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When The Cure’s frontman Robert Smith said he was “sick” of Ticketmaster fees, many of us felt justified. Then the platform refunded some fees, but scalpers are now also on it and selling full Ticketmaster accounts instead of tickets. Is there still hope for concertgoers? — Anna
Play Monopoly
If you’re longing for a Ticketmaster alternative, you’re not alone. Whether you’re a fan of Taylor Swift, The Cure, or Bad Bunny, there are plenty of reasons to hate the self-proclaimed “world’s leading live entertainment ticketing platform”.
Is all hatred justified? Maybe not. Or rather, the platform could simply shoulder more than its fair share of responsibility. “It’s easy to blame Ticketmaster and say it’s their fault,” said former CEO Fred Rosen, who led the company from 1982 to 1998. told CBC Radio in January. “What determines the price is the demand.”
Regulators in many countries disagree. Earlier this year, the U.S. Senate questioned Live Nation, which acquired Ticketmaster in 2010, over concerns it would gain a monopoly.
