Since the 1980s, Ticketmaster has continuously expanded its influence through technological innovations and strategic partnerships, establishing itself as the dominant force in both the primary and secondary ticketing markets. The merger with Live Nation in 2010 reinforced this dominance, enabling the company to control not only ticket sales but also concert promotion and venue management, thereby creating a vertically integrated dominant position with high market power, encompassing multiple aspects of the live entertainment ecosystem. The effects of this monopoly are evident across several key areas: a dominant market share that limits competition, exclusive venue agreements that restrict competitor entry, and pricing practices that exploit consumers through higher ticket prices.
The aim of this paper is to analyze Ticketmaster’s market position and commercial behavior, focusing particularly on how its actions reduce consumer choice and exacerbate issues of affordability and service quality in the live entertainment sector. Based on a comparison of the legal systems of the EU and the United States, the thesis will seek to determine whether there are substantial differences in their regulatory approaches and enforcement practices, and which model provides a higher level of consumer protection. It further raises the question of whether dynamic pricing constitutes a legitimate market innovation or merely a form of concealed exploitation of market power.
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