Ticketmaster has been compelled to introduce fresh transparency measures following an investigation into its ticket sales for Oasis’s much-awaited comeback tour.
The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) announced the ticketing behemoth must now provide fans with clearer information about pricing and ticket categories, after widespread criticism during last year’s ‘Live ’25’ sale, as reported by City AM.
When tickets for the Britpop legends became available, demand vastly exceeded supply, with approximately 14m people reportedly vying for 1.4m seats.
Numerous fans complained they were left stranded in lengthy online queues, whilst others discovered themselves excluded by tickets priced at several times their original face value.
The CMA revealed its investigation identified two key concerns.
Ticketmaster neglected to inform queuing fans that standing tickets were being offered at two distinct price levels, with the more affordable ones disappearing first.
Additionally, “platinum” tickets were marketed for up to two-and-a-half times the cost of “standard” tickets yet provided no extra advantages.
Fresh transparency measures
Under the new commitments, Ticketmaster must now inform fans at least 24 hours before sales commence if tiered pricing is being implemented.
The company will also deliver clearer information about price brackets whilst fans queue online, with notifications when lower-priced tickets are exhausted.
The firm has additionally committed to cease using deceptive labels such as “platinum” when tickets deliver no additional perks. Ticketmaster will provide regular reports to the CMA over the next two years, with non-compliance potentially triggering enforcement measures.
Sarah Cardell, the CMA’s chief executive, stated that “Fans who spend their hard-earned money to see artists they love deserve to see clear, accurate information upfront. We can’t ensure every fan gets a ticket for events as popular as the Oasis tour, but we can help ensure that next time an event like this comes along, fans have the information they need, when they need it.”
Ticketmaster celebrated confirmation that the regulator had discovered no evidence of dynamic pricing, where costs fluctuate in real time with demand, during the Oasis sale.
The firm added that whilst it had not violated consumer law, it had voluntarily accepted the modifications to enhance the customer experience.
The furore surrounding Oasis tickets sparked political examination, with culture secretary Lisa Nandy initiating a review into pricing practices and prime minister Keir Starmer describing the price surges as “depressing.”
The scandal also emerges alongside broader international pressure on Ticketmaster and its parent company Live Nation.
In the US, authorities have charged the company with anti-competitive conduct and “illegal” ticket resale practices, claims it refutes.
