The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has secured formal commitments from Ticketmaster to make sure fans have the information they need when buying tickets.
Ticketmaster will make it clear to fans what seat or position they will get for their money and give more information about different ticket prices.
It follows widespread concerns about the Oasis reunion tour sale – although so-called dynamic pricing was not used – which prompted an investigation by the CMA. Oasis play two final Wembley Stadium dates this week (September 27-28).
The Oasis sale was the biggest in history, with demand three times higher than Ticketmaster’s previous record and 10 million people queuing.
All tickets were sold at pre-set prices. The higher price tiers were set by the tour specifically to undercut unofficial secondary ticketing.
The competition regulator identified concerns in two areas:
• Ticketmaster did not tell fans waiting in lengthy queues that standing tickets were being sold at two different prices, and that prices would jump as soon as the cheap tickets sold out.
• Ticketmaster sold some ‘platinum’ tickets at almost 2.5 times the price of ‘standard’ tickets – without sufficient explanation that these offered no additional benefits over some ‘standard’ tickets in the same areas of the venue.
The changes we’ve secured will give fans more information about prices and clear descriptions of exactly what they are getting for their money
Sarah Cardell
In response, the CMA has secured undertakings to ensure fans buying tickets are treated fairly.
These undertakings require Ticketmaster to:
• Tell fans 24 hours in advance if a tiered pricing system is being used (as was the case for Oasis standing tickets). This means fans will know beforehand if there are multiple prices for the same type of ticket, and that more expensive ones will be released once the cheapest sell out.
• Provide more information about ticket prices during online queues, helping fans anticipate how much they might have to pay. This includes setting out the range of prices available for the event when people join the queue and updating fans swiftly when the cheaper tickets sell out.
• Not use any misleading ticket labels. Ticketmaster will ensure that tickets are described accurately and do not give the impression that one ticket is better than another when that is not the case.
• Provide regular reports to the CMA. Ticketmaster will regularly report how it has implemented the undertakings over the next two years to ensure robust compliance. Failure to take forward these measures could result in enforcement action.
Ticketmaster has called on the CMA to ensure the whole industry follows their voluntary undertakings on ticket sales.
In a statement, Ticketmaster said: “We welcome the CMA’s confirmation there was no dynamic pricing, no unfair practices and that we did not breach consumer law. To further improve the customer experience, we’ve voluntarily committed to clearer communication about ticket prices in queues. This builds on our capped resale, strong bot protection, and clear pricing displays — and we encourage the CMA to hold the entire industry to these same standards.”
On its website, the CMA broke down exactly how this will improve the situation for fans who experienced problems during the Oasis sale:
“These measures send a clear message to all ticketing websites that fans must have access to clear and timely pricing information with accurate ticket descriptions, especially where there are different pricing models and queues in play,” said a statement. “The CMA recognises the importance of live events for fans and will continue to monitor practices building on previous work in this area.”
Sarah Cardell, chief executive of the Competition and Markets Authority, said: “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.
“The changes we’ve secured will give fans more information about prices and clear descriptions of exactly what they are getting for their money. If Ticketmaster fails to deliver on these changes, we won’t hesitate to take further action.”
These undertakings have been provided to the CMA voluntarily and without any admission of wrongdoing or liability. Ticketmaster has stopped using ‘platinum’ labels in the UK, separate to providing undertakings.
Under the new consumer regime that came into force in April 2025, the CMA will be able to fine companies up to 10% of their turnover if they break consumer law.
In the US last week, the FTC launched a legal action against Ticketmaster and parent company Live Nation over the process for allocating tickets for resale.
PHOTO: Simon Emmett
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