#NewsBytesExplainer: Taylor Swift's tour tickets presale fiasco and Ticketmaster controversy
What's the story
On Tuesday, all hell broke loose for Taylor Swift fans trying to secure tickets to their favorite pop star's 2023 The Eras Tour. Millions of fans tried to grab a presale ticket on Ticketmaster, the only platform to get tickets for Swift's 52-date United States stadium tour. Understandably, a lot of chaos ensued. But Ticketmaster received the most heat. Why? Let's find out.
Details
Even limited scale presale saw 'unprecedented demand,' tremendous chaos
Given the demand and the fact that it's Swift's first tour in five years, November 15's Verified Fan Presale was open to only "verified fans" registered on the site. Still, some reported waiting for hours in digital queues, Ticketmaster's website crashed, and some tickets started getting posted for resale for thousands of dollars online. The ticketing site cited "unprecedented demand" and rescheduled sale dates.
Reaction
Angry fans resorted to lambasting, meme-fying ticketing site
Disgruntled Swifties didn't let Ticketmaster's "excuse" slide. One Twitter user wrote, "not Ticketmaster saying they weren't ready for this demand... babes you CHOSE how many people got presale codes (sic)." Many came together to criticize the platform's policies about choosing who gets presale tickets and who doesn't. Ticketmaster was rightly blamed for huge wait times, queues that don't move ahead, and unusable codes.
Twitter Post
Such memes took over the internet
when you're trying to get taylor swift tix but ticketmaster keeps crashing pic.twitter.com/FOSdMrIP2Y
— Meg (@mplevz) November 15, 2022
System
But this hatred isn't new. Here's where it stems from
Just like its name, Ticketmaster is a "master" when it comes to concert ticket providers in the American/Western market. Powered by its long-term deals with the biggest venues, exclusive agreements with the biggest performers, and its controversial merger with Live Nation, the largest concert promoter in the US, no other firm can compete. Naturally, this led to a monopoly situation, not liked by most.
Complaint
Concertgoers widely loathe the site for its infamous service charge
Established in 1976, Ticketmaster slowly emerged to be the sole major player in the business, demolishing competitors like TicketsNow, Ticketron, Paciolan, and TicketWeb. Concertgoers widely loathe the site for its infamous service charge, which can exponentially increase ticket costs. Lack of equal-sized competitors means people are forced to keep using Ticketmaster, although it might be more expensive, take more time, and not function properly.
Concert
Here's more about Swift's 'The Eras Tour'
Meanwhile, after enjoying a widely successful release with Midnights, the American singer announced her The Eras Tour earlier this month. The first leg of the tour (taking place in stadiums in the US) will begin on March 17, 2023, in Glendale, Arizona, and end on August 9 in Los Angeles. Thereafter, international dates will be announced in the upcoming legs.