transparency and protect artists and their fans."
The TICKET Act and Fans First Act also serve as a follow up to 2016's BOTS Act. The bill prohibits users from using bots to manipulate and purchase tickets for "a public event with an attendance capacity exceeding 200 persons. It "provides authority" to the FTC and states to enforce against any violations.
In April, more than 280 artists signed a letter asking congress to take steps to fix the current ticketing marketplace.
The letter details that the artists "are joining together to say that the current system is broken: predatory resellers and secondary platforms engage in deceptive ticketing practices to inflate ticket prices and deprive fans of the chance to see their favorite artists at a fair price."
It is unknown when the bill will arrive on the Senate floor.
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