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US Senator Scott Wilk\u2019s legislation to prohibit exclusivity clauses in contracts between primary ticket sellers and entertainment venues in California headed to the Senate Floor and was voted on yesterday (Monday).\u00a0 \n<\/p>\n
The bill passed out of the Senate Appropriations Committee earlier this month.<\/p>\n
Senator Wilk said: \u201cExclusivity contracts with entertainment venues mean higher ticket prices for consumers. This bill gets at the heart of that problem and would help break up the monopoly Ticketmaster has had on California\u2019s live entertainment industry.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou shouldn\u2019t have to go into debt just for enjoying a night out. My bill is a good first step in opening the door to more competition within the ticket-selling industry, and hopefully will bring some relief to consumers\u2019 wallets.\u201d<\/p>\n
The bill, SB 829, is aiming to help venues with the autonomy to collaborate with other ticket sellers without the fear of retaliation from larger ticket platforms.<\/p>\n
A press release from the Senator highlighted the position of Ticketmaster and parent company Live Nation, arguing that the pair \u201cdominated\u201d the live entertainment industry. The release said: \u201cIn 2022, Ticketmaster sold 86% of Billboard\u2019s Top 100 Tours in the United States. Of the total 2,498 shows, Ticketmaster ticketed 2,142 of them.\u201d<\/p>\n
The bill is based on a proposal that is currently going through the New York legislature, and mirrors the deal that Ticketmaster Ireland has with the Irish Government.<\/p>\n
In 2020, Ticketmaster Ireland agreed to remove exclusivity clauses<\/a> from contracts with venues, after the country\u2019s Competition and Consumer Protections Commission filed a High Court motion<\/a> seeking to formalise a legal agreement.<\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p><\/div>\n